NEW YORK - Mark Ingram became the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. But it was finalists Toby Gerhart of Stanford and Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska providing the event with its electricity and suspense.

Ingram's credentials were hard to dispute. As the leading rusher on the nation's No. 1 team, he was a safe choice as the Heisman winner.

But what captivated Heisman voters were the unusual paths taken by Gerhart and Suh.

Not often will you find a Heisman finalist like Gerhart: a two-sport athlete and such a devoted student that he's carrying 21 credit hours — majoring in management, science and engineering — and still finding the time to lead the nation in rushing yards (1,736).

Then there was Suh, who played soccer exclusively until the eighth grade before becoming one of the most dominant defensive tackles — a position routinely ignored in the Heisman voting — ever in college football.

Special feature   Touchdown Toby Stanford running back Toby Gerhart has burst his way into Heisman consideration.

Each was far from a typical Heisman candidate. Yet both fared extremely well. Gerhart received 222 first-place votes, only five fewer than Ingram, finishing second by 28 votes. That marked the smallest margin of victory in Heisman history. Suh received 161 first-place votes and 815 points, the most ever by a fourth-place finisher.

Gerhart, an outfielder for the past three years on the Stanford baseball team, averaged 5.6 yards a carry and led all running backs with 26 touchdowns. He had a big finale, rushing for 205 yards and three touchdowns, and throwing a pass for a touchdown in a nationally televised win over Notre Dame.

Gerhart said he is grateful to Stanford for giving him an opportunity to play running back when no other school would.

"That's what I was looking for in a school when I was being recruited," he said.

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Suh, a 6-4, 300-pounder, said his mother, Bernadette, was the reason he didn't play football sooner in life.

"Her biggest thing is, she didn't want me to get hurt," he said. "And that's understandable. No mother wants her child to get hurt. But I told her basically that I was going to be the one hurting somebody."

Just ask Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who finished third in the Heisman voting. Suh had a career-high 12 tackles, including a school-record seven for loss, and 4 1/2 sacks in Nebraska's 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game a week earlier.

That Suh, who had 82 tackles, 23 for losses and 12 sacks, placed as high as he did is incredible, given the lack of support historically for defensive players in the Heisman voting. Charles Woodson of Michigan, who won the Heisman in 1997, is the only defender to ever win the award.

Suh said he hopes his success and the attention he has received as a defensive lineman will make the position more attractive to future players.

"I sure hope it does," he said. "I hope defensive linemen now understand they have a real chance to win a prestigious award such as this."

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 Mark Ingram Alabama 227 236 151 1,304 Toby Gerhart Stanford 222 225 160 1,276 Colt McCoy Texas 203 188 160 1,145 Ndamukong Suh Nebraska 161 105 122 815 Tim Tebow Florida 43 70 121 390 C.J. Spiller Clemson 26 31 83 223 Kellen Moore Boise State 10 20 30 100 Case Keenum Houston 2 9 13 37 Mardy Gilyard Cincinnati 2 2 13 23 Golden Tate Notre Dame 2 3 9 21

Heisman Trophy voting by region Player Northeast Mid-Atlantic South Southwest Midwest Far West Ingram 238 222 250 254 214 153 Gerhart 219 187 176 180 206 319 McCoy 179 187 165 216 173 214 Suh 104 105 113 254 146 93 Tebow 83 57 106 33 45 66

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