Howard "Hopalong" Cassady is one of the most famous names in Ohio State history.  Growing up in Columbus, he would sneak into Ohio State football games as a child.  He made a big splash in his first game as a freshman as he came off the bench to score three TDs in a win over Indiana.  He would go on to win All-American honors in 1954 and 1955 and the Heisman Trophy in 1955.

What is remarkable about Hopalong's Heisman season is that he was in an absolutely loaded backfield.  Howard and his two teammates Hubert Bobo and Bobby Watkins were the top three leading rushers in the Big Ten.  Howard's 5.4 yards-per-carry average was the lowest of the three.  But he was able to stand out among them and be recognized as the best of the bunch.

(OSU Archives)

Howard would rush for 964 yards and 15 TDs in 1955.  In 1954, he was just one of the many greats on a 10-0 team that Plain Dealer writer John Dietrich called "the most inspiring team in Ohio State history - a tight-fisted, hard-hitting crew playing the game as it was meant to be played."  That 1954 team won the national championship -- the first one under Woody Hayes.

Hopalong with Ed Sullivan (OSU archives)

Cassady was also a very good defensive back.  He would go on to play DB as well as RB in the NFL.  He finished with 2,466 total rushing yards.  He currently lives in Tampa, Florida, but he spends his summers in Columbus as a coach for the AAA baseball team, the Clippers.  A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Howard will always be a true Buckeye legend.