On December 9 1935 1935 Heisman winner Jay Berwanger
December 9, 1935 — The Downtown Athletic Club in N.Y. awarded the first Heisman Trophy — initially known as the Downtown Athletic Club Award — to Univ. of Chicago RB Jay Berwanger. This honor is given annually in December to the “most outstanding college football player.” Originally, it was awarded only to the “most valuable college football player east of the Mississippi,” but in 1936, it was opened to all college football players nationwide. In December 1936, the award was renamed the Heisman Trophy in honor of the late John Heisman, who had served as the club’s AD. After the Downtown Athletic Club went bankrupt in 2002, the Heisman Trust took over the distribution of the award. The trophy was designed by sculptor Frank Eliscu and modeled after former NYU football player Ed Smith.
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