Les Horvath, may not be a familiar name to today's Ohio State fans, but he has a very significant place in Buckeye history. Not only was he the first Heisman winner at Ohio State, but he was also a member of the Buckeye's first National Championship team in 1942. He played from 1940-1942 and also 1944. Horvath had graduated in 1942, and was studying dentistry in graduate school, when coach Carroll Widdoes (who was holding coach Paul Brown's position during the war) asked Horvath to return for one more year, since the team was depleted due to the war. A new rule had passed allowing him to return for a fourth year of eligibility. He came back to the team and played halfback, quarterback and defensive back. The Buckeyes went 9-0 and finished 2nd in the nation that year. OSU's undefeated record is very impressive when you consider that Ohio State was a member of US Army ASTP, which did not allow trainees to play varsity sports. Other Big Ten Schools such as Michigan and Purdue were a part of the Navy V-12 program which did allow trainees to play. Horvath led the Big Ten in rushing for 669 yards and total offense of 953 yards in his last season. His performance earned him the Heisman at the end of the season.
No comments:
Post a Comment