The 2015 college football season felt like a heavyweight boxing match that lasted four months. By the time we got to the Marriott Marquis in New York City that December, everyone basically knew who was taking home the hardware. Derrick Henry, the bruising, 6-foot-3 powerhouse out of the University of Alabama, was the man who won the Heisman Trophy in 2015, but just saying his name doesn't really capture the absolute chaos of that season's race.
It was a grind.
Think about the sheer volume of carries that kid took. Henry wasn't just a running back; he was a human battering ram. He finished that season with a staggering 2,219 rushing yards. Honestly, looking back, the workload Nick Saban put on him would probably be considered "player endangerment" in today's NFL, but in 2015, it was the engine that drove the Crimson Tide to a National Championship.
He didn't just win; he outlasted everyone else.
The Night Derrick Henry Won the Heisman Trophy 2015
When the final tallies were announced on December 12, 2015, Henry had secured 1,832 total points. He beat out Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. It wasn't a blowout. McCaffrey actually finished with 1,539 points, which is a pretty respectable showing for a guy playing on the West Coast where half the Heisman voters are asleep before his games even kick off.
Henry became the second Alabama player to win the award, following in the footsteps of Mark Ingram. It’s kinda wild to think about now, but Alabama went decades without a winner, and then they just started churning them out.
The voting breakdown was interesting. Henry took 378 first-place votes. McCaffrey had 290. Watson, who many argue was the most "valuable" player to his specific team, trailed with 148. It was a classic "stats vs. impact" debate that still fires up message boards today.
The Iron Bowl and the SEC Championship: The Clinchers
You can't talk about who won the Heisman Trophy in 2015 without talking about the month of November. That’s when Henry went from "leading candidate" to "inevitable winner."
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In the Iron Bowl against Auburn, Henry carried the ball 46 times. Forty-six. That’s an insane number. He racked up 271 yards in that game alone. Then, he followed it up in the SEC Championship against Florida with another 44 carries for 189 yards.
He was tired. You could see it in his eyes. But he just kept falling forward for four yards. Then five. Then he'd break a 70-yarder and ruin a defensive coordinator's entire week. By the time the Heisman ceremony rolled around, the narrative was set: Henry was the best player on the best team, and he had the "Heisman Moments" to prove it.
The Christian McCaffrey "Snub" Argument
Listen, if you go to Palo Alto or talk to anyone who stayed up late to watch Pac-12 After Dark, they’ll tell you McCaffrey was robbed. And they sort of have a point.
McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders’ single-season record for all-purpose yards. He had 3,864 total yards. He was returning punts, catching passes out of the backfield, and running between the tackles. He was a Swiss Army knife.
The problem? East Coast Bias is a real thing.
Most of the voters are based in the Eastern and Central time zones. When McCaffrey was doing his best work at 11:30 PM EST, those voters were tucked in bed. Meanwhile, Henry was dominating the 3:30 PM CBS slot every Saturday. Visibility matters.
Also, there’s the "Touchdown Gap." Henry had 28 rushing touchdowns. McCaffrey had 8 rushing, 5 receiving, and 2 return touchdowns. To a lot of old-school voters, 28 is a much bigger, sexier number than 15. It’s not necessarily fair, but it’s how the Heisman has worked for decades.
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Why 2015 Was a Turning Point for the Award
The 2015 race was one of the last times we saw a traditional, "workhorse" running back take the trophy. If you look at the winners since then—Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow—it’s been a quarterback’s world.
Deshaun Watson, the third-place finisher in 2015, probably would have won in a different year. He threw for over 4,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000. He was the prototype for the modern Heisman winner. But 2015 was a throwback year. It was the year of the "Big Back."
Maybe it was a bit of nostalgia from the voters. Or maybe it was just impossible to ignore a guy who was essentially carrying the entire offensive load for the #1 team in the country. Whatever the reason, Henry's win feels like a bit of an outlier in the modern era of the sport.
What Most People Get Wrong About Henry’s Season
People tend to think Alabama’s offensive line just paved the way and Henry walked into the end zone. That’s not really true. While that line was good (led by Ryan Kelly), Henry was getting hit in the backfield a lot more than you'd remember.
His yards after contact were through the roof.
He had this unique ability to build up steam. He was like a freight train. If you didn't hit him within the first two yards of the LOS, you weren't bringing him down. He’d use that massive stiff-arm—the one that eventually became a meme in the NFL—and just toss defenders aside like they were JV players.
Looking Back: Was the Right Choice Made?
Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, did the right guy win? It depends on what you value.
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- If you value pure dominance: Henry was the choice.
- If you value versatility and record-breaking: McCaffrey was the choice.
- If you value the most important player at the most important position: Watson was the choice.
The Heisman Trophy isn't a science. It's a snapshot of a moment in time. In December 2015, the "moment" belonged to the guy in the crimson jersey who wouldn't stop running.
Interestingly, all three finalists went on to have significant NFL careers. Usually, at least one Heisman finalist busts, but the 2015 group was loaded. Henry became an All-Pro and a 2,000-yard rusher in the pros. McCaffrey became the highest-paid back in the league and a fantasy football god. Watson became a franchise QB (though his career took a much more complicated path later).
Key Takeaways from the 2015 Race
If you're looking to understand the significance of who won the Heisman Trophy in 2015, here is the breakdown of what really happened.
First, realize that volume won out over variety. Henry's 395 carries were the deciding factor. He was a volume shooter who never missed.
Second, the SEC dominance was at its peak. Winning the SEC Championship and being the focal point of a Saban offense carried a weight that the Pac-12 simply couldn't match at the time.
Third, don't overlook the "LSU Game." When Alabama played LSU that year, it was a matchup between Henry and Leonard Fournette, who was the frontrunner at the time. Henry outplayed him so badly that Fournette’s Heisman campaign basically died on the field in Tuscaloosa.
Actionable Insights for College Football Fans
To truly appreciate the 2015 Heisman race, you should take these steps to dive deeper into the history of the era:
- Watch the "Henry vs. Fournette" Highlights: Search for the November 7, 2015, Alabama vs. LSU game. It is the perfect case study in how one game can swing an entire Heisman race.
- Compare the "All-Purpose" Stats: Look up the 2015 NCAA leaders in all-purpose yardage. You'll see McCaffrey's 3,864 yards and realize just how historic his season was, even without the trophy.
- Analyze the Voting Map: Check the regional voting breakdown for 2015. You’ll see that Henry won the South, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest, while McCaffrey took the Far West. It shows how much geography influences the award.
- Trace the Running Back Decline: Look at the Heisman winners from 2000 to 2025. Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015) are the only two running backs to win in that 25-year span. Understanding Henry's win helps you understand why it's so hard for non-QBs to win today.