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Decide it on the field Candidates believe off-field actions irrelevant
Posted: Saturday December 04, 1999 10:43 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Three of the top Heisman Trophy contenders -- Drew Brees, Joe Hamilton, and Peter Warrick -- believe voters should judge a player by what he does on the field, not off. But Warrick, who probably lost his chance to win the Heisman because of his off-field problems, also said the winner should be "the person that can help their team win no matter what they have to do. Keep the team first and remain unselfish." When the season started, Florida State's Warrick was considered the Heisman front-runner but was suspended two games after being arrested for felony theft in a shopping mall scheme. The legal problem was resolved, but even Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said Warrick's Heisman chances had ended. "When I got in that trouble, it hurt me a lot," Warrick said Tuesday during a conference call. "But I went on from there and overcame adversity. The team stepped it up and we've got a chance to play for the national championship and that's what it's all about." Warrick caught 71 passes for 934 yards in nine games for the top-ranked Seminoles (11-0), who will play for the national title in the Sugar Bowl. Georgia Tech's Hamilton, who threw for 3,060 yards and 29 touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets' 8-3 season, said voters should watch the players play. "That's the basis of the award, all football," Hamilton said. "What you do on the field, how successful you are on the field as a team, the way you lead your team and get your team wins. A lot of people like to bring other things into it, but it's a football award." Brees, who threw for 3,531 yards and 21 touchdowns in leading Purdue to a 7-4 record, wants players to be recognized for the impact they have on their team. "In a lot of cases, you want to say it's the best player in the nation and I think a lot of people see what you do off the field is a part of that as well," Brees said. "Really, it should be what you mean to your team and how have you made your team better with the success you have had." Wisconsin's Ron Dayne, who broke Ricky Williams' Division I-A career rushing record and finished the season with 1,834 yards, is considered the Heisman favorite. He was not on the conference call.
The Heisman will be awarded on Dec. 11 in New York.
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