As the college football season nears, the talk of conference champions and post season awards increases, including the discussion of who could win the Heisman Trophy. A name that has come up in this discussion as a dark horse candidate is Alabama Center Barrett Jones.
During a late night tour of my Twitter page, I stumbled across a link to Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel’s mailbag in which he was asked for a dark horse candidate and Mandel made the claim that Jones could be that guy. An offensive lineman for the Heisman Trophy you say? Stick with me.
There is a scene in the Adam Sandler flick Big Daddy during the trial where one of the characters utters the phrase “If OJ can get away with murder, then why can’t Sonny have his kid?” This scene loosely translated in college football talk comes out to: “If Tyrann Mathieu can make it to the Heisman ceremony then why can’t Barrett Jones?”
There are three traits that you must to have to win a Heisman Trophy and Jones has all three. Great player? Check. Top performer on a good team? I’m going to say Check. Ability to work a room? Check and Checkmate.
When it comes to an offensive lineman with an impressive resume, few have the credentials of Barrett Jones. He’s a 5th year senior anchoring the best offensive line in college football, perhaps the best in history, a two-time national champion, and last year’s Outland Trophy award winner.
Then, when it comes to playing on a competitive team, barring a string of injuries the Crimson Tide should be among the best in the country. While most players receive credit from the statistics they accumulate, Jones will likely get a share of the credit for the entire success of the Alabama offense.
Finally, when it comes to winning a Heisman Trophy it’s all about how well you campaign. From stepping out and speaking to the local media to working the talk radio circuit, how well you come across on those platforms plays a big part in getting to New York City.
This will be the easy part for Jones because he has the unique ability to speak so candid and thoughtfully in such a way that politicians should ask him for tips.
Is it a long shot for Barrett Jones to win the Heisman Trophy? Absolutely, but he certainly has what it takes to be invited to the party.
