The Heisman Trophy has been a quarterback's award for almost all of the past decade-and-a-half. But Alabama running back Derrick Henry's season was too good to go unrewarded.

Henry won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, edging out Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The history

An interesting pattern continued with Henry winning the award.

Since the award was first given out in 1935, a running back has won every 10 seasons (the 2005 award was later vacated by Reggie Bush).

Henry is the second Alabama running back to win the Heisman, joining Mark Ingram, who won in 2009. Ingram was the last non-quarterback to win the award, and the only non-quarterback to do so since 2000.

Henry is also the first junior running back to win the award since Rashaan Salaam in 1994, and the first running back to win the Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy in the same season since Ron Dayne in 1999. He’s the fourth to wear No. 2 to win the award, joining Charles Woodson, Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel.

Alabama joins Georgia as the only SEC schools with multiple Heisman Trophy-winning running backs (Frank Sinkwich in 1942 and Herschel Walker in 1982).

How he won

Henry had an amazing season, setting the all-time SEC single-season rushing record with 1,986 yards, breaking Herschel Walker’s record set in 1981. He also tied the SEC single-season rushing touchdown record (23) held by Tim Tebow and Tre Mason. Both of those totals led the FBS this season.

Henry got stronger as the season went along. In his last six games against FBS opponents, Henry averaged 208.8 rushing yards per game, including four 200-yard rushing games. That is almost 100 yards per game more than the first six games of the season.

Signature moment

Henry rushed for 271 yards in a Nov. 28 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. It was the most rushing yards for a player from either school in the Iron Bowl (breaking the mark previously held by Bo Jackson) and the third-most in a game in school history. Henry also set the school single-season rushing mark in this game.

Henry’s four 200-yard games are tied for the most in a season in SEC history.

Henry had a school-record 46 carries in the game, tied for the second-most by an SEC player. Only Georgia’s Walker had more (47 in 1981 vs. Florida).

Henry’s four 200-yard rushing games are tied with Wyoming’s Brian Hill for the most among FBS players this season.

Quirk of the night

Each time an Alabama player won the Heisman Trophy, the ceremony fell on Dec. 12 and a Stanford player was the runner-up.

The Cardinal have had five Heisman runners-up, tied for the most of any school (Oklahoma).