Howard Albert "Hopalong" Cassady is a former college and professional American football running back. He was the Heisman Trophy winner of 1955 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Cassady was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended the now closed Central High School. Cassady played for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1952-55. 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 university. He was twice selected as a consensus All-American, in 1954 and 1955. In 1954 the... Buckeyes finished the season 10-0 and won a consensus national championship. That year Cassady finished third in the vote for the Heisman Trophy behind Alan Ameche of Wisconsin. In 1955, Cassady won the Heisman Trophy , the Maxwell Award, and was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. Cassady earned the nickname "Hopalong" during his first game as a freshman 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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