NEW YORK — As Darren McFadden answered a question at the Hard Rock Cafe following the Heisman Trophy ceremony Saturday, an unidentified fan screamed, “ Tee-bow !”

Arkansas’ junior running back didn’t bat an eye and finished his response.

All week long, McFadden had heard Tebow’s name. On ESPN’s SportsCenter. At the Home Depot College Football Awards show in Orlando, Fla. And finally when Brian D. Obergfell of the Heisman Trust revealed the winner of college football’s most coveted prize.

“ Tebow is a great guy, ” McFadden said. “ He deserved to have the trophy. I am very proud of him. ”

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McFadden wasn’t crestfallen following the announcement. But he admitted he was disappointed. For the second straight year, Arkansas’ junior running back made the trek up to New York, only to leave there without the bronze statue that has been presented to so many college football stars of the past.

“ I know that was tough but he’s a strong person, ” Tebow said. “ He’s going to be a great player in the NFL. ”

This year, McFadden was the early favorite to win college football’s most coveted award after finishing second behind former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith in last year’s Heisman race.

And, for the most part, he performed well with the spotlight on him, amassing 1, 725 yards on the ground and scoring 15 touchdowns.

Despite suffering a concussion in September and being hampered by bruised ribs during the middle of the season, he established an SEC record this year with 2, 172 all-purpose yards. More impressively, he gained more than 100 yards on the ground in nine of the 12 games in which he played.

“ He’s such a special kid, ” Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton said. “ He’s such a special young man. He’s worked so hard to get here and we just want to see him rewarded for all he has done. ”

But Tebow was the one who was honored Saturday for his achievements on the football field. In his first year as a full-time starter, Tebow has passed for 3, 132 yards and has rushed for 838 yards. He also set an SEC record for touchdowns produced, accounting for 51 scores through the air and on the ground.

Tebow finished first in five of the six voting regions and accumulated 1, 957 points — 254 more than McFadden garnered.

Many predicted that it would be a close race after McFadden revived his campaign for the trophy in the last month of the season, including ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Arkansas’ star running back made a late charge after rushing for 321 yards against South Carolina in early November and then gaining 206 yards against No. 1 LSU the day after Thanksgiving.

“ I’ve been doing this for about 12 years now and I can’t remember — well, I guess in ‘ 97, my second year, when [Charles ] Woodson beat Peyton Manning — I can’t remember where you just have no idea who’s going to win, ” Herbstreit said before the ceremony.

But McFadden wasn’t able to convince enough of the voters that he was the most outstanding player in college football this year.

“ It’s still a great accomplishment, ” McFadden said of being a Heisman Trophy finalist. “ I’ve had a great career at Arkansas. I’m just very thankful for it. ”

In the background stood Tebow and the bronze statue. The Florida quarterback smiled for the cameras as McFadden eventually slipped away into the crowded streets of New York. Once again, he left empty-handed.