RG3, Heisman finalists weary, still rarin' to go

RG3, Heisman finalists weary, still rarin' to go

NEW YORK (AP) â€" Robert Griffin III was operative on about 4 1-2 hours' nap after throwing an early moody from Florida to New York on Friday.

Not that he was complaining. Griffin will trade nap damage for a possibility to move No. 15 Baylor a initial Heisman Trophy any day.

"This is what it is if you're going to play good and your group is doing good things," he pronounced shortly after holding his chair during a list surrounded by reporters and video cameras in a hotel discussion room. "People are going to wish to speak to you, they're going to wish a square of you. It's exciting."

The Bears' stirring dual-threat quarterback was one 4 Heisman finalists to arrive in New York on Friday afternoon, along with LSU defensive behind Tyrann Mathieu and using backs Trent Richardson of Alabama and Montee Ball from Wisconsin.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was in Baltimore receiving a Johnny Unitas Award and was scheduled to arrive in Manhattan on Saturday morning, about 12 hours before a Heisman will be presented.

Griffin and a other finalists came true from a college football endowment shows in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday night, where he picked adult a Davey O'Brien endowment as a nation's best quarterback.

Luck entered a deteriorate as a definite Heisman front-runner after branch down a possibility to be a initial collect in a NFL breeze to lapse to Stanford for one some-more season.

He was excellent, flitting for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns for BCS-bound Cardinal (11-1).

But on a approach to what seemed like an enviable Heisman victory, RG3 zoomed past Luck with a noted shutting month, highlighted by victories opposite Oklahoma and Texas.

"After a Oklahoma persion all a players on a group satisfied that if we won out and we did it in character ... we'd be here," he said. "I contend we'd be here given that's who I'm here for. we am here for those guys.

"The Texas persion was substantially a many vigour we had all year to win a game. And we did it in convincing fashion."

Griffin and a Bears kick Texas 48-24 on Saturday in Waco, Texas, to finish a deteriorate 9-3, Baylor's initial nine-win deteriorate in 25 years. Lifting Baylor from a ennui â€" along with flitting for 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns â€" is a large partial of because Griffin is approaching to mangle a Heisman trend on Saturday night.

Seven of a final 8 winners, including Reggie Bush who after vacated a title, played in a BCS inhabitant championship game, like Mathieu and Richardson will. The Southeastern Conference rivals accommodate again Jan. 9 in New Orleans.

"It was a slugfest out there," Richardson pronounced about LSU's 9-6 overtime feat in November. "I can't wait for this rematch."

The new difference to a BCS pretension game-Heisman tie was Tim Tebow, who won it in 2007 personification for a Florida group that finished a unchanging deteriorate 9-3.

Griffin has some of that Tebow magnetism: good looks, a splendid smile, gentle in front of a camera and precious by his home fans.

He's not utterly Tebow-famous, yet he's no longer usually a informal star.

"To be in Orlando and have guys screaming, 'RG3!' and 'Sic'em Bears,' that's amazing," he said. "Baylor fans are everywhere now."

Luck and Griffin are both from Texas and were in a same 2008 recruiting class. They could have shaped a energetic quarterback twin during Stanford.

Griffin pronounced he took his usually recruiting outing to Stanford and desired a campus. Then-Cardinal manager Jim Harbaugh pitched a two-quarterback complement to Griffin, in that Griffin would share a pursuit with Luck.

Griffin was doubtful so he committed to Houston instead, afterwards switched to Baylor when manager Art Briles left a Cougars for Waco, Texas.

"I motionless to do what was best for me," Griffin said.

It worked out good for Luck, too. He total to be a initial altogether collect in a NFL draft.

Mathieu is perplexing to turn a initial defensive behind to win a Heisman given Michigan's Charles Woodson in 1997.

The sophomore nicknamed Honey Badger for his tenacity, distance (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) and painted blonde hair has 4 lapse touchdowns this season.

"For me to get here, it usually goes to uncover we how gifted we are on a defensive side," he said.

Ball total he's a prolonged shot to win Saturday night, even yet he is one touchdown pided from violation Barry Sanders' single-season symbol of 39 set in 11 games behind in 1988.

"Not winning a Doak (Walker Award) and being a loser for a Heisman usually sets a glow underneath me for Oregon," pronounced Ball, who mislaid out on a Doak Walker endowment to Richardson on Thursday in Orlando.

No. 9 Wisconsin plays No. 6 Oregon in a Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.

Griffin has grown into a transparent favorite.

Two web sites â€" Heismanpundit.com and Stiffarmtrophy.com â€" that have been nearby ideal in raised a winners over a final decade â€" both brace Griffin as a gentle winner.

He tries not to compensate courtesy to a prognosticators.

"Facebook goes crazy with that form of stuff," he said.

"But we usually try to retard it out. Like we said, you're ostensible to be nervous, you're ostensible to not feel like you're due anything and if you're name is called, we mount adult and we forget you're speech."

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