The Heisman Trophy awarded to Texas running back Ricky Williams sold for $504,000 early Friday morning. The price, which included a 20% buyer’s premium, was the most ever paid for any of the small number of Heisman awards that have sold at public auction. In December 2018, Tim Brown’s trophy sold for $435,763 via Goldin Auctions.
Williams sold several items from his collection to Florida-based collector Brian Hobbs, who consigned them to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. The trophy was sold during the first of a two-session auction, set to wrap up Friday night.
The trophy, which weighs 45 pounds, was on display at the National Sports Collectors Convention last summer. Williams won the Heisman vote after rushing for over 2,300 yards and 29 touchdowns and catching 29 passes for over 300 yards. He set the all-time NCAA career rushing record during that season, but it was broken the next season by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne.
Williams’ Doak Walker Award, honoring the top running back in college football, sold for $49,200 while his Walter Camp Award as the player of the year, was purchased for $12,000.
A rare early 1960s New York Yankees promotional bobblehead–the finest of three known to exist–sold for $90,000. The oversized (14-inch) nodder was manufactured in Japan and was consigned by the grandson of a Japanese national and co-owner of the Otagiri Mercantile Company, which used it as a tool to tout an upcoming line of early bobbleheads. Heritage called it “arguably the single most desirable nodder on Earth.”
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