Who is Suzy Favor Hamilton and why is she ranked ahead of Woodson?

Submitted by Communist Football on

Sounds to me like this was either ratings-driven, or political correctness.  I may be a communist on the football field, but not in my ranking of Big Ten athletes.

stmccoy

September 18th, 2010 at 6:31 PM ^

She was a track star in her time.  Certainly shouldn't be ahead of Woodson or Dez.  They probably did it so they would have all football players in the top 20.  That is all I can figure. 

Communist Football

September 18th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^

Yes, and in her defense, she was an accomplished track star, winning 9 NCAA titles. Notably, she never medaled in the Olympics.

I would simply submit that being the first (and only) defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, in the sport that attracts the top American collegiate athletes (along with basketball), is more notable.

energyblue1

September 18th, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^

But if accomplishment is the thing woodson did more in changing the view of an entire sport from his position then anyone else left they possibly have.

I know some will be way up there just because of who they are.  Owens, Thorpe, magic johnson are almost guarranteed to be top ten/five as would be the president...   red grange, archie griffin, dan gable there are some bigtime names and athletes in bigten history.....Lest we forget coaches Bo, Woody, Yost, Stagg, Red Berenson....many, many great coaches in programs in bigten history! 

 

But what woodson accomplished surpasses many of them, and there is no way he and even desmond howard should be remotely as low as they are.  I will forever see this list as a farce because of this. 

DoubleMs

September 18th, 2010 at 7:11 PM ^

From Wikipedia:

At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Favor won nine NCAA individual titles which, while now tied by Sally Kipyego, still stands as the most in NCAA history. Favor's other collegiate accomplishments include:

  • NCAA Championships record holder in the 800 m and 1500 m
  • Two NCAA Cross-Country Championships runner-up awards
  • NCAA Top Six Award
  • NCAA Woman of the Year
  • 23 Big Ten Conference championships
  • Four Big Ten Athlete of the Year Awards, which is now called the "Suzy Favor Award"
  • Big Ten Athlete of the Decade for the 1990s
  • World University Games silver medalist
  • Jumbo Elliot Award
  • Honda-Broderick Cup Award
  • Babe Zaharias Award
  • 14 All-American awards

Tater

September 18th, 2010 at 7:21 PM ^

Don't people have had to have heard of you before you can be an icon?  How can she be a "symbol" of anything if nobody knows who she is except her school, those who played with and against her, and her immeidate family?

They may have named an award after her, but if you asked a thousand people on the street who both were without letting them look it up on their phones, I would be willing to bet that a lot more people know who Woodson is than Favor.

On a side note, I was talking to a UT fan today.  He said he stopped following the Heisman Trophy when, you guessed it, they "gave Peyton Manning's Heisman to Woodson."  I'll bet a lot more UT people know who Woodson is than Favor, too.

JeffB

September 18th, 2010 at 8:21 PM ^

If the public needs to have heard about the person, obviously then that limits the list to football and mens basketball. 

Given the number of atheletes that have been the best at what they do in their sports that were in the Big 10, isn't that a bit short sighted?