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Robert Griffin III calls out Desmond Howard over Jeremiah Smith Heisman Trophy take
Robert Griffin III publicly criticised Desmond Howard for questioning Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman Trophy credentials, accusing Howard of letting school rivalry influence his judgement. The disagreement matters because it puts two former Heisman winners at odds over what makes a player a credible candidate.
Howard had asked for evidence that Smith had been the difference-maker in a major game, while Griffin said Smith had delivered in high-profile matches. Their exchange followed Smith’s 11-catch, 117-yard game against Northwestern, in which he set the Big Ten career receiving yards record at 3,875 and equalled the conference mark with his 17th 100-yard receiving game. Howard said his comments were football analysis, not an attempt to discredit Smith because he plays for Ohio State.
In short
- Griffin accused Howard of unfairly criticising Smith.
- Howard said he was questioning Smith’s impact in major games.
- Smith set a Big Ten career receiving record with 3,875 yards.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Griffin’s case is that Smith’s production and record-setting performances, including in high-profile games, show he can change outcomes and deserve serious Heisman consideration. From this view, dismissing his candidacy without weighing that evidence risks letting team loyalties cloud an assessment of an individual player.
The case against
Howard’s case is that a Heisman argument should show how a player has been decisive in major games, not rely on impressive totals or records alone. He says his question was about the evidence for Smith’s impact, rather than bias against Ohio State; that is a reasonable standard for distinguishing an outstanding season from a leading award case.