John Tamanaha

Like winning an Oscar, taking home a Heisman changes your name forever, adding quite a preamble. You become “Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman” or “2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith.”

It takes some getting used to and is certainly very welcomed, but it always begs the question ... is this as good as it gets? Is this the climax of a career?  Is there any more movie magic or gridiron glory to be had?

Unlike this season’s Heisman ceremony, which was devoid of all intrigue, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith’s future has sparked some interesting debate, covering everything from “can’t-miss NFL prospect” to “just a college guy” to “another victim of the Heisman jinx.”

But it’s hard not to think that winning college football’s most prestigious award is just a middle chapter in Smith’s story.

His mobility and accuracy will be massive assets in the NFL. With defenses built with the mission to make life a living hell for the quarterbacks, the way he can instinctively move within the pocket, while keeping his eyes downfield, is something that general mangers would trade their salary cap managers for.

Since every play matters in the NFL, keeping one alive that was seemingly destined to fail is extremely valuable. Smith does that regularly.

An uncommon leadership quality is also something special that he has that can’t be taught or bought. One of the best leaders at the college level in quite some time, Smith went 25-3 as Ohio State’s starter and has earned the absolute respect of everyone associated with the program.

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The NFL team that drafts him also will be banking on Smith to raise his level of performance in the biggest games. Having gone 10-2 against ranked teams and 3-0 versus Michigan speaks volumes about his competitiveness. The loss to Florida in the national championship game will only fuel Smith to work harder in the pros to silence his critics.

Another thing that will certainly service him well in the NFL is that he is a dedicated student of the game. Smith spends countless hours studying film of his opponents and himself. Nothing escapes his gaze as he seeks to attack the weaknesses of his opponents, while also erasing his own. With so much to learn at the next level, having this type of business-like work ethic already instilled is an added bonus.

Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, but Smith, who has completed 199-of-297 for 2,507 yards and a school-record 30 touchdowns this season, has unquestionably proven his ability. Perhaps the most telling stat is the five interceptions that he has thrown this year, three of which were deflected before being picked off.

In a general sense, Smith also has a history of working hard to accomplish his goals and constantly improve.

Early in his career, he went through some tough times and made some mistakes, but it’s important to note that he has overcome those experiences and learned a great deal.

After joining the Buckeyes as the last signing of the 2002 recruiting class, he redshirted and then found a way to get on the field in 2003 as a return specialist and multi-purpose back, but a fight in a parking lot resulted in a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. The following year, Smith proved himself at quarterback, starting five games, but was suspended from the Alamo Bowl for accepting money from a booster.

In 2005, he matured in many ways and began to blossom, accounting for 27 touchdowns, 2,282 passing yards and 611 yards on the ground. Smith could have been satisfied and stood pat, but he didn’t. He worked hard in the offseason and has been noticeably better this season, taking all the fun and suspense out of the Heisman race since October.

The same type of growth potential could occur at the next level. It might take one or two years, but Smith almost assuredly will be a valuable contributor to the NFL team that drafts him.

Doubters will continue point to his lack of ideal size. The Mel Kipers of the world don’t look kindly upon quarterbacks whose colleges list them at 6-foot-1.

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But, it’s a good thing that scouting combines and the numbers that come as a result weren’t always the huge determining factors that they are now. If that were always the case, 11 of the 23 modern era quarterbacks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — Norm Van Brocklin, Len Dawson, Otto Graham, Bob Griese, Sonny Jurgensen, Bobby Lane, Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle, Johnny Unitas and Bob Waterfield — might not have been given their first chances. They were all 6-foot-1 or under.

That’s quite a list. However, it’s not to project that Troy Smith is a candidate to be enshrined in Canton some day. It’s only to say that being able to stand in the pocket and look like Dan Marino isn’t a requirement to being an accomplished professional quarterback. Michael Vick and Drew Brees, who are both listed at six-feet tall, are prime examples.

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Sure, every NFL team would like to have a 6-foot-5 prototypical drop-back passer like 2002 Heisman winner Carson Palmer. But how many of those are out there? Not many. Frankly, colleges aren’t producing those types of specimens in adequate numbers anymore. After all, the NFL trend toward quarterbacks with extra dimensions has its roots in the college game.

Being able to get outside the containment and pump the ball downfield has become increasingly important in every league. Witness the dramatic difference between Drew Bledsoe and Tony Romo.

In Oscar terms that’s kind of like Borat and Bogart.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Heisman Trophy voting breakdown 3 points for a first-place vote, 2 for a second-place vote, 1 for a third-place vote Player School First Second Third Total points Tim Tebow Florida 462 229 113 1,957 Darren McFadden Arkansas 291 355 120 1,703 Colt Brennan Hawaii 54 114 242 632 Chase Daniel Missouri 25 84 182 425 Dennis Dixon Oregon 17 31 65 178 Patrick White West Virginia 16 28 46 150 Matt Ryan Boston College 9 7 22 63 Kevin Smith Central Florida 3 11 24 55 Glenn Dorsey LSU 3 6 9 30 Chris Long Virginia 1 2 10 17

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