BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in The Idaho Press.
Ashton Jeanty’s introduction to the Heisman Trophy first came in 2016 while watching Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson on his way to winning the award.
With Jeanty growing up in Florida and the future two-time NFL MVP also being from the Sunshine State, Jeanty was drawn to his play.
“I was watching him making crazy plays and doing certain things we had never seen a dual-threat quarterback do,” Jeanty remembers. “Seeing him win that award, that’s when I started paying a lot of attention to it.”
Eight years later, the Boise State running back is making his own mark on college football and on the verge of winning college football’s most prestigious individual trophy himself.
Jeanty arrived in New York on Thursday as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented Saturday evening at the Upper West Side’s Lincoln Center.
“I just think about the beginning of the year when this is one of the goals I set out to do,” Jeanty said. “I knew I would be here in New York getting ready to win this award. But sometimes it feels a little surreal.”
Jeanty is one of four finalists for the award, being joined by Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Miami quarterback Cam Ward. The only other previous finalist for Boise State during the award’s nearly 90-year history was Kellen Moore, who was fourth in the 2010 voting.
Much of the talk nationally over who will win the Heisman has been between Hunter and Jeanty.
Jeanty put himself in the conversation with a huge season, which has seen him rush for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns, leading Boise State (12-1) to its second straight Mountain West title and first-ever bid to the College Football Playoff. The Broncos earned a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed and will play either Penn State or SMU in the quarterfinals Dec. 31 at the Fiesta Bowl.
Jeanty has also picked up a few individual accolades already this week. On Thursday he was honored as both the Doak Walker Award winner, given to the top running back in the nation, and the Maxwell Award winner, given to the nation’s most outstanding player. He’s just the third running back to win the Maxwell Award since 2000.
While the Maxwell and Heisman are awarded to the player deemed to be the best in the nation, the Heisman is considered the more prestigious award, and is arguably the most high-profile individual honor in all of sports. The Heisman is voted on by media members and past winners. The Maxwell is awarded by a panel of coaches and media members.
Eight of the last 10 Maxwell winners have gone on to win the Heisman.
“Obviously being a finalist for these awards is a great accomplishment in itself,” Jeanty said Thursday shortly before the Doak Walker and Maxwell Awards were announced. “Just for all the hard work to pay off and being able to take home these awards would mean a lot.”
He’s also already been named to two first-team All-America teams, appearing on the Walter Camp team on Thursday and the American Football Coaches Association giving him the honors on Friday.
Boise State offensive tackle Kage Casey also picked up second-team All-America honors from Walter Camp.
Jeanty will be joined in New York by family members and Bronco coach Spencer Danielson. He said Thursday that he would have liked to take some teammates, but there were only a limited number of people he could bring with him to New York.
It will be a busy weekend with several events leading up to the ceremony. On Friday, he was in Times Square with the three other finalists taking promotional photos.
“I’d probably just say the ceremony, putting on the outfit and having the whole experience of being a finalist,” Jeanty said when asked what he was looking forward to most. “Then, having my family here to share the experience with me. I guess I’ll say little bit of the food, too. New York’s got some good food.”
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This article originally appeared in The Idaho Press.
