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By The TL Sports Staff
Monday, December 08, 1997     Page:

Northeastern Pennsylvania certainly isn’t Peyton’s place.
   
A quick glance at this week’s responses to The Times Leader’s Fan Fare
Hotline will tell you that.
    Last week’s question was:
   
Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning and Michigan cornerback Charles
Woodson are the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy. Who do you think should
win college football’s top prize?
   
Most callers feel Woodson should win, and some even think Penn State
running back Curtis Enis should finish ahead of Manning. It’s possible some of
these callers might now have a different opinion of Manning, because they made
their responses before Saturday night, when the Tennessee senior quarterback
threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns to rally the Volunteers past Auburn
30-29 in the Southeastern Conference title game.
   
Here are this week’s responses.
   
My feeling is that Charles Woodson should win, second should be Curtis
Enis, third should be the quarterback from Oklahoma State, I don’t remember
his name, and fourth should be Peyton Manning. But, the hype will probably let
Peyton Manning win; it isn’t fair.
   
Anybody who knows football knows the defense wins games. So, how come a
defensive player has never won the Heisman? Manning has impressive numbers,
but many of them have been posted against weak competition and he’s never been
able to win the big game. On the other hand, Woodson plays in one of the
toughest college football conferences and he plays on both sides of the ball.
Not only do you have to be in excellent physical condition to do that, you
have to study two playbooks. He has proven he’s an all-around player, even
returning punts for touchdowns. He led his team to an undefeated season on the
verge of a national championship. A guy like this is a rare commodity. I say
he deserves it.
   
I think the Heisman should go to Curtis Enis and not only because he’s from
the Pennsylvania/Ohio area. But, also because not only do you get a great
football player, but you also get a class act if you vote for him.
   
Peyton Manning has been doing it for years at Tennessee. Charles Woodson is
a two-way player from Michigan; he just won the Walter Camp Award. All I can
say is it’s too bad there aren’t two trophies. I think they are both very
deserving of it.
   
A quarterback should not be considered for the Heisman. It takes two to
complete a pass. If it is not caught, the receiver is a bum, and if it is
caught, the quarterback is a hero. A good running back or a good all-around
ball player is better.
   
I’m in favor of Woodson receiving the Heisman Trophy because of the fact
that he had played both offense and defense and was instrumental in having his
team, Michigan, ranked number one, and that is better than Peyton Manning did.
Although Manning is a great quarterback, Woodson should get the Heisman.
   
Charles Woodson because Peyton Manning can’t win the big game. I don’t
think he’s the best player. I even think Curtis Enis is better than Peyton
Manning, but Penn State don’t get no publicity, I don’t know why, they don’t
like Paterno or something. He loses two games and all of a sudden he is ranked
12th in the country. So, you can’t expect Curtis Enis to win anything.
   
Peyton Manning hands down, no question. He’s the greatest quarterback for
… I can’t remember when. This is Johnny Unitas. Thank you.
   
I think Michigan’s Charles Woodson should win the Heisman Trophy because he
influences a game as much as Peyton Manning does and Manning has much more
opportunity to influence the games, so that shows how much Charles Woodson has
done.
   
I feel that Peyton Manning will probably win the Heisman Trophy award, but
I always wonder, a person like Peyton Manning, with the conference he’s in,
what he would do in the Big Ten. The numbers would never be as high as they
are. I think that Charles Woodson deserves it, but he won’t get it. If Woodson
stays another year, he’ll have a better chance because the hype will be there
for him. This year the hype is there for Mr. Manning.
   
Charles Woodson, because Peyton Manning just ain’t good enough.
   
I think definitely Charles Woodson, because Michigan is the best team and
he is the team’s best player.