Alabama’s Mark Ingram wins Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow taught Mark Ingram how to win a Heisman Trophy from his knees.

Before the ceremony Saturday that made Alabama football history, Tebow noticed Ingram was a little nervous inside the Nokia Theatre.

The Florida quarterback asked Ingram, the Crimson Tide ‘running back, if he wanted to pray for tranquillity.

Ingram can say “amen” after becoming Alabama’s first Heisman winner in the closest race in the award’s 75-year history.

“We went in a quiet room and just prayed for peace for him, that all the nerves would die down and he would be able to enjoy the moment,” Tebow said.

With about 200 Alabama fans waiting to greet him in Times Square, Ingram outdistanced Stanford running back Toby Gerhart by 28 points to give Alabama -- a school with 12 national titles -- its biggest individual award.

Ingram becomes the first running back recipient since USC’s Reggie Bush in 2005 and the third consecutive sophomore winner. Tebow, who finished fifth, became the first sophomore winner in 2007, followed by Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford in 2008.

“The legacy of Alabama football has a void filled,” Alabama Coach Nick Saban said.

Ingram finished with 1,304 points, including the most first-place votes with 227. Gerhart recorded 1,276 points, creating a tighter race than the 45-point win by Auburn’s Bo Jackson over Iowa’s Chuck Long in 1985.

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy finished third with 1,145, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh finished fourth with 815 points and Tebow finished fifth with 390 points.

Ingram probably won the race Dec. 5 with a 189-yard, three-touchdown performance against Florida (113 yards rushing, 76 receiving) as Alabama clinched a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game. Ingram finished the year with 1,542 yards rushing for 15 touchdowns.

Ingram said he won the award for his family.

“This is a great moment, but we still have a national championship to play for,” said Ingram, whose Crimson Tide will face Texas in the national title game Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl.

Tebow finished last in all six regions, but the three-time finalist has the second-most voting points in Heisman history (3,922) behind Ohio State’s Archie Griffin, the award’s only two-time winner. “I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to win it,” he said. “I’m a realist.”

Knowing he wasn’t a factor in the race, Tebow provided wisdom to Ingram, the same guy who irritated Tebow with his rushes during a “nine-minute drive at the end of the game” in Alabama’s 32-13 win over Florida.

Gerhart won the Far West voting region, but he finished third or lower in the crucial South and Southwest regions dominated by the other candidates. Gerhart failed to become Stanford’s second Heisman winner, after Jim Plunkett in 1970.

Gerhart, who finished second in the nation in rushing, called the suspenseful Heisman race “crazy.”

“In the years past it was kind of decided beforehand, you had a feeling who was going to win it,” Gerhart said. “Now it’s wide open.”

After an NCAA-record 45 wins, McCoy refused to be bitter despite a second straight Heisman loss. McCoy finished second to Bradford last year.

“I’m humbled that they invited me back one more year,” McCoy said. “The guys that are up for the award are extremely deserving.”

The glory was unattainable for Suh, who thrust himself into the Heisman race with seven tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks against Texas last week.

Suh received 161 first-place votes but fell short of becoming the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.

Suh wanted to win “just to represent all the defensive and offensive linemen.” Suh is the first lineman finalist since Warren Sapp in 1994.

Tebow might have provided Ingram with a tranquil moment, but he also has advice for McCoy after losing the Heisman entering the title game against Alabama.

“The [Heisman loser] can use it to motivate himself,” Tebow said.

jfowler@orlandosentinel.com.