A pair of Heisman Trophy winners are going at it over their takes on a potential recipient of the prestigious college football award this season.
Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman winner, called out 1991 recipient Desmond Howard during Saturday’s Fox broadcast of Ohio State-Northwestern after the former Michigan Wolverine questioned Buckeye star Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman candidacy.
“When you talk about the Heisman Trophy, my guy Desmond Howard, he’s been very critical of Jeremiah Smith and said, ‘When does this guy ever show up in big-time games?’” Griffin said on air Saturday afternoon. “Well, he’s shown up in big-time games all over the place, and Desmond Howard has to stop hating on Jeremiah Smith just because he goes to Ohio State. That’s not the right way to do this, and we’ve got to be better in our Heisman brotherhood.”
The comment was in response to an appearance that Howard had made on ESPN and questioned whether Smith “was the difference in a big game” during his time in Columbus.
“This season and last season. Give me that game,” Howard said on Friday. “As much as he puts up these magnificent numbers and these one-handed catches, I need moments against the top competition that makes me say, ‘He was the guy.’”
Revisiting Howard’s comments comes at a bit of an awkward time, as Smith is coming off a game for the Buckeyes in which he caught 11 passes for 117 yards and broke the Big Ten career receiving yards record, now sitting at 3,875 yards.
Smith also tied the conference record with his 17th 100-yard receiving game.
And Griffin wasn’t done with his comments toward Howard, later sending out a pair of posts on X saying that Howard was trying to “discredit this young Superstar just because he goes to Ohio State” and taking shots at Howard’s career.
“Jeremiah Smith is a National Champion. Desmond Howard is not,” part of RGIII’s post read.
This led to a response from Howard.
“Jeremiah Smith is an extraordinary talent. Nobody is questioning that. My point was whether he’s been THE difference-maker in Ohio State’s biggest games as a Heisman candidate,” Howard wrote in response. “That’s a legitimate football discussion, not an attempt to discredit the young man based on the school he attends. If you’re going to challenge my football opinion, challenge the argument. Don’t manufacture a personal beef with me to get virtual slaps on the back. Great players deserve honest analysis, not automatic praise.”
It led to another lengthy post by Griffin that accused Howard of “never being honest.”
While it doesn’t sound like these two were ready to end the debate, it could make the next get-together among Heisman Trophy winners very interesting.
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