What's it take to win the Heisman?

Alabama Coach Nick Saban, left, with Heisman winner Mark Ingram

NEW YORK – For a brief moment this weekend, the sporting world took a timeout from its constant coverage of Tiger Woods' ever-expanding scandal to report on a traditional "feel-good" story, the Heisman Trophy.

Just hours after Woods announced his "indefinite suspension" from professional golf, the 75th Heisman Trophy was awarded to Alabama running back Mark Ingram in the closest voting in the award's history.

The contrast and the connection between the two was compelling.

Woods, who has admitted to numerous incidents of infidelity, insisted that his immediate goal during his golfing hiatus is to concentrate on rebuilding his ties with his family.

Family ties were a theme repeatedly expressed at the Heisman award ceremony last night.

Ingram, who rose to be named college football's No. 1 player for 2009, insisted that his family ties were the main factor for his meteoric season, a campaign that will see his Alabama Crimson Tide play Texas for the national championship in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 7.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank God. I'm so blessed, and without him, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this," Ingram said in his acceptance speech. "I'd like to thank my family, my mother and my grandparents ... my father, who has been a great influence on my life and I love him to death, my aunts and uncles, my sisters … and I'd like to thank my teammates."

Ingram's acceptance speech can be seen below:

Ingram's father, Mark Sr., a former NFL player, was a member of the 1992 New York Giants Super Bowl XXV squad.

But, since his NFL days, the senior Ingram has seen his fortunes fall.

Convicted on federal charges of money laundering and bank fraud, Ingram Sr. is serving an eight-year prison sentence in a jail in Queens, less than five miles form the lights and glitter of Times Square where the Heisman was awarded.

And while Woods has seen adversity sideline his career, Ingram has used his family's misfortune as a foundation for personal growth.

The 'Bama running back told WND that his father had words of advice:

"He's excited. ... He told me to enjoy the moment, let it all sink in, enjoy the times," the younger Ingram said of his father. "At the same time he said, 'You're not done yet; you still have a national-championship game. ... You can't lose sight of that."

Ingram added that while his father could not physically be at the Heisman award ceremony, he was there "in spirit":

"He shared it with me," the award winner told WND. "He was there in spirit. I love him to death, and he loves me too, and he was there in my heart, and that's all that matters."

Alabama coach Nick Saban explained that he hopes the Heisman will prove to be a growth factor, not only to Ingram but to the entire team. Saban was an assistant coach at Michigan State when Ingram's father played college ball for the university's Spartans team. Some have labeled Saban a surrogate father to the younger Ingram.

"Every success you have creates a new set of problems that you have to deal with. You have to understand what those are, anticipate them, so you don't fall into any traps," Saban told WND. "I think Mark is very aware of these types of challenges, and we have a lot of people that will try and help him stay focused on what he wants to do. If you want to continue to have success, you have to remember what got you there. … I am so happy for Mark and his family and our team. … All feel great that they contributed to helping him being recognized as the best player in college football."

Saban stressed that Ingram faced his family problems head-on and grew from them:

"He had a difficult transition in the middle of his freshman year because of some personal circumstances, and I think that affected him a little bit," the coach said. "He learned from that, he grew from that, matured from that and had a great year this year."

The Crimson Tide chief told WND that Ingram and company have not lost sight that their biggest challenge is yet to come, the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.

"You have got to stay focused on the things that matter and the things that are going to help you prepare to play the best football game," Saban said. "Nothing else matters."