Christian McCaffrey (5) of the Stanford Cardinal runs with the ball against the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium on Nov. 14, 2015 in Palo Alto, Calif. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey joined some elite company after being named a Heisman Trophy finalist. There have been just five players who grew up in Colorado who finished in the top 10 in the Heisman vote.
Colorado running back Byron “Whizzer” White, who went to Wellington High, finished runner-up in the 1937 Heisman Trophy vote, behind Yale quarterback Clint Frank.
Lakewood High’s Joe Romig finished sixth in 1961 as an offensive guard at Colorado. Syracuse’s Ernie Davis won that year.
Mitchell High’s Terry Miller finished in the top 10 twice as a running back for Oklahoma State. He was fourth in 1976 and second in 1977. The two who won those years? Pitt’s Tony Dorsett and Texas’ Earl Campbell.
Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, who graduated from Loveland, finished third behind Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel in 2012.
Byron White1937ColoradoWellingtonRBSr.2Joe Romig1961ColoradoLakewoodOLSr.6Terry Miller1976Oklahoma StateMitchellRBJr.4Terry Miller1977Oklahoma StateMitchellRBSr.2Collin Klein2012Kansas StateLovelandQBSr.3Christian McCaffrey2015StanfordValor ChristianRBSo.TBD
In terms of players who played in Colorado collegiately, there have been nine, including 1994 winner Rashaan Salaam of Colorado.
Byron WhiteColorado1937RBSr.2Joe RomigColorado1961OLSr.6Terry IsaacsonAir Force1963RBSr.8Ernie JenningsAir Force1970WRSr.8Darian HaganColorado1989QBSo.5Eric BieniemyColorado1990RBSr.3Rashaan SalaamColorado1994RBJr.1Beau MorganAir Force1996QBSr.10Chris BrownColorado2002RBSr.8
