LSU quarterback Joe Burrow wins Heisman Trophy in a rout

New York – If the three quarterbacks who arrived in New York as finalists for the Heisman Trophy — Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma, Justin Fields of Ohio State and Joe Burrow of Louisiana State — harbored this dream when they set off for college, the reality came in a different hue.

Hurts figured he would be representing Alabama, Fields envisioned coming from Georgia, and Burrow pictured arriving from Ohio State.

"You just never know what life brings," Hurts said.

What Saturday night's ceremony — which included Ohio State defensive end Chase Young — also did is further stamp the influence of the transfer quarterback in college football.

Burrow, who won the award in a record-breaking landslide, is the third consecutive transfer quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy, following Oklahoma quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, who began his career at Texas Tech, and Kyler Murray, who started at Texas A&M.

Until 2017, only one other transfer quarterback had won the Heisman: Cam Newton of Auburn in 2010.

Newton, who left Florida rather than sit behind Tim Tebow, and the others have made clear that the bromide about sticking it out and waiting your turn is not — and should not be — for everyone.

Still, as impactful as Hurts and Fields were in their first seasons at their new schools — and as dynamic as Young was, leading the nation with 16 ½ sacks — Burrow was an overwhelming favorite. He broke the record for the largest margin of victory, which was set by O.J. Simpson in 1968, and was voted first on 90.7% of all ballots, besting the previous record of 86.7% set by Troy Smith in 2006. Burrow is the second LSU player to win the award, joining Billy Cannon, who won in 1959.

When he was announced as the winner, Burrow, dressed in a purple suit and wearing yellow SpongeBob SquarePants socks, shook hands with Hurts, Fields and Young, who finished second, third and fourth, and climbed to the stage where a podium surrounded by a number of past winners awaited.

As he began to speak, Burrow lost control for perhaps the first time all season.

"The first thing I want to say," Burrow began before he paused to fight back tears.

Burrow reflected on his journey from Athens, Ohio, which sits on the edge of Appalachia and is beset by poverty. "I'm up here for all those kids in Athens County who go home without a lot of food on the table," he said.

"That's the most I've cried in 23 years of living," Burrow said later. "When I got up there, all the names of people that helped me get here from when I was 5 years old to this year at LSU — they came running through my mind. That's why I got so overwhelmed."

He has yet to be so flustered on the field this season.