06-19-2006, 02:44 PM
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Ne Obliviscaris
Administrator
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 19,459
Points: 1,288,812.04
Bank: 88,556.91
Total Points: 1,377,368.95
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Howard "Hopalong" Cassady - 1955 Heisman Winner (Official Thread)
Wikipedia Link
Quote:
Howard "Hopalong" Cassady (March 2, 1934- ) was college and professional American football player in the 1950s and '60s.
Cassady played for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1952-55. In his first game as a freshman he came off the bench to score three touchdowns in a win over Indiana University. During his college career, he scored 37 touchdowns in 36 games. He also played defensive back; a pass was never completed on him in his four years at the universtiy. He was twice selected as a consensus All-American, in 1954 and '55. In 1955, Cassady won the Heisman Trophy (by the largest margin at the time), the Maxwell Award, and was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. Cassady also played baseball for Ohio State.
Cassady played nine seasons in the National Football League: seven for the Detroit Lions, and one each for the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles. After retiring from football, Cassady worked primarily as an entrepreneur; he formed his own company, manufacturing concrete pipe. Most recently, he's served as a scout for the New York Yankees baseball team, and as the first base coach for their AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.
Hopalong earned his nickname during his first game for Ohio State. Columbus sportswriters who saw him play said he "hopped all over the field like the performing cowboy," a reference to the fictional character Hopalong Cassidy.
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Heisman Link
Quote:
1955 - 21st Award
Howard Cassady
Ohio State Back
"Hop along" was one of Ohio State's best ever, scoring 37 touchdowns in 36 games for 222 points. He gained 2,466 yards rushing for an average of 5.6 per try. A player's player, his 964 yards with a total of 15 TDs was his greatest ever. Overlooked were his sparkling defensive plays; he never had a pass completed over him in four years of Big Ten competition. He held the Buckeyes' yardage-gained record for many years. He was voted All-American during the '54 and '55 seasons. Cassady also played baseball for Ohio State for four years. In 1955, the Associated Press also named Cassady “Athlete of the Year”. He played 8 years with the Detroit Lions, one year with the Philadelphia Eagles, and one year with the Cleveland Browns, and then formed his own company, which manufactured concrete pipe. That company was sold in 1968 when he moved into selling steel with Hop along Cassady Associates. Howard later worked for American Shipbuilding in Tampa and is currently a scout and coach for the New York Yankees. He and his wife Barbara reside in Tampa, FL. They have three children and four grandchildren.
Howard was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1979.
The Voting
Place Name School Class Position Points
1 Howard Cassidy Ohio State Sr. HB 2,219
2 Jim Swink Texas Christian Jr. HB 742
3 George Welsh Navy Sr. QB 383
4 Earl Morrall Michigan State Sr. QB 323
5 Paul Hornung Notre Dame Jr. QB 321
6 Bob Pellegrini Maryland Sr. C-NG 294
7 Ron Beagle Navy Sr. E 212
8 Ron Kramer Michigan Jr. E 192
9 Bo Bolinger Oklahoma Sr. G 148
10 Calvin Jones Iowa Sr. G 138
Howard "Hopalong" Cassady was the first Heisman winner to exceed 2,000 total points and his 1,477-point edge over Jim Swink of TCU was the biggest victory margin to that time. Swink won the Southwest but Cassady won all the other regions, compiling a 594-128 edge in first place votes in voting by 1,324 members of the media.
No. of registered electors: 1,324
Date of announcement: </B>November 29, 1955
Date of dinner: </B>December 8, 1955
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College Football HOF
Quote:
Position: Halfback
School: Ohio State
High School: Columbus, OH (Central HS)
Years: 1952-1955
Inducted: 1979
Place of Birth: Columbus, OH
Date of Birth: 3/2/1934
Jersey Number: 40
Height: 5-10
Weight: 172
In the fall of 1952 Woody Hayes sent Howard Cassady into his first collegiate game where "Hopalong" scored three touchdowns and began one of the most spectacular careers in Ohio State history. By the end of that career Cassady had rushed for a total of 2374 yards and had scored 37 touchdowns. His senior season of 1955 was a red letter year for Cassady. He was named a unanimous All-America for the second time, won the Heisman Trophy, was chosen Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and received the Chicago Tribune Trophy as the most Valuable Player in the Big Ten conference. Hayes once said Cassady "was the most inspirational player I have ever seen". He played offense and defense and in 1955 had four 60-minute games. In 1954 he made his greatest run, an 88-yard, dodging, twisting return of an intercepted pass against Wisconsin. His son Craig Cassady, lettered at Ohio State in 1973-1975.
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