By Darin December 8 is the most hallowed date in the history of college football’s most prestigious individual award. Over the decades, this date has served as the stage for announcing eight different Heisman Trophy winners, from the legendary Frank Sinkwich to the groundbreaking Tim Tebow. But the history of this day extends far beyond individual collegiate greatness. December 8 also marks the formation of one of the most powerful organizations in sports, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and witnessed the most lopsided championship result in NFL history. Join us as we explore the incredible confluence of dynasties, records, and history-making players who all share this defining day on the football calendar.
The Heisman Heavyweight Day: Why December 8 is a Date of Dominance and Dynasty
- December 8, 1932 – Knoxville, Tennessee – 13 members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Conference, located west and south of the Appalachian Mountains, were formerly reorganized into the Southeastern Conference. According to the post on secsports.com, the member schools at that time were Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tulane, and Vanderbilt.
- December 8, 1940 – Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. – The most lopsided NFL Title game ever. The National Football League Championship game played in 1940 is long remembered, not because it was a great battle, but because of the Chicago Bears’ dominance that day. History.com’s article brings all the details. The Chicago Bears embarrassed the Washington Redskins, 73-0, in the game. It was the most lopsided victory in NFL history, and it happened to be the NFL’s showcase game to determine its season’s champion. There was no doubt who the top team in the 1940 NFL was after this one. The game was also the first NFL Championship game broadcast on national radio. We have a complete interview episode with a special guest from our 2025 series on the NFL Championships before the Super Bowl.
- On December 8, 1942, the 8th Heisman Trophy Award was given to Frank Sinkwich, Georgia’s outstanding halfback. Heisman.com tells us not only that Sinkwich was the Bulldogs’ first-ever Heisman winner, but also that he was the first Trophy holder to be born outside the United States. Hailing from Zagreb, Croatia, his family immigrated to the U.S. early in Frank’s life. The 1942 season was special for Sinkwich as he set the SEC’s passing record when he tossed for 1392 yards. Frank also ran for an additional 795 yards on the ground and helped the Bulldogs hit a record mark of 4725 yards of total offense! He, of course, was voted in as an All-America choice and even added to his legend by scoring the only TD in that season’s Rose Bowl on two sprained ankles in a 9-0 blanking of UCLA.
- December 8, 1948 – Southern Methodist University’s Halfback Doak Walker took home the 14th Heisman Trophy Award. Doak was only the second Junior player to win the coveted Trophy associated with being the best player in the nation. Heisman.com fills us in on the details of his outstanding season with the Mustangs. Doak had 542 yards rushing and 8 TDs in the season of 1948, and he caught 15 balls for another 278 yards and an additional 2 scores. When you pad those totals with yardage accumulated from his passing for 5 touchdowns and 304 more yards, you see what a weapon he was for the potent SMU offense! Walker was the third overall pick in the 1950 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, and he played there for 6 seasons, including a year when he held the NFL rushing title.
- December 8, 1953 – The 19th Heisman Trophy was presented to Johnny Lattner of Notre Dame by the Downtown Athletic Club, according to the Awards website. The senior halfback had an outstanding season for the Irish as he led the team to a 9-0-1 record while accumulating 651 yards rushing on 134 attempts and catching 14 balls for another 204 yards gained. His special teams play was outstanding as well: he averaged nearly 40 yards per kick return on 8 returns, and he picked off 4 passes while playing defense! Johnny’s all-purpose yards school record stood for 25 years at Notre Dame. Lattner played with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a season before entering the U.S. Air Force, but before he could return to the NFL, he suffered a career-ending knee injury in a military game.
- December 8, 1955 – The 21st Heisman Trophy Award was handed to Howard Cassady, the halfback from Ohio State University. “Hopalong,” as he was called, ran for 958 yards and 15 scores in his senior season to take home the nation’s top collegiate hardware, and it also earned him the Associated Press Athlete of the Year Award. Cassady was a first-round draft pick of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, where he played defensive back and also spent some time with the Eagles in Philadelphia before retiring. (source)
- December 8, 1973, The Movie Something for Joey captured the heart of a nation as it told the tale of Penn State running back John Cappelletti playing his butt off for his ill younger brother Joe. The performance on the gridiron earned Cappelletti the 39th Heisman Trophy Award as he rushed for 1522 yards and 17 touchdowns to become the first Nittany Lion to win the Trophy. His quest included 3 straight late-season 200-yard-plus games, according to Heisman.com. Other accolades received by John were the Maxwell Trophy, and he was selected as Player-of-the-Year by ABC-TV, United Press International, the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association, the Walter Camp Foundation, and the Washington Touchdown Club. The LA Rams used the 11th overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft to select Cappelletti, and his NFL career lasted 10 seasons with both the Rams and the Chargers.
- On December 8, 1977, the “Tyler Rose,” Earl Campbell of the University of Texas, won the 43rd Heisman Trophy Award. The running back, known for his powerful lower body and exceptional balance, rushed for 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns as he led the Longhorns to an undefeated season and became the school’s Heisman winner, per the Trophies official website. The Houston Oilers drafted Earl in the 1978 NFL Draft with the top pick. He took the League by storm as he dominated the rushing statistics for his first few seasons as a pro player.
- December 8, 2001, The SEC Championship Game of 2001 had #21 LSU Tigers upending the second-ranked Volunteers of Tennessee by the score of 31-20.
- On December 8, 2007, Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow claimed the 73rd Heisman Trophy. Heisman.com informs us that Tim was the first sophomore ever to take home the prestigious Trophy. Tebow accounted for 51 touchdowns for the Gators that season, gained by a combination of his arm and his legs. He passed for 3132 yards and 29 scores with 6 interceptions while rushing for 828 yards and 22 TDs. Tebow was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos and then bounced around the League, playing for the Jets, Patriots, and Eagles.
- On December 8, 2018, the 84th Heisman Trophy Award went to Kyler Murray, the nifty quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the second consecutive Heisman Trophy awarded to Sooner QBs, as the previous year’s Trophy went to Baker Mayfield, according to Heisman.com. Murray’s 4946 yards of total offense and 51 TDs were big numbers that drew votes for him for collegiate football’s most prestigious individual award. Oklahoma now has seven Heisman winners, tying it with Ohio State and Notre Dame for the most from one school. Murray initially played for Texas A&M, but after his freshman season, he transferred to the Sooners. The second-place finish in the Heisman voting was Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama, and third was Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Kyler Murray was the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft when the Arizona Cardinals selected him to be the face of their franchise.
December 8 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- Bobby Grayson
- Bill Polian
Conclusion
The events of December 8 consistently demonstrate the highest peaks of football achievement. This day is synonymous with individual excellence, having crowned eight different Heisman Trophy winners, and organizational power, marking the official birth of the mighty SEC. From the NFL’s most lopsided championship to key SEC title upsets, December 8 holds a deep and varied history that continues to define the game’s greatest players and most influential institutions.
Special thank you to the work shared by Pro-Football-Reference.com and the other sources linked in this post for helping us to tell the gridiron stories of the day.
