The classic “Heisman pose” as a celebration was popularized by Michigan star Desmond Howard in 1991, but the original pose of the Heisman Trophy itself was created by sculptor Frank Eliscu using NYU running back Ed Smith Sr. as his live model in 1934.

Trophy pose origins

  • In 1934, New York’s Downtown Athletic Club commissioned a new award to honor the top college football player and hired New York sculptor Frank Eliscu to design it.
  • Eliscu asked his former high school classmate, NYU fullback Ed Smith Sr., to come to his studio in full gear and simulate his trademark stiff-arm run; that action pose became the basis for the Heisman Trophy’s iconic stance.

The “Heisman pose” celebration

  • During the 1991 Michigan–Ohio State game, wide receiver Desmond Howard returned a punt for a touchdown and, in the end zone, struck a quick imitation of the trophy’s player, instantly turning it into a famous on-field celebration.
  • That end-zone moment was replayed widely, labeled “Hello, Heisman!”, and is why many fans credit Howard with “creating” the Heisman pose as a modern celebration, even though the trophy’s pose dates back to Ed Smith and Frank Eliscu in the 1930s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.