Buckeye players who have claimed the Heisman Trophy

Howard Cassady (1955)

It didn't take Ohio State fans long to realize why Howard "Hopalong" Cassady was something special. In his very first collegiate game, the season opener against Indiana in 1952, the 150-pound freshman came off the bench to score three touchdowns and lead the Buckeyes to a 33-13 victory. From then on, "Hop" was a regular in the OSU lineup, playing in 36 of a possible 37 games and leading the Buckeyes to a combined record of 29-8 during the next four years.

In 1954, Cassady won unanimous All-America honors, rushing for 701 yards and eight touchdowns and averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also caught 13 passes for 148 yards in helping the Buckeyes to a perfect 10-0 record and the first of five national championships for Coach Woody Hayes. The '54 season concluded with a convincing 20-7 win over Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl. Cassady again won All-America acclaim in 1955, when he rushed for 964 yards and 15 touchdowns. At the end of the year, Cassady's list of accolades included the Heisman Trophy and recognition by the Associated Press as the 1955 Athlete of the Year.

Cassady, who also was an outstanding defensive back, finished his collegiate career with 2,466 rushing yards. That total still ranks ninth on the all-time OSU rushing list.

Cassady, who prepped at Columbus Central and as a boy would sneak into Ohio Stadium to see the Buckeyes play, also played baseball at OSU, starting at shortstop for three years.

After graduation, Cassady was a first round pick of the Detroit Lions. He played defensive back with Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia before retiring.

"Hop" lives in Tampa, presently, but spends his summers in Columbus as a coach for the Columbus Clippers, the Yankees' AAA farm club.