LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette led the nation with 158.3 rushing yards per game, but a late swoon by the team knocked him down the Heisman Trophy ladder so much that he went from prohibitive favorite to not being extended an invitation to New York over the span of a month.
While Fournette's have made their frustration over the snub known over the past couple of days, Fournette isn't sweating it right now.
"Everybody was angry about the situation, especially my teammates," Fournette told reporters on Thursday. "But like I told my coaches, my parents and the players on my team, everything happens for a reason. It is what it is.
"At the end of the day, the best running backs in the NFL didn't win the Heisman."
Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson, Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry and Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey picked up the three coveted tickets to New York. Fournette isn't focusing on those guys, nor the fact that he isn't joining them this weekend. In fact, he feels lucky to have had as successful as a season as he's had so far.
"My brother was showing me a highlight tape someone made of me," Fournette said. "Just looking at it, I was like, 'Man, I did all that?' It was like a dream, everything was coming so fast. I had a wonderful season. I enjoyed every bit of it."
Fournette's LSU Tigers will square off with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Texas Bowl on December 29th in Houston. Kickoff is slated for 9:00 pm EST, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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