Photo: Getty Images
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young entered his sophomore season with big expectations and somehow managed to exceed them.
The former five-star prospect won the Heisman Trophy, college football's top individual award, at a ceremony in New York City on Saturday (December 11) night, rewarding a stellar season topped by a big performance in the Tide's biggest game.
Young threw for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns and four interceptions on 314 of 462 passing, while also recording for 31 yards (sacks negate yards for quarterbacks) and three touchdowns on 71 rushing attempts in 2021.
Last week, Young accounted for four of Alabama's touchdowns in a 41-24 rout of Georgia in the SEC Championship -- which the Tide entered as an underdog -- including three passing and one rushing, as well as 461 total yards (421 passing, 40 rushing).
The sophomore managed to play his best football down the stretch, throwing for 15 total touchdowns and 1,567 yards in Alabama's last four games.
"Whenever you can win an award like this, it doesn't go as an individual award but it's a team award because I couldn't do it without any of those guys," Young said in his speech, thanking his Alabama teammates. "I'd like to thank Coach [Nick] Saban. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for your guidance and putting me in situations to be successful and for us as a team to be successful."
Young is the second consecutive Alabama player to win college football's top individual award, following his former teammate, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and joins Smith, Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram as the fourth Tide player to win the award in school history.
No. 1 Alabama will face No. 4 Cincinnati in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on December 31 for the chance to play in the College Football Playoff Final.