University of Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson is the surprise winner of the Heisman Trophy. The junior cornerback, wide receiver and punt returner, is the first primarily defensive player to win college football’s most coveted honor in its 63 years.

The closest a defensive player had come previously was when the University of Pittsburgh’s Hugh Green was the runner-up to the University of South Carolina’s George Rogers in 1980.

Woodson collected 433 first-place votes and 1,815 points in the voting by the media and former Heisman winners. University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, the favorite to win the award most of the season, was second with 281 top votes and 1,543 points. In a breakdown of the six voting regions, Woodson was the top choice in five, with Manning the pick only in the South.

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Washington State University quarterback Ryan Leaf was third with 70 first-place votes and 861 points. Marshall University wide receiver Randy Moss received 17 top votes and 253 points.

Woodson is a three-way threat who excels in each area. He has seven interceptions this season, took two of his 11 receptions in for touchdowns, had a 33-yard touchdown run on a reverse, and returned a punt 78 yards for a score for the 11-0 Wolverines this season.

Woodson may have clinched the award with his national television performance in the Big Ten showdown with Ohio State in the regular-season finale. He set up a touchdown with a 37-yard catch, scored the second TD with a 78-yard punt return, and stopped a crucial Ohio State drive with an interception in the end zone in the Wolverines’ 20-14 victory. And still to come is a chance to be on a national champion team, as top-ranked Michigan faces Washington State in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Manning becomes the fourth Tennessee player to finish as the runner-up in the Heisman voting. He had been eighth in balloting a year ago, and was sixth as a sophomore.

Manning has completed 287-of-477 passes for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions. On Thursday, he won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best all-around player, as well as the Davey O’ Brien quarterback award and the Scholar-Athlete Award. He also has been the starting quarterback on most All-America teams and was a first-team choice for an All-Academic squad.

Katzenmoyer wins Butkus Award

Ohio State University’s Andy Katzenmoyer was named the winner of the 1997 Butkus Award Saturday night, presented to the nation’s best linebacker. Florida State University’s Sam Cowart and the University of North Carolina’s Kivuusama Mays were the two other finalists.

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The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Katzenmoyer, a middle linebacker, is only the second sophomore in the 13-year history of the Butkus Award to be named the winner. The other sophomore was Brian Bosworth of the University of Oklahoma, who won it in the inaugural year in 1985.

Katzenmoyer led the Buckeyes in tackles this year with a career-high 93, including a team-best 11 stops for losses. He also came up with two interceptions and helped Ohio State finish among the national team leaders in scoring and pass efficiency defense.

Katzenmoyer has 34 tackles for losses in 24 games and could be the all-time school leader in that category before he leaves. He was the first OSU freshman linebacker to ever start the season opener and went on to a sensational rookie year, recording 85 tackles.