By Kyle Golik
For as long as I can remember in Penn State lure, Ted Kwalick stood above everyone else when it came to football. John Cappelletti might be Penn State’s lone Heisman Trophy winner but even he couldn’t get the approbation Kwalick received from Joe Paterno.
“He’s what God had in mind when he made a football player,” Paterno said of Kwalick. I am not sure one can receive a better compliment.
In recent years, YouTube has been a home where you can find old and classic games, sometimes you can venture on social and find individuals who collect old games, like I have and do, and be able to watch the ones you couldn’t see live. While I have a great appreciation for history and Kwalick, the compliment from Paterno still evaded me because Penn State wasn’t “Air Paterno” in Kwalick’s days like they were in the early 1980’s and 1994.
While I never fully understood how a tight end could be seen in such light, especially from that era, watching Tyler Warren this season for Penn State completely cleared it up for me.
Why should Tyler Warren be a Heisman finalist?
I am not saying Warren should be the Heisman Trophy winner, that would be nice to have a second Heisman Trophy at Penn State and Warren’s character is about as high as any on the current squad, but at minimum Warren should be invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony as a finalist.
More Sports News
A little on the Heisman finalist tradition, in 1982 was the first year the Heisman Trust began to invite finalists to New York for the ceremony. In 2021, the Heisman Trophy Trust officially invited four finalists to New York City for the Heisman Trophy Weekend. The objective of the Heisman Trust with their prestigious award is to award “to the outstanding college football player in the United States whose performance epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.” Based on what Warren has accomplished on and off the field, how isn’t he amongst the final four?
On the field, Warren has been used in every single facet offensively for Penn State this season from having a passing touchdown against Kent State – which isn’t unique, but coupled by the fact Warren’s four rushing touchdowns from the tight end position are the most by a Big Ten tight end since 1956, he leads the Power 4 amongst tight ends in total touchdowns, yards per reception, and yards per game. Warren against Southern California had 17 receptions which tied a FBS record for most receptions by a tight end in a single game. That was also Warren’s season highlight of snapping the ball and then because he was eligible to be a receiver caught a Drew Allar touchdown pass.
You cannot scheme against Warren because Penn State uses him along the boundary, in the slot, in the traditional tight end spot, in the backfield where he will run or block as a fullback, in the H-Back. This is why he has been so impactful, the way Warren can set the edge or block, an ability not measured by stats but when you watch the film you recognize the impact of it.
In recent years, the Heisman Trophy has somewhat been a quarterback of the year award. Since 2000, Reggie Bush (Southern California – 2005), Mark Ingram (Alabama – 2009), Derrick Henry (Alabama – 2015), and DeVonta Smith (Alabama – 2020) have been the only non-quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy.
Invite that man to New York 🍎🏙️#WeAre x #TylerWarren pic.twitter.com/PrcfOAivwQ
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 25, 2024
This year someone most likely will add to that list, whether it is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty or Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, but we haven’t seen a quarterback play this season to the level of past winners or even finalists. I am not trying to take away what Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel has done or Miami’s Cam Ward, each have a legitimate case to make a trip to New York, but they haven’t been the story like Warren has this year.
Grant you, Warren is up for the Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile player in the country, and he should join Saquon Barkley (2017) as the second Penn State player to win that award. The key thing is in a year where the quarterback isn’t the story, why wouldn’t you want the nation’s most versatile player in New York?
If James Franklin could have it all over again, kind of like how Mike Ditka wishes he gave Walter Payton a chance at a Super Bowl touchdown, he would have found a way against Ohio State in the four plays near the goal line to get Warren involved, it may have been his Heisman Trophy sealing moment. Instead, Warren rests with still an impressive resume that Heisman voters have to recognize as worthy. Going back to the mission statement, where does Warren fall short?
If Joe Paterno was still with us and saw Warren, he would have the same appreciation for him like he did Kwalick – whose name is on the Big Ten Tight End of the Year Award. With Rob Gronkowski now on Heisman promo videos for Warren, Heisman voters need to recognize the impact of the tight end. Warren doesn’t need to win it, but being there signals that a tight end has an ability to get recognized for the nation’s most prestigious award.
A tight end can never win the Heisman if a tight end can never be finalist for the award, Warren sets the standard.
