Burkhead next few years will be up for heisman

A lot more goes into getting a Heisman than the player's talent. You have to be incredibly lucky and be on a GREAT team, play well on nationally televised games, play for a program that is respected year in and year out (at least recently), and not get injured. A lot of players are good enough to win the Heisman but other confounding variables stop them from winning.

 
Yellowjacketfan said:
A lot more goes into getting a Heisman than the player's talent. You have to be incredibly lucky and be on a GREAT team, play well on nationally televised games, play for a program that is respected year in and year out (at least recently), and not get injured. A lot of players are good enough to win the Heisman but other confounding variables stop them from winning.
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See people misconstrue what the heisman is SUPPOSED to be about. Its not about the best player on the best team, its about the best player in ALL of college football

 
Wow. I know that this board is for ideas and discussion and opinions, but WOW! Are we getting just a LITTLE ahead of ourselves here?!?! Hee-hee!!!

Wait...let me second guess myself. He HAS accrued 235 yards on the season. He HAS 3 total TD's on the season. He HAS posted his first career 100 yard game after a previous high of 39. And I know that we have NEVER seen a freshman show flashes of brilliance on a carry or game here and there and turn out to be just an 'ok' back. I mean after all, we've never seen STELLAR freshman put on a show and NOT win the heisman have we?!?!

Freshman

Player (year) Games Att. Avg. TD Yards

1. Ahman Green, IB (1995)* 11 141 7.70 13 1,086

2. Calvin Jones, IB (1991) 10 108 8.33 14 900

3. DeAngelo Evans, IB (1996)* 11 148 5.24 14 776

4. David Horne, IB (2002)* 9 127 5.13 7 651

5. Monte Anthony, IB (1974)* 11 109 5.39 7 587

6. Lawrence Phillips, IB (1993)* 10 92 5.52 5 508

7. Eric Crouch, QB (1998) 8 96 4.78 5 459

8. Tommie Frazier, QB (1992)* 9 86 4.64 7 399

9. Brandon Jackson, IB (2004)* 10 85 4.59 6 390

 
cmb23 said:
Wow. I know that this board is for ideas and discussion and opinions, but WOW! Are we getting just a LITTLE ahead of ourselves here?!?! Hee-hee!!!

Wait...let me second guess myself. He HAS accrued 235 yards on the season. He HAS 3 total TD's on the season. He HAS posted his first career 100 yard game after a previous high of 39. And I know that we have NEVER seen a freshman show flashes of brilliance on a carry or game here and there and turn out to be just an 'ok' back. I mean after all, we've never seen STELLAR freshman put on a show and NOT win the heisman have we?!?!

Freshman

Player (year) Games Att. Avg. TD Yards

1. Ahman Green, IB (1995)* 11 141 7.70 13 1,086

2. Calvin Jones, IB (1991) 10 108 8.33 14 900

3. DeAngelo Evans, IB (1996)* 11 148 5.24 14 776

4. David Horne, IB (2002)* 9 127 5.13 7 651

5. Monte Anthony, IB (1974)* 11 109 5.39 7 587

6. Lawrence Phillips, IB (1993)* 10 92 5.52 5 508

7. Eric Crouch, QB (1998) 8 96 4.78 5 459

8. Tommie Frazier, QB (1992)* 9 86 4.64 7 399

9. Brandon Jackson, IB (2004)* 10 85 4.59 6 390
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I'm glad someone looked this up because I was about to post a very similar comment. So many players start off so great, and then they either fade away or just do well, but not spectacularly. But Eric Crouch did win the Hiesman, and both Frazier and Phillips could have.

 
I think Burkhead has the chance to be a great player.

That said, I think boasting this kind of talk is ignorant in more way than one. Through 6 games (this is pre-Colorado) he had 29 carries for a net gain of 135. While those are pretty good numbers for the amount of attempts he had, I don't think it necessarily screams for him being a potential Heisman contender. You have to remember that the last running back Heisman winner we had was Mike Rozier. It is an extremely competitive market when trying to win the Heisman as a running back.

You also have to look at previous RB Heisman winners. The last RB to win the Heisman was in 2005. The last before that, 1999. It's become extremely tough to dismount QB's in this decade from the Heisman.

I'm not saying can't be something special and that he couldn't win the Heisman, all I'm saying is that this is way too premature in my eyes.

Putting this type of expectation on a guy like Burkhead could be disastrous. After all, everybody thought Lucky would win the Heisman, and even though he was a fairly solid player for us many people ended up writing this kid off as a bust.

 
I don't expect Rex to be All Big 12, ever. But who cares? If he is as dependable as he has been so far and runs hard, he'll be all we need. I just don't think he has the speed. Bigger holes by a better O-line will help.

 
HUSKER FREAK said:
newenglandhusker said:
husk3rf8n said:
Sorry to be a downer but NOTHING about Rex screams Heisman..Does he look like a good, solid back? Yes. Does he look spectacular? No.
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I respectfully disagree.
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I would have to respectfully disagree as well. While I was watching the Stanford game I was thinking that Rex and Gerhart look very similar in their running styles and abilities, although Rex is not quite as good as Gerhart YET. I do think that next year that could be different even with Helu as the #1 back in the 1-2 punch. We have to remember that he looks like a good solid back as a true freshmen, and if he continues to work to improve every year there is no doubt he will be spectacular by the time he is a senior.
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Rex Burkhead 5'11" 200 lbs

Toby Gerhart 6'1" 235 lbs

I'm sorry guys, but this one isn't even close. Gerhart is at least twice the runner Burkhead is. I love the kid, but let's not put these Marlon Lucky expectations on him. We all know how he had to deal with that one in a hospital....

 
Although the heisman hype is a bit much I think all of us can agree that Burkhead has huge upside and we have a lot to look forward to with this kid. And just a question about the freshman stats posted earlier how many of those freshman lost half of the season to injury.

 
well if green comes here and they split time it could make it tough for burkhead to win it without being a "feature back". IMO i don't see green coming here unless we stick to the type of offense were running now. he doesn't want to be a spread back

 
I really do not see anything yet that would lead me to believe I was watching a Hypsman level player.

He is above average for a freshman, at best.

He has fresh legs due to not playing much and recovery time.

Colorado is not a defensive giant by any means.

Slow it down some. When he has put a few 100 plus games together over the course of a season, which he was not able to do this year due to injuries( a key to being a Hypsman).

Unrealistic>Nebraska fan

 
OH Nebraska fans.

This is the kind of thread that will have other message boards making threads going "LOL @ husker fans."

Heck, if KSU fans start talking Heisman hype for some freshman contributor, we'd be rolling all over the floor about that.

 
I think Burkhead will have you all eating crow...he is so much more than a runningback...when they start lining him up in the slot and screen passes, you will see the kind of player he can be. Your not giving much credit to a kid who comes in every now and then when Helu needs a rest. Everyone will tell that a back likes to get into a rhythm. Not to mention that they called 9 draws up the middle the other night. I'd say it was a stellar performance to go 55 yards on nine plays and cap it with a touchdown. I might even say he was the reason Nebraska kept the game out of reach. Without that drive things were pretty close in the rearview mirror. Once Watson starts using Rex the right way you will all see. I believe Helu was quoted as saying "Rex has the best hands on the whole football team. Sounds like a bright future to me. :dunno

 
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