This year, for the first time ever, there were two sets of teammates on the stage. Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush of the USC Trojans were both finalists. In addition, last year's winner, Jason White, was joined by his Oklahoma Sooner teammate Adrian Peterson. White did exercise his right to vote as a past champion. He said he voted for Peterson first and Leinart second.
The fifth finalist was Alex Smith, quarterback for the Utah Utes. Smith did not have any college teamates with him on the stage, but he played on the same high school team in San Diego as Reggie Bush. None of the finalists have suffered a loss during the 2004 football season.
When the votes were tallied, it was Matt Leinart, the left-handed quarterback from the University of Southern California, who was declared the ---th winner of the Heisman trophy.
(AP Photo)
Leinart has been the toast of LA for two seasons now. Last season he led the Men of Troy to a share of the national title, and he now has a chance to make the Trojans a wire-to-wire champion this season. He has certainly come a long way from the days when he was teased in elementary school for being a fat and cross-eyed kid.
