On December 9 1998 1998 Heisman winner Ricky Williams
During Texas running back Ricky Williams’ Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1998, Longhorns coach Mack Brown witnessed two lasting gestures of sportsmanship. One came from Williams, who would become college football’s all-time leading rusher, and the other came from an unexpected source. In the eighth game of the 1998 season, Texas ended Nebraska’s 47-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium. Williams rushed for 150 yards in the Longhorns’ 20-16 victory. “That won the Heisman for him, I think, because everybody said they hadn’t given up 150 yards in forever,” Brown said. “As we were leaving the field after the game, I was doing an interview with Ricky with ABC. We were walking off the field and I told him, ‘Put your helmet back on and keep your head down. People may be rude and they might throw things at you.'” Instead, Brown was surprised by what he witnessed. “The stands were still packed and the Nebraska fans gave him a standing ovation,” Brown said. “They started to chant, ‘Heisman! Heisman!’ It was one of the coolest sportsmanship moments I’d ever seen. It was just really a touching moment and we don’t have much of that anymore.” A week later, the Longhorns played Oklahoma State at home. The Cowboys crowded the line of scrimmage to slow down Williams, who was limited to only 42 rushing yards in the first half. Behind quarterback Major Applewhite’s passing, Texas beat the Pokes, 37-34. “They had all their guys at the line of scrimmage, and Major was just lighting them up throwing the ball,” Brown said. “But they were blitzing every down and Ricky didn’t have many yards.” In the Longhorns’ locker room at halftime, Brown told Williams it just wasn’t his day. “I said, ‘Ricky, I’m sorry, but it’s not just there,'” Brown said. Williams told him, “Coach, throw it every time. We need to win the game. Don’t worry about the Heisman Trophy. It will take care of itself.” “It was a very, very unselfish thing to do,” Brown said. On Dec. 12, 1998, Williams was rewarded for his unselfishness, when he was named Texas’ second Heisman Trophy winner.
— Mark Schlabach
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