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NEW YORK -- Toward the end of his acceptance speech after winning the Heisman Trophy, Lamar Jackson said: "It's crazy, oh snap, it's crazy." Crazy is a word many opposing coaches probably used to describe the 19-year-old's prolific passing and rushing numbers during the regular season.
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And because of those "crazy" numbers, Jackson became the youngest player to win the Heisman Saturday as he beat out Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson by a margin of 2,144 to 1,524 points.
"When I heard them say my name, some reason my just chest started pumping really hard," Jackson said during his press conference at the Marriott Marquis near Times Square after winning. "My heart started racing. I heard them say my name, just thank God."
Jackson emerged as a dual threat early in the season and never let up despite struggling at times in late-season losses to Houston and Kentucky. He was considered a heavy favorite to win and Jackson became the first Cardinal to claim the trophy as well as the 10th straight non-senior to prevail and fourth sophomore after winning the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards as the nation's best player.
"I was very nervous," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. "I had no idea how the vote was going to come out. I want you to know how proud I am of Lamar. He's a young man that prepared extremely hard, went out on the field and played as hard as he could, did a tremendous job of being a leader for our football team and I feel like he certainly deserved it."
Wearing a cardinal red blazer he purchased at Macy's, Jackson hugged the other finalists and some of the 22 former winners on stage before starting his speech.
Jackson was named the MVP of last season's Music City Bowl and emerged as the favorite by throwing 30 touchdowns and rushing for 21 other scores during 12 games, helping Louisville to a 9-3 record. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 3,390 yards and rushed for 1,538 yards to become the first player in FBS history to throw for at least 3,300 yards and rush for at least 1,500.
"I thought about it a lot growing up, playing the NCAA video games," Jackson said before the ceremony. "I was like, 'Man, it would be great to go to college and win that award.' So just to be sitting here right now and having my name talked about, it's crazy.''
Jackson also is the first player in ACC history to get at least 15 touchdowns on the ground and in the air during the same season. With 2,498 rushing yards, Jackson will return for his junior season with the third-most rushing yards for an ACC quarterback.
Jackson averaged 8.9 yards per pass and 6.6 per rush. He led all FBS quarterbacks in rushing yards and compiled eight games with at least 100 rushing yards to become the sixth player in FBS history with 20 passing TDs and 20 rushing TDs in the same season.
He finished the regular season holding ACC and school records with 51 touchdowns responsible for, rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,538 and rushing scores by a quarterback.
Jackson tied an ACC mark with eight touchdowns in the season-opening victory over Charlotte, including matching a school mark with six touchdown passes. In the following week against Syracuse, Jackson rushed for 199 yards and threw for 411 yards, setting the ACC record for total yards.
Against elite competition, Jackson shined. Facing then-No. 2 Florida State, he ran for four touchdowns in 63-20 victory and in a six-point loss to then-No. 5 Clemson, Jackson compiled 457 yards and three touchdowns in one of the best games of the season.
Against Syracuse in a game in which he set the ACC record for total yards (610), he fell one rushing yard short of becoming the first FBS player ever to pass for 400 yards and run for 200 in the same game.
Although his numbers were not as good in losses to Houston and Kentucky, Jackson's resume was good enough to get him the award and the other finalists took notice.
"You wouldn't even know he's 19 by the way he's carrying himself," Michigan's Jabrill Peppers said. "That's just crazy to think he's doing that at this age against grown men. What he's doing now it's just crazy, I can only imagine how good he's going to be."
Added Watson: "He's just a great athlete end everybody knows that. It's just been fun to watch him this season and it's going to fun to watch him grow over the next few years. I'm just blessed he is in the ACC, repping the conference well."
Watson led Clemson to a playoff berth against Ohio State on Dec. 31 and set 52 school records. He finished third last year to Alabama running back Derrick Henry and is the first player to finish twice in the top three without winning.
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield placed third with 361 points. Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook was fourth with 209 points and Peppers was fifth, one point behind Westbrook.
Eleven players received at least one first-place vote, including Stanford's Christian McCaffrey.
