Heisman Trophy makes its way to Bates
Heisman Trophy Returns to Bates College for Pre‑Game Display
Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, hosted an unexpected guest this past Saturday night: the Heisman Trophy, the most coveted award in college football. The iconic bronze statue, normally kept at the College Football Hall of Fame in Hiram, Ohio, was on campus near Garcelon Field, where students, alumni, parents and local residents gathered to pose for photos ahead of the Bobcats’ game against Tufts.
The trophy was brought by Jeff Price, a 1987 Bates graduate who now serves as chief executive officer of the Heisman Trophy Trust. Price, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Bates before carving out a 35‑year career in the sports industry, explained that the event was a way to merge his two worlds. “As a proud Bobcat and someone who’s spent 35 years in the sports industry, now at Heisman, to have the opportunity to bring the Heisman here, it represents excellence, certainly something Bates represents,” he said. “Empowerment, which is certainly core to who Bates is. And we at the Heisman want to create enduring impact and I know that’s what Bates wants to do.”
During the brief display, the trophy’s figure was surrounded by fans mimicking the classic pose of the sculpted football player. Sheila and James McKinnon, parents of Bates offensive‑lineman Ryder Smith, stopped by the Bobcat Fan Zone to snap a picture with the trophy. “It’s kind of like the Stanley Cup, you don’t really see it a lot,” James remarked. “It was fun watching everybody do the pose.” The McKinnons, who had already come to watch the game, found the addition of the trophy an unexpected bonus.
Price noted that this event is not the first major trophy to make a temporary home in Maine. Earlier in the year, the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA Finals trophy was displayed at a Jr. Celtics Academy basketball camp in the Lewiston Armory, and the Stanley Cup visited a Portland Sea Dogs game in September. “Meeting of kind of two assets and two institutions of a long‑standing stature and excellence, and just thrilled to be here,” Price said, underscoring the symbolic significance of bringing the Heisman to the campus of a school that prides itself on academic and athletic excellence.
Beyond the photos, Price used the opportunity to reflect on his role with the Heisman Trophy Trust. He has worked with 61 living Heisman winners, many of whom have devoted extensive time to the Trust’s initiatives. “The Heisman winners have been incredible,” Price said. “Just 61 living Heisman winners and so many of them, since I’ve started, have given us hours and hours of their time. Because, as we’re creating the Heisman Club, it’s something that they care about deeply. It’s their club.” He added that the club is exclusive, with only one person admitted each year, and that the Trust is co‑creating a platform to drive charitable impact and tell the winners’ stories. “We can drive charitable impact, we can do better storytelling around the Heisman winners and ultimately make a difference.”
Price also shared a memorable encounter with last year’s Heisman recipient, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to a national championship and was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. “Mendoza asked for his phone number at the culmination of the Heisman Trophy ceremony weekend,” Price recounted. “He’s the only athlete who at the end of a weekend, asked if he could get my cell phone number so that we could stay connected.”
For Bates College, the presence of the trophy reinforced the institution’s commitment to excellence. “We want to create enduring impact,” Price said. “And I know that’s what Bates wants to do.” Students, who were already excited to see their own team take the field, were delighted to share a moment with one of college football’s most revered symbols.
The Heisman Trophy will be removed after the game, but its brief appearance left a lasting impression on those who visited. As the trophy returned to its usual home, the memory of its visit to Lewiston will remain in the minds of Bates students, alumni, and local residents, reminding them of the intersection between athletic achievement and community pride.
