During his sophomore college season in 2009 at the Unviersity of Alabama, Ingram won the first Heisman Trophy ever awarded to an Alabama Crimson Tide player, was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and helped lead the Tide to an undefeated 14–0 season and the 2010 BCS National Championship.

The New Orleans Saints selected Ingram with the 28th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft—the same pick number used to draft his father Mark Ingram, Sr. Ingram was the first running back drafted in 2011. On July 28, 2011, Ingram decided on the number #28 in honor of his and his father's draft pick number. In 2012, Ingram was featured in a national television commercial with an endorsement of Nissan and their Heisman House campaign. Other talent in the 2012 commercials included Herschel Walker, Marcus Allen, Robert Griffin III, Desmond Howard, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, Matt Leinart, Tim Brown, Ricky Williams, and Ron Dayne. The 2011 Nissan Heisman House commercials featured Mark along with other Heisman greats including Barry Sanders, Doug Flutie, Troy Smith, and Vinny Testeverde.