Cam Newton took the shotgun snap from LSU's 49-yard-line early in the third quarter of Auburn's top-10 matchup with the Tigers on Oct. 23, 2010. He faked the handoff to running back Mario Fannin and slipped through a crowded box before bursting in the secondary, where he toyed with a group of future NFL players — Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne and Eric Reid — on his way to a 49-yard touchdown.
Seven weeks later he hoisted the Heisman Trophy.
Cam Newton didn't win the most prestigious individual honor in college sports because of the 49-yard touchdown run that helped keep Auburn's undefeated season alive. But it was a highlight-reel play that would prove to be the epitome of his Heisman campaign.
We can endlessly debate the necessity of a "Heisman moment" and how or why that potential moment can translate to an early-December victory speech in Manhattan. Or we can appreciate the biggest moments from the best player in college football for that particular year by reliving the "Heisman moment" for each of the last 12 winners.
MORE: Most Recent Top-10 Heisman Finisher for All 130 FBS Teams
Check out this incredible video created by YouTuber CFBin30:
