GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Heading into his junior season in 1995, Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel had two full seasons and 16 months in front of him before winning the 1996 Heisman Trophy.

Still, after leading the Gators to a thrilling 24-23 comeback win over Alabama in the 1994 Southeastern Conference Championship Game, Wuerffel was one of college football’s biggest names.

In a preseason feature in August 1995, current FloridaGators.com colleague Chris Harry, the UF beat writer for the Tampa Tribune at the time, did a question-and-answer segment with Wuerffel to complement the story.

One of the questions stands out in retrospect.

Q: A century from now, how do you want to be remembered?

A: There’s only two things that last, and those are the relationships you have with people and the relationship you have with God. I’d like to be remembered as a guy who got along well with everybody and someone who took the word of God seriously.

More than a quarter-century later, Wuerffel has upheld that legacy and more.

This weekend, 25 years after he heard his name called and stood to accept the Heisman Trophy at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, Wuerffel will attend the 2021 ceremony. The candidates are Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, and Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.

One of them will join the game’s most exclusive club and experience a life-changing event.

Wuerffel can attest to that. He still remembers Jerri Spurrier, the wife of Wuerffel’s college coach and 1966 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier, telling him the night after he won the award about the impact of the Heisman on his life.

“You’ll learn more and more as the years go by,” she told him.

“Certainly, she was very prophetic in those words,” Wuerffel said this week.

Seated between Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer and Iowa State running back Troy Davis, two of the other three finalists, and Ohio State offensive lineman Orlando Pace, Wuerffel was considered the favorite. However, he believed Davis had a chance.

The Iowa State star rushed for 21 touchdowns and 2,185 yards, his second consecutive 2,000-yard season.

“You never know until you know,” Wuerffel said. “I did win, earlier in the week, some of the awards that are indicators of who might win the Heisman. I was not presuming anything. I was just very grateful to hear my name called.”

The Spurriers and Wuerffel’s family were on hand when Wuerffel became Florida’s second Heisman winner. Tim Tebow became the third Gators quarterback to win the award in 2007.

The trio has stood in bronze together outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2011.

While the award solidified Wuerffel’s place in Gators lore and college football history, true to his character, the son of an Air Force chaplain has parlayed the Heisman Trophy into much more meaningful endeavors.

Following his professional career, Wuerffel joined Desire Street Ministries in New Orleans. He became the organization’s executive director in 2006, and under his direction, Desire Street moved its headquarters to Atlanta following Hurricane Katrina to expand its outreach. Wuerffel is also involved with The Wuerffel Trophy, which is part of the National Football Federation’s Collegiate Awards and the first significant award honoring the character of service to others.

Wuerffel’s ability to impact so many others positively over the years is in many ways because of the award he won on a December night 25 years ago.

“It was an incredible experience at the time, but it’s one of those things that just never ends,” he said. “You could win the Nobel Peace Prize, or you could end up in jail, and either way, you would still be known as the Heisman Trophy winner.

“For me, the Heisman Trophy is this amazing platform. It has been a tremendous value to raise awareness and funds and support to help a lot of different people over the years. I believe a lot of success that Desire Street has had and the Wuerffel Trophy has had is, in large part, is to the fact that I did win the Heisman Trophy.”

Wuerffel remains a favorite son of Gator Nation. At his introductory press conference on Sunday, new Gators head coach Billy Napier referenced Wuerffel by name, recalling his days watching Wuerffel play on TV growing up in north Georgia. Wuerffel and Napier exchanged messages this week.

Following a year in which the Heisman ceremony was held virtually due to COVID-19 protocols, Wuerffel is excited about returning to New York and seeing the Spurriers and other past winners.

It’s an event that lasts a lifetime for a lucky few.

“My wife [Jessica] and I love going up there and being a part of it,” he said. “My wife’s favorite part of the Heisman ceremony is getting to hang out with Jerri Spurrier. That’s what makes it fun for her.”

Like Jerri Spurrier told Wuerffel 25 years ago, it’s a life-changing gift that keeps on giving.