Hutchinson Finishes Second in 2021 Heisman Trophy Balloting
12/11/2021 8:56:00 PM | Football
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- University of Michigan senior defensive end and captain Aidan Hutchinson finished second in the 2021 balloting for the Heisman Memorial Trophy which was presented Saturday (Dec. 11) at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Hutchinson is the 23rd Wolverine to finish in the top 12 of the balloting.
Hutchinson totaled 954 points on the after votes were tallied. He earned 78 first-place votes, 273 second-place votes, and was third on 174 ballots.
The Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. The award was created by the Downtown Athletic Club in 1935. Hutchinson is the first defensive player to finish in the top four since Ohio State's Chase Young placed fourth in the 2019 voting.
Hutchinson is the third Wolverine to finish second in the final balloting, joining running backs Tom Harmon (1939) and Bob Chappuis (1947). He is the first defensive player to finish as the runner-up since Notre Dame's Manti Te'o (2012) and the third in the history of the award (Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1980).
A Michigan player has finished in the top 12 of the balloting 29 times, led by Heisman Trophy winners Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991) and Charles Woodson (1997). It is the 14th time that a Wolverine has finished in the top five of the voting. Hutchinson is the program's highest finisher for the award since Charles Woodson won the Heisman in 1997.
Hutchinson is the 12th defensive end to finish in the top 10 of the balloting.
He became the 10th defensive player selected as a Heisman Trophy finalist. The others are Oklahoma LB Brian Bosworth (1986), Washington DT Steve Emtman (1991), Miami DT Warren Sapp (1994), Michigan CB Charles Woodson (1997), Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh (2009), LSU CB Tyrann Mathieu (2011), Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o (2012), Michigan LB Jabrill Peppers (2016) and Ohio State DE Chase Young (2019). Michigan leads all of college football with three defensive finalists for the Heisman: Woodson, Peppers and now Hutchinson.
