ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called “The Great Heisman Race of 1997″ on Michigan Wolverines football legend Charles Woodson is set to debut this weekend.
The documentary will highlight the competition for the prestigious award amongst some of football’s biggest legends, including Woodson, as he became the first primarily defensive player to win the trophy following the 2023 Heisman Trophy Award Ceremony on Saturday (Dec. 9).
Recommended Videos
The more things change, the more they stay the same as like Woodson’s national championship team, the 2023 Wolverines are ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time since 1998 when the men in maize defeated Ryan Leaf and his Washington State Huskies 21-16 at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
The 2023 Wolverines will look to achieve such success in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff when they take on Nick Saban and the No. 4 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California.
Read: College Football Playoff 2023: Where and when Michigan will play Alabama
This year’s team doesn’t have a Heisman Trophy candidate, but when you think about it, no team has ever possessed such a skilled player as Woodson, which is why the ESPN documentary will do a deeper dive into how he beat out Payton Manning, Leaf, and Randy Moss.
1. Charles Woodson 🏆
— ESPN (@espn) December 6, 2023
2. Peyton Manning
3. Ryan Leaf
4. Randy Moss
The new @30for30, "The Great Heisman Race of 1997," premieres Dec. 9 on ESPN and @ESPNPlus 📲 pic.twitter.com/SmvYxhbHj0
Woodson, who took home the Jim Thorpe Award, named after the multi-sport athlete for the best defensive back in college, was fitting as he became a two-way player for team 119 during his junior season.
He achieved 43 tackles and seven interceptions while snagging 11 receptions for 231 yards on offense and one punt return of 78 yards for a touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes to seal the Heisman Trophy.
With the victory, Woodson joined Desmond Howard and Tom Harmon as the only Heisman winners in school history. Jabrill Peppers in 2016 and Aidan Hutchinson in 2021 were the last players from the University of Michigan to be finalists for the prestigious award.
