College football’s top individual award, the Heisman Trophy, is presented to the most outstanding player of the year in a ceremony from the Best Buy Theater in New York City’s Times Square on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 8pm ET on ESPN.
Finalists who received invites to New York are Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, LSU defensive back/punt returner Tyrann Mathieu and Wisconsin running back Montee Ball. Last year, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton became the award’s 76th recipient. Press release with coverage details from ESPN below:
Heisman Trophy Presentation on ESPN Saturday
In addition to televising The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 9 p.m. ET, ESPN’s comprehensive college football awards coverage continues with the exclusive telecast of the 77th annual Heisman Trophy Presentation Presented by Nissan on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The live telecast from the Best Buy Theater in New York will be simulcast on ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile TV and accessible online at WatchESPN.com. ESPN Radio will also broadcast the announcement of the winner.
2011 Heisman Trophy Presentation details:
- 1991 Heisman winner Desmond Howard and his fellow College GameDay Built by The Home Depot colleagues Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, will be joined by ESPN college football commentator Joe Tessitore and reporter Tom Rinaldi during the college football award show.
- For the first time in ESPN’s 16 years of televising the Heisman presentation, brief “Through the Years” feature packages will showcase each finalist from childhood, highlighting their career milestones on the gridiron along the way.
- Another first on ESPN, the Heisman presentation will include a live music presence for audience members. Electric violinist Ken Ford will provide soul-stirring arrangements from his newest CD, “State of Mind” during commercial breaks, as well as providing musical transitions during the telecast.
- Tessitore will use a 65-inch touch screen monitor application – similar to ones used during presidential elections – to analyze the voting regions and results, and to offer statistical comparisons of this year’s finalist with former Heisman Trophy winners.
- A celebration of the 25th anniversary of 1986 winner Vinny Testaverde and 50th anniversary of the first African-American to win the award in 1961, Ernie Davis.
- A three-hour broadcast on ESPN Radio with Football Tonight host Freddie Coleman and ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. beginning at 7 p.m. features live interviews with all four finalists, plus the live announcement of the winner and his acceptance speech.