RR Ralphie Report: Colorado’s Heisman History: What other Buffs have made it to New York?

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What three Buffs have made it to New York before Travis Hunter?

With the Heisman ceremony in New York City around 24 hours away, the Colorado Buffaloes are seemingly on the verge of their second Heisman Trophy in program history.

Colorado’s two-way superstar Travis Hunter is currently a heavy favorite to win the most prestigious individual award in all of college football, with odds of around -2000 to head back to Boulder with some more hardware.

You probably already knew that, though. We’ve been writing about Hunter’s Heisman candidacy non-stop here at Ralphie Report for the last two weeks, just in case you need a little refresher.

However, especially for our newer Buffs fans who arrived with Coach Prime, perhaps you didn’t know that Colorado has a relatively rich history surrounding the Heisman Trophy. Before Hunter, three other Buffs have made it to New York City for the Heisman ceremony, and another Buffaloes has even won the award.

We’ll break down CU’s Heisman history for you in one easy place!

Darian Hagan (5th place, 1989)

The 1989 season of Colorado Buffaloes football is perhaps the biggest emotional roller coaster in the history of college football.

Fresh off an 8-3 season in 1988, the Buffs looked primed for a magical season in 1989. However, the start of the season was anything but magic. Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese, who had emerged as one the Big 8’s best quarterbacks over the previous two seasons, had developed some sort of visible illness as early as the 1988 Freedom Bowl. When examined by doctors in early 1989, Aunese was diagnosed with a rare form of inoperable stomach cancer and given months to live.

Sophomore Darian Hagan was suddenly thrust into the role of starting quarterback under terrible circumstances but found a way to excel anyway. Hagan burst onto the scene in 1989 as an option-style quarterback, rushing for 1004 yards and 17 touchdowns, throwing for 1002 yards and four touchdowns, and leading Colorado to an 11-0 regular season and the #1 rank before bowl season. Aunese would pass away in September, right in the middle of CU’s miraculous rise.

For Hagan’s efforts in leading Colorado to the top of the college football world, he’d earn an invitation to New York City for the Heisman ceremony. Hagan was the first Buffalo to get an invite to NYC and a catalyst for things to come. It wasn’t meant to be for Hagan though, as he’d finish fifth in voting. Houston quarterback Andre Ward would inevitably win the Heisman in 1989.

Ranked as the #1 team in the county, Hagan and Colorado faced fourth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl with the national title on the line. They’d go on to lose 6-21 and finished ranked fourth in the AP Poll.

Eric Bieniemy (3rd Place, 1990)

Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Allsport/Getty Images

Just one year after Hagan made it to New York as a Heisman finalist, CU running back Eric Bieniemy would do just the same.

In Colorado’s magical 1990 season, Bieniemy was a wrecking ball out of the Buffaloes’ backfield. Bieniemy tallied 1628 rushing yards on 288 attempts and 17 touchdowns, carrying a heavy load on CU’s offense.

At the end of the regular season, Bieniemy finished as the undisputed best running back in the nation and earned himself a ticket to go to New York as a Heisman finalist. Bieniemy would finish third in voting behind Notre Dame wide receiver Raghib “Rocket” Ismail and BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, who would eventually win the trophy.

Bieniemy got the last laugh though, as his Buffaloes would beat Rocket Ismail and Notre Dame in the 1990 Orange Bowl by a final score of 10-9, claiming their first and only national championship to date. In the 1990 Orange Bowl, Bieniemy scored the game-winning touchdown for Colorado on a one-yard rush.

Byron “Whizzer” White (2nd Place, 1937)

Photo by New York Times Co./Getty Images

White holds the honor as the first Buffalo to ever finish in the upper echelon of Heisman voting, although he never went to New York City as a Heisman finalist. Finalists only started to be flown out to New York for the Heisman ceremony in 1982, a short 45 years before White’s playing days at CU.

Nonetheless, “Whizzer” White is one of the most legendary Buffs to ever put on the uniform. White’s heroics at running back in 1937 would lead Colorado to an 8-0 record and their first-ever postseason game, where they’d lose 14-28 to Rice in the Cotton Bowl. In the 1937 campaign, White would set national records with 1121 yards and 112 points scored.

White would go on to play three seasons in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detriot Lions, before giving up football altogether to attend law school at Yale. The legendary Buffalo would follow up his time at Yale with a lengthy legal and political career, where he’d eventually be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President John F. Kennedy. White served on the highest court in the land until 1993 and passed away in 2002.

If you’re ever bored, check out Whizzer’s Wikipedia page if you haven’t already. It’s seriously one of the most insane and impressive things you’ll ever see.

Rashaan Salaam (1994 Heisman Trophy winner)

Set Number: X46942 TK4 R1 F28

Colorado running back Rashaan Salaam is the first Buffalo to ever come away with the highest individual honor in college football.

In a season where Colorado went 11-1, including a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame, Salaam was the best player in the entire nation. Salaam finished the 1994 season with a whopping 2055 rushing yards on 298 attempts, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, along with 24 rushing touchdowns. In his Heisman-winning campaign, Salaam had four consecutive games of 200+ rushing yards, including setting a school record with 394 yards of total offense in a single game against the Texas Longhorns. Out of the backfield, Salaam bulldozed his way to earning Colorado its sixth-ever bowl game victory and the third-ranking in the final AP Poll.

Salaam would go on to be drafted 21st overall in the 1995 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears, where injuries, turnover issues, and marijuana use would cut his NFL career short after only four seasons. Salaam passed away in 2016 due to suicide. May he rest in peace.

Travis Hunter (??? Place, 2024)

Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

Exactly 30 years since Salaam’s Heisman victory, Travis Hunter is on the verge of breaking the streak.

His once-in-a-lifetime 2024 season should be enough to win him the award, but there’s no way to know until Saturday night.

The Heisman ceremony will be at 6:00 pm MT on ESPN on December 14th, and we’ll be there to provide you with all the Heisman coverage you crave along the way.

Be sure to check back over the next 24 hours, as Ralphie Report has some awesome Travis Hunter content coming down the pipeline!

by RylandScholes
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