Here’s an interesting perspective by Heisman voter Scott Faldon of the Fort Smith (Ark.) Times Record.
In it, he writes about Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones and the push (among Razorback fans) to make him a Heisman candidate.
Faldon has three criteria for Jones:
1. Arkansas has to finish in the top 10.
2. Jones has to be a human highlight reel.
3. Arkansas has to promote him.
Writes Faldon:
“Most Heisman voters are actually at football games on Saturdays. They are too busy with the game they’re covering to bother with watching an Arkansas game from start to finish. Aside from highlights on ESPN, I’d guesstimate that less than half of the 920 Heisman voters have seen Jones take a snap this year. That’s why marketing campaigns are so important. The easier you make it for the members of the media, the more they’ll reward you.”
This goes to the heart of the power of name recognition. It also shows why guys at schools like Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, Miami, Texas, etc., have a built in advantage from being on TV, on magazine covers and on radio all the time. The schools that don’t have that automatic media pull have to work harder to make their guys known. But that takes time–the season is only so long. By the time players become known, it is often too late to impact the voting.
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