ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 10, 1995 TAG: 9512110087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: Associated Press
THE SENIOR TAILBACK beats Nebraska's Tommie Frazier and Florida's Danny Wuerffel for college football's top honor.
Two weeks after his most disappointing loss, Eddie George celebrated his greatest victory.
George, who led the nation with 24 touchdowns and rushed for an Ohio State-record 1,826 yards, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
The senior tailback beat out Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier and Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel by a surprisingly wide margin.
After hearing his name called during the nationally televised ceremony at the Downtown Athletic Club, George buried his head in his hands.
``I'm glad this is over,'' he said after hugging his mother, Ohio State coach John Cooper and the four other Heisman finalists. ``I'm just overwhelmed right now.''
The announcement came two weeks after Ohio State's perfect season and national championship hopes were dashed by a 31-23 loss to Michigan.
``It's going to take some time to sink in,'' George said after winning college football's most coveted award. ``I think once I'm with my family and we laugh a little bit and cry a little bit, it will probably hit me.''
George is the fifth Ohio State player to win the Heisman, joining Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Howard ``Hopalong'' Cassady and two-time winner Archie Griffin. Only Notre Dame, with seven, has more Heisman winners.
Most people expected one of the closest three-way races in Heisman history, but George beat runner-up Frazier by 264 points and third-place Wuerffel by 473 points.
George received 268 first-place votes and 1,460 points in balloting by the media and former Heisman winners.
Frazier, who passed and ran for 31 touchdowns and led top-ranked Nebraska to its third consecutive undefeated regular season, got 218 first-place votes and 1,196 points.
Wuerffel, who set an NCAA record for passing efficiency and helped No.2 Florida go 12-0, received 185 firsts and 987 points.
Northwestern running back Darnell Autry finished fourth this year, followed by Iowa State running back Troy Davis and Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning.
Rounding out the top 10 were Southern Cal receiver Keyshawn Johnson, Michigan running back Tim Biakabutuka, Florida State running back Warrick Dunn and Ohio State quarterback Bobby Hoying.
Wuerffel, Frazier, George, Autry and Davis attended the announcement at the Downtown Athletic Club.
George finished first in three of the six voting regions: the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Frazier carried the Southwest and Far West, while Wuerffel won the South.
George was the featured star on a team that included All-America receiver Terry Glenn and All-Big Ten quarterback Hoying. George was a versatile performer, carrying the ball 303 times and catching 44 passes for 399 yards.
George, who grew up in Philadelphia, wasn't always a hard worker. He admittedly was ``lazy'' and ``disrespectful'' in high school, so his mother sent him to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia.
``They instilled discipline in me really quick,'' said George, who is close to getting his degree in landscape architecture at Ohio State. ``I did a lot of growing up down there.''
Frazier, whose career was almost ended by blood clots last season, passed for 17 touchdowns and ran for 14 as Nebraska (11-0) reached its third consecutive national title game. The defending champion will play Wuerffel's Gators in the Fiesta Bowl.
Wuerffel passed for 35 touchdowns, completed 65 percent of his attempts and finished with an efficiency rating of 178.4, breaking the previous NCAA mark of 176.9, set by Brigham Young's Jim McMahon in 1980.
Davis gained 2,010 yards to become the fifth 2,000-yard rusher in Division I-A history. The other four won the Heisman.
Autry gained 1,675 yards and scored 15 touchdowns to help Northwestern gain its first Rose Bowl berth in 47 years. Autry and Davis are sophomores.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB