Heisman Winner
Gino Torretta
QB | RS Senior | University of Miami
Gino Torretta cemented his place in college football history as the second Miami quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy, leading the Hurricanes to an undefeated regular season and earning recognition as one of the program’s most celebrated athletes.
Born in Pinole, California, Torretta starred at Pinole High School before joining the University of Miami in 1988. After redshirting his freshman year, he contributed to the 1989 national championship team, stepping in for injured starter Craig Erickson. Torretta went 3–1 as a starter that season, throwing for 1,325 yards and eight touchdowns, highlighted by a school-record 468 passing yards against San Jose State. By 1991, he had earned the full-time starting role and guided Miami to its fourth national title in nine years, passing for 3,095 yards and 20 touchdowns during a perfect 12–0 campaign.
Entering 1992 as a Heisman favorite, Torretta delivered once again, throwing for 3,070 yards and 19 touchdowns while leading Miami to another undefeated regular season. His performance earned him the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and Davey O’Brien Award. At the time of his graduation, Torretta held eleven school passing records, including career attempts (991), completions (555), yards (7,690), total offense (7,772), longest pass (99 yards, an NCAA record), and most passing yards in a single game (485).
Torretta’s Heisman achievement also places him in rare company among quarterbacks who combined individual greatness with multiple national titles during their starting years. Angelo Bertelli won the Heisman in 1943 despite playing only six of Notre Dame’s ten games before being called to military service, with Johnny Lujack stepping in to lead the Irish to championships in 1946 and 1947 (and winning the Heisman himself in ’47).
Decades later, Matt Leinart captured the Heisman in 2004 after guiding USC to back-to-back national titles in 2003 (AP) and 2004 (BCS). Alongside Bertelli, Lujack, and Leinart, Torretta stands as one of the few quarterbacks to pair Heisman honors with multiple national championships.
Beyond his playing career, Torretta has remained a prominent figure in football. He has worked extensively as a color commentator for collegiate and professional games on television and radio, and is the CEO and Founder of Touchdown Radio Productions, which syndicates an NCAA Football “Game of the Week” nationally. His philanthropic efforts include hosting the Gino Torretta Celebrity Blue Tee Weekend, benefiting The Torretta Foundation in support of research for ALS and Myasthenia Gravis.
Torretta’s leadership extends off the field as well. He is a Past-President of the University of Miami Alumni Association, a member of the Orange Bowl Committee, and was inducted into the University of Miami’s Ring of Honor in 2008. In 2009, he received one of the sport’s highest honors with his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame
