Today’s the Day for the Heisman

The winner of college football’s Heisman Trophy will be announced today on national television from New York’s Downtown Athletic Club, which sponsors the award.

Five players have been invited to attend the presentation: USC quarterback Rodney Peete, UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman, Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders, considered by many to be the favorite to win the award, and quarterbacks Steve Walsh of Miami and Major Harris of West Virginia.

Sanders won’t be able to attend because his team will be in Tokyo for a game against Texas Tech. But CBS, which will televise the ceremony--at about 2:50 p.m., PST--has set up a satellite link by which Sanders is expected to speak to the media from his hotel.

Walsh will be absent, too, because his team has a home game against Brigham Young tonight. The voting by 917 Heisman electors--870 sports reporters divided equally among six regions, plus the 47 living Heisman winners--closed at 2 p.m. Thursday.