Heisman finalist, take two.

Troy Davis took the podium Tuesday afternoon after being named a finalist for the 1996 Heisman Trophy award.

The strength of his second-straight 2,000-yard season will bring Davis to New York City for the annual presentation.

Can Davis win the award this year?

“Well, anything is possible … if I win it, I’ll be happy, I’ll be one of the happiest persons around,” Davis said.

Davis will have quite a busy schedule next week leading up to the announcement of the Heisman Trophy winner.

Davis will go to Orlando on the night of Dec. 11 for the Maxwell Award presentation, which will take place on Dec. 12.

He then will fly back to Ames on Dec. 13 for the football team’s banquet, then take off the morning of Dec. 14 for New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation.

Davis finished fifth in last year’s voting after becoming only the fifth Division I back to break the 2,000-yard barrier.

This season, Davis was the first back to break 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

When he was the fifth back to do something, he finished fifth. Now that he’s the first back to accomplish a certain feat…

“I did something that nobody ever did in college football,” Davis said. “They should look at it as that and not at team records. If it goes for individual stats, I should win it.”

One person that doesn’t need convincing is Troy’s coach.

“We’re real honored, obviously, that Troy has been selected as a finalist for the Heisman,” said ISU Head Coach Dan McCarney. “He is deserving to be a finalist, he is deserving to be the winner of the Heisman Trophy.”

The same could have been said last year, the year when Davis finished fifth.

What are the reasons for Davis not receiving the award?

Troy has his opinion.

“I’m still on a losing team, but you never know what’s going to happen,” Davis said. “I just got to keep on praying.

“We had plenty of close games, but we couldn’t put it through,” Davis said.

“I don’t know why we couldn’t put it through, but we just couldn’t quite put it through.”

This has become a trend in recent years: You play for a winning team, you are eligible for the Heisman Trophy, more or less.

Need examples? Houston’s Andre Ware, Miami’s Gino Torretta, Florida State’s Charlie Ward … they all were the leaders of teams that experienced success during the aforementioned players’ tenure.

But Davis has put up the numbers: 2,185 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns on the season. And all this despite the fact that everybody knew he was carrying the ball.

“There shouldn’t be no kind of choice for the Heisman this year,” Davis said. “But if I don’t get it, I know the reason why.”

Why?

“They don’t like me, for one thing.”

Which is odd, due to the accomplishments that Davis has achieved at a school which is going through a transition period.

“His productivity, his consistency, what he’s done against the best competition in college football, as hard a schedule as you’ll see in college football, and what he did against the best defenses in college football speaks for itself,” McCarney said.

It obviously didn’t speak loudly enough for the Doak Walker Award, as Texas Tech’s Byron Hanspard was the recipient of the nation’s top running back award.

“They consider [Hanspard] one of the best running backs, but everybody knows who the best running back is,” Davis said.

Davis also noted that Hanspard “is from Texas,” the site of the Doak Walker Award. The reference to Texas was made because of the 1993 award winner, Texas Tech’s Byron “Bam” Morris, who wasn’t even a Heisman finalist.

Biased?

“That’s pretty accurate,” McCarney said.

As for this year’s Heisman balloting, a much closer race is expected. Ohio State’s Eddie George and Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier were runaway favorites. This year, no one individual has separated himself from the pack.

It’s anybody’s game.

“I’d be shocked if it wasn’t a closer race than last year,” McCarney said. “I think he’s got a great chance, I really do. I think because of what he’s done back-to-back … how can you ignore what he’s done back-to-back?”

The All-America teams haven’t turned their backs on Davis’ accomplishments.

He has been named to all four teams that have been released, and if named to the remaining three that haven’t been released, he will become ISU’s first unanimous All-American.

But if the Heisman Trophy is once again out of Davis’ reach, and if he returns for his senior season, and if he puts up similar statistics, will Davis win the Heisman?

Davis really isn’t all that interested about next year.

“I’ll probably tell all of them, ‘I don’t want to be nominated for the Heisman next year,'” Davis said. “If I do what I had to do again this year, I’ll just say, ‘Just forget it, I don’t want to go at all.'”

He did add that if nominated, he would go, for the sake of the school.

But one of the “ifs” is whether Davis will return to ISU for his senior campaign. Davis said that he “was really undecided about leaving.”

He and McCarney would visit with Davis’ family after the Heisman presentation about his future.

But one thing remains certain: The decision is mostly up to Troy.

If Troy does choose to return, he has another record within reach: Tony Dorsett’s career rushing total.

“I’m trying to break every record that I can break,” Davis said. “[Dorsett’s] record is out there … if I come back next year, I’ve got to go for it.

“Whoever opens the history book, I want to be on top.”

Davis expressed his love to play the game that he excels at. “If it wasn’t for football, I’ll tell you the truth, I wouldn’t be here,” Davis said. “Football is my life, I love football.”

And on Saturday, Dec. 14, Davis might be rewarded for playing the game that he loves.

Does he have his acceptance speech ready?

“I’ve always got a speech prepared for this,” Davis said. “I’ve had it since last year, so I’m ready for it.”