There have been years that have seen the NFL Draft have no Heisman Trophy winners attending, but never quite like this.
Oregon’s Marcus Mariota has decided he will stay home in Hawaii for the NFL Draft, kindly turning down his invitation to travel to Chicago for the league’s grand event on the offseason calendar. Mariota’s decision comes not too long after Florida State’s Jameis Winston confirmed his intention to stay home in Alabama to watch the NFL Draft near his grandmother, who is unable to travel.
My memory may be a tad foggy at times, but I cannot recall any other year the NFL Draft has seen two Heisman Trophy winners voluntarily skip the draft festivities entirely. Has this ever happened? It is one thing to have no Heisman Trophy winners on hand because the player chose to return to school the following season (or was prevented from turning pro due to league requirements).
The last time a Heisman Trophy winner was not on hand for the NFL Draft was the 2007 NFL Draft when Ohio State’s Troy Smith ended up being drafted in the fifth round. In Smith’s case, the decision may not have been under his control entirely. His stock had dropped significantly following Ohio State’s BCS Championship Game drubbing at the hands of Urban Meyer and his Florida Gators at the end of the 2006 season. Not being invited and passing on an invite are two different things.