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Question of the Day: Defense and the Heisman Trophy
October 22, 2021
Manti Te'o finished second in 2012 Heisman voting with 1,706 votes—the best finish for a defensive player since Charles Woodson won.
Which defensive player came closest to winning the Heisman since Charles Woodson? Manti Te'o of Notre Dame, who finished second in 2012 with 1,706 votes.
Te'o's remarkable season as a linebacker captivated college football fans, though he ultimately fell short of Woodson's 1997 victory. Chase Young and Ndamukong Suh have also finished in the top four, but no defensive player has matched Te'o's runner-up finish since.