The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or the Heisman), named after the former Brown University and University of Pennsylvania college football player and coach John Heisman (John William Heisman), is awarded annually by the Heisman Trophy Trust to the most outstanding player in collegiate football. While it is not the only award honoring the most outstanding player in college football – Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Award are awarded to the "best player" – it is considered the most prestigious and receives the most media attentionCitation neededdate=April 2010. It is awarded in early December before the postseason bowl games begin. Only one player has ever won the Heisman twice, Archie Griffin of the Ohio State Buckeyes (Ohio State Buckeyes football) in 1974 and 1975. Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators (Florida Gators football), Sam Bradford of the Oklahoma (University of Oklahoma) Sooners (Oklahoma Sooners), and Mark Ingram, Jr. of the Alabama Crimson Tide have won the award as sophomores. Sophomores have won the last three consecutive years.

Winning the Heisman Trophy does not guarantee future success at the NFL level. Only eight winners of the Heisman are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but four winners have also been named Most Valuable Player in a Super Bowl. Some other winners have gone on to play in other professional sports, including Bo Jackson in baseball and Charlie Ward in basketball.

The trophy itself, designed by sculptor Frank Eliscu, is modeled after Ed Smith (Ed Smith (football player)), a leading player in 1934 for the now defunct New York University football team. The trophy is made out of cast bronze, is 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) tall and weighs 25 pound (pound (mass))s (11.3 kg (kilogram)).