The Trophy

John Heisman's last job was at the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) in New York City where he became its first athletic director.  The DAC awarded a trophy in 1935 to the best college football player east of the Mississippi River.  This was changed in 1936 to cover the whole United States, and it was named in honor of John Heisman who died that year.  The tradition of the famous Heisman trophy has continued strongly through the years and is awarded to an outstanding player each December.