Origin of 'The Heisman Pose'

The Heisman pose didn't start on a football field — it began in a sculptor's studio. In 1934, Frank Eliscu created the trophy's iconic design using former NYU player Ed Smith as his model. Smith struck that famous stiff-arm stance in full football gear, unknowingly creating one of sports' most recognizable images. Remarkably, Smith's identity stayed a mystery for 47 years. There's even more to this story than you'd expect.

Key Takeaways

• The Heisman Trophy's iconic pose was modeled after Ed Smith, a former NYU player, who posed in full gear at sculptor Frank Eliscu's studio.
• Smith's identity as the model for the trophy's stiff-arm pose remained unknown for 47 years before being publicly recognized.
• Desmond Howard spontaneously recreated the trophy's pose after scoring a 93-yard touchdown against Ohio State in 1991.
• Howard's teammates encouraged him to do something memorable if he scored, inspiring his now-legendary impromptu Heisman pose celebration.
• Broadcaster Keith Jackson's iconic "Hello Heisman!" call during Howard's pose cemented the moment as a defining symbol in sports history.

How the Heisman Trophy Was Born in 1935

The Downtown Athletic Club created the Heisman Trophy in 1935 to recognize the most valuable college football player east of the Mississippi River. Located on New York City's lower west side, the club appointed a Trophy Committee to present the first award at the end of the 1935 season.

The voting system awarded three points for a first-choice selection, two for second, and one for third, eliminating sectional favoritism. Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago won the inaugural award on December 9, 1935.

The bronze statue design featured a muscular footballer driving for yardage. Sculptor Frank Eliscu, a National Academy of Design Prize winner, modeled the figure after Ed Smith, a 1934 New York University player. The club inspected the final cast on November 16, 1935. Eliscu had asked Smith, his former George Washington High School classmate, to pose for the sculpture.

The trophy was named in honor of John Heisman, who served as the Downtown Athletic Club's first athletic director and was a celebrated player and coach during the 1890s and early 1900s.

The Coach Who Put His Name on College Football's Biggest Prize

While sculptor Frank Eliscu immortalized an unnamed footballer in bronze, the trophy's name honors a real coach whose fingerprints are all over modern football. John Heisman coached for 36 years, compiling a 185-70-17 record across multiple programs. He invented the center snap, introduced the "hike" signal, and championed legalizing the forward pass in 1906.

His coach's role in popularizing the trophy stems from a career that literally rewrote football's rulebook. At Georgia Tech alone, he posted a 102-29-7 record and engineered a 33-game winning streak. The impact of the trophy's naming on football's legacy runs deep — connecting today's award to someone who shaped how the game is actually played. When you watch modern football, you're watching Heisman's innovations in action. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954, a testament to the enduring influence he had on the sport.

Before his tenure at Georgia Tech, Heisman held coaching positions at Oberlin College, Buchtel College, Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, and Clemson University, building the foundation of a career that would ultimately change college football forever.

Meet Ed Smith: The Man Behind the Heisman Pose

His connection to the trophy came through Ed Smith's friendship with Frank Eliscu, a sculptor and former classmate who needed a model. Eliscu asked Smith as a favor, not a professional arrangement.

Smith suited up in full NYU gear — leather helmet, canvas pants, cleated shoes — and struck the now-legendary stiff-arm pose at Eliscu's Washington Square studio. He received no payment, just the quiet satisfaction of helping an old acquaintance.

The identity of the man behind the pose remained a mystery for 47 years, until Smith was finally tracked down through his brother-in-law, fellow NYU footballer Bob Pastor. Following his discovery, the Downtown Athletic Club invited Smith to their annual awards dinner, where he was presented his own replica.

The 93-Yard Return That Made the Heisman Pose Famous

It was November 23, 1991, and Michigan trailed the moment poorly — sitting at a 17-3 lead late in the first half against Ohio State, but needing something electric to cement what was already shaping up as Desmond Howard's Heisman season.

Ohio State punted deep, expecting Howard to down it at the 10-yard line. Instead, he fielded it, danced past the first defender, broke left through traffic, and outran everyone 93 yards to the end zone. The significance of Howard's return wasn't just the score — it clinched Michigan's Big Ten title and silenced Ohio State's sideline instantly.

The timing of Howard's Heisman win locked in the moment he struck his iconic pose, prompting Keith Jackson's unforgettable call: "Hello Heisman." That image became the trophy's defining symbol. Teammates had suggested Howard do something memorable if he scored, making the spontaneous pose a shared moment of triumph rather than a solo act of showmanship.

Howard lifted his leg and held out his arm in the back of the end zone, mimicking the Heisman Trophy itself, and he was fortunate the pose happened on college football's grandest rivalry stage, giving the moment an added layer of historical weight that resonated far beyond a single game.

How Desmond Howard Turned a Touchdown Into a Cultural Symbol

When Desmond Howard reached the end zone, no one rushed over to celebrate — so he stood there, raised his arm, and struck the pose. The player's in game mindset shifted in that quiet moment. He'd spent the entire season handing the ball to officials after touchdowns, following Barry Sanders' humble example.

But with 27 touchdowns behind him and his college career nearly over, pride rushed through him, and he let it show.

The symbolic significance of pose went far beyond that single play. Keith Jackson's "Hellooo Heisman!" call confirmed what everyone watching already sensed. Howard won the award with 85% of first-place votes, and that frozen stance became inseparable from trophy's identity — turning one spontaneous decision into a moment that still defines college football's highest honor. That iconic image was built on a remarkable season in which Howard led the Big Ten in scoring with 138 points.

The moment has since been immortalized in sports broadcasting history, with ESPN Enterprises, LLC holding the rights to footage of that unforgettable pose that captivated college football fans everywhere.

How the Heisman Pose Spread From Stadiums to the White House

What began in Michigan Stadium quickly escaped the boundaries of college football. Desmond Howard's 1991 end zone celebration triggered a cultural impact beyond football fields that nobody fully anticipated. You'd find the pose striking up in high school games, neighborhood lots, bathrooms, and parking lots across the country.

Even politics wasn't immune. Obama's Heisman pose imitation became a notable moment when the president extended his arm and hiked his knee alongside college football players and Heisman winners. He wasn't trying to claim the trophy — he was joining a tradition that had outgrown the sport entirely.

What Howard originally planned as a backflip became something far more lasting. A single touchdown celebration transformed into a universal gesture that you can recognize anywhere, from stadiums to the White House. That celebration came during a dominant season in which Howard won the Heisman Trophy after finishing with 21 total touchdowns. Young football players learn the pose at a very young age, ensuring the tradition continues to be passed down through generations.

The Heisman Trophy's Most Surprising Records and Firsts

Behind every Heisman Trophy winner lies a trail of records and firsts that shaped the award into what it's today. You'd be surprised how much the award evolved through heisman trophy eligibility changes — starting as a regional honor limited to players east of the Mississippi before expanding nationwide in 1936.

When you look at notable heisman trophy performance records, Archie Griffin stands alone. The Ohio State running back won back-to-back trophies in 1974 and 1975 — something no other player has achieved through 2024.

Jay Berwanger claimed the very first trophy in 1935, yet never played professionally. The 1977 ceremony broke new ground as the first televised prime-time broadcast, transforming a private dinner into a nationally watched event. With Southern California leading all schools with 8 Heisman Trophy winners, it's clear that certain programs have built a lasting legacy of producing the award's most elite honorees.

Oklahoma made history as the only school to have back-to-back Heisman winners play the same position, with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray claiming the award in consecutive years in 2017 and 2018.

Why Athletes and Presidents Still Strike the Heisman Pose

Few moments in college football history have proven as contagious as Desmond Howard's spontaneous Heisman pose after his 93-yard punt return touchdown against Ohio State in 1991. You can see the Heisman pose's multimedia impact everywhere today — from Lamar Jackson accepting his 2016 trophy to Barack Obama extending his arm forward at public events.

It's crossed every boundary: bathrooms, restaurants, parking lots, and presidential appearances. High school players, fans, and even non-athletes replicate it instinctively.

But popularity brings complications. The Heisman pose's legal complexities surfaced when photographer Brian Masck sued Howard in 2014 over unauthorized photo usage. They settled, letting both profit from the iconic image.

Thirty-plus years later, you're watching one spontaneous gesture reshape sports culture permanently. The iconic stiff-arm pose itself traces back to sculptor Frank Eliscu, who modeled the trophy's design after NYU standout Ed Smith Sr. in 1934.