Houston's Heisman quarterback who shattered passing records in the run-and-shoot offence.
Andre Ware was born in Galveston, Texas in 1968. He attended the University of Houston under coach Jack Pardee and won the Heisman Trophy in 1989 after throwing for 4,699 yards and 46 touchdowns in a single season — both NCAA records at the time. He was the first Black quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. He ran the run-and-shoot offence with a precision and volume of statistics that had never been seen in college football. His career produced 8,202 passing yards and 75 touchdowns. He won the Davey O'Brien Award. Detroit Lions selected him seventh overall in the 1990 NFL Draft. His professional career was disappointing — he was not able to replicate his college production in the NFL — making his Heisman one of the more debated in the award's history. However, his college performance was genuinely extraordinary — the records he set in 1989 stood for years. His significance as the first Black quarterback to win the Heisman is acknowledged regardless of professional outcome.
Heisman Trophy (1989)
Career Honours
- Heisman Trophy (1989)
- Davey O'Brien Award
- NCAA passing records
- Consensus All-American