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Published Thursday, January 3, 2002

Crouch may accomplish rare double
Heisman winners rarely play for national champs

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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Only four players since 1950 have won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the same season. None of them was from Miami or Nebraska.

Huskers quarterback and 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch may become the fifth when Nebraska takes on Miami in the Rose Bowl.

"To me the Heisman Trophy in this game is trivial," Crouch said.

If the Cornhuskers win, Crouch will be the first Heisman winner for either school to also take home the ultimate crown. Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska's first Heisman winner in 1972, is the only one to win the award at either school and not play for the title.

Only four players in the past five decades have won the Heisman and a national championship in the same season: Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett in 1976, Florida State's Charlie Ward in 1993, Florida's Danny Wuerffel in 1996 and Michigan's Charles Woodson in 1997.

Nebraska coach Frank Solich doesn't expect the Heisman hype to be a distraction for Crouch.

"He wants to be special in this game as he's wanted to be special in every game that he's put on a Nebraska uniform and played in," Solich said.

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