Buckeye players who have claimed the Heisman Trophy

Vic Janowicz (1950)

How good was Vic Janowicz? Good enough to win the 1950 Heisman Trophy as a junior on a team that posted a modest 6-3 record. And good enough that to this day most historians consider him the greatest athlete ever to play football at Ohio State.

Rich, but deserved, praise for Janowicz, who, in addition to being a triple threat on offense, also played safety on defense.

In the words of his former coach, Wesley Fesler, "Vic excelled in every phase of the game. He not only was a great runner, passer and blocker, he also did all of our kicking, including punting, field goals, quick kicks, kick offs and extra points. He was one of the finest, most versatile athletes I have ever seen."

Janowicz enjoyed his finest year in 1950, accounting for 16 touchdowns and 938 yards in total offense. He also led the Buckeyes in scoring with 65 points. In an 83-21 win over Iowa, he ran for two touchdowns, passed for four more and set a Big Ten record with 10 extra points. He completed five of six passes for 128 yards against the Hawkeyes.

Perhaps even more remarkable was a 27-yard field goal against Michigan in the now famous 1950 Snow Bowl. That kick, into a driving snow storm with the goal post barely visible, is one of the greatest individual accomplishments in Ohio State sports history.

Janowicz, who was a consensus All-America in 1950, also set another record in the Snow Bowl, punting 21 times for 685 yards. Both are school records.

After graduation, Janowicz played two years of professional baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, even though he had been away from the game nearly six years. He returned to football in 1954, signing with the Washington Redskins and winning the starting job at halfback as a rookie. In 1955, Janowicz barely missed out on the NFL scoring title, losing the crown on the last day of the season. His pro career was cut short the following fall, when he was involved in a near fatal car accident that left him unconcious for 30 days.

A member of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame and the Ohio State Hall of Fame, Janowicz died in February of 1996.