Oklahoma QB Bradford wins Heisman

NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy Saturday.

Bradford beat out last year's Heisman winner, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

Bradford, a redshirt sophomore, became the fifth Oklahoma player to win the Heisman, joining quarterback Jason White (2003) and running backs Billy Sims (1978), Steve Owens (1969) and Billy Vessels (1952).

Tebow had more first-place votes (309) than Bradford (300), but the Sooner QB totaled 1,726 points. McCoy was second with 1,604 points, including 266 first-place tallies. Tebow came in third at 1,575 points.

Bradford won the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award Thursday, the same night Tebow edged fellow signal-callers Graham Harrell of Texas Tech and McCoy, for the Maxwell Award, signifying the nation's top all-around player.

Bradford and Tebow will battle Jan. 8 in the BCS national championship game in Miami.

Last year, Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman. He was denied a shot at joining Ohio State running back Archie Griffin (1974-75) as the only two-time winner of the Heisman.

Bradford guided the Sooners to a 12-1 record and a late-season surge that not only put him at the forefront of the Heisman race, but also landed Oklahoma in the No. 1 spot in the BCS.

The second-year starter, who tore ligaments in his non-throwing hand in the second-to-last game of the season, led the nation with 48 touchdown passes while completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,464 yards, and was intercepted just six times.