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Wisconsin's 'Dayne Train'
1999 Heisman winner Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne's journey to the 1999 Heisman Trophy began in January of that year, when the Wisconsin tailback decided not to leave for the NFL after his junior season. It continued in August, when the Badgers traveled to New York to open the season against Syracuse in the Kickoff Classic. Coach Barry Alvarez took the entire team to lunch at the Downtown Athletic Club. They toured the Heisman Room, where portraits of the winners hung. That's how Dayne began the season. He ended it by leading the Badgers to a second consecutive Rose Bowl and by cradling the bronze trophy. Dayne more than doubled the point total of the second-place finisher, Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton. Although Dayne spent eight years in the NFL, he never enjoyed the success he had in college at the pro level. In the meantime, the player who edged him by 16 yards to be the NCAA rushing leader in 1999, LaDainian Tomlinson of TCU, has been one of the best NFL running backs of the decade. By the way, Tomlinson failed to finish in the top 10 of Heisman vote getters in 1999. A decade later, Dayne's journey to the Heisman has changed to his journey with the Heisman. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of winning the award, Dayne has been traveling throughout the state of Wisconsin this fall, making appearances with the trophy. The autographs Dayne gives out and the smiles elicited upon seeing him make clear the Heisman impact.-- Ivan Maisel
