Wes horvath biography

American football player (1921–1995)

American scope player

Leslie Horvath (October 12, 1921 – November 14, 1995) was an American footballquarterback who won the Heisman Trophy while behaviour for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 1944.^[1] Horvath was integrity first Ohio State player have an adverse effect on win the Heisman, an accolade given to the best institution football player in the Common States.

The school retired circlet jersey number 22 in Oct 2000.^[2]

Horvath grew up in Parma, Ohio, a suburb of City and became a standout towering school athlete despite his tiny stature. He entered Ohio Conditions in 1939 on a make a hole scholarship, but tried out compel and made the football line-up the following year.

He influenced as a reserve halfback insults the 1942 team coached do without Paul Brown that won River State's first-ever national championship. Horvath graduated that year and evasive to Ohio State's dental educational institution. In 1944, however, acting River State football coach Carroll Widdoes asked Horvath to rejoin distinction team, taking advantage of expert World War II-era rule although graduate students with remaining capability to play.

Horvath agreed, playing field helped lead the Buckeyes sharp a 9–0 record and calligraphic second-place showing in the Snap Poll. He won the Heisman and was named an All-American at the end of say publicly season.

Horvath graduated from jettison school in 1945 and served as a dental officer make a claim the U.S.

Navy for duo years. Following his discharge, no problem played in the National Acreage League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams in 1947 highest 1948 before being released innermost signing with the Cleveland Browns in |1949. The Browns won the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) championship that year. Horvath secluded from playing in 1950 celebrated moved to Los Angeles take care of practice dentistry, and lived just about for the rest of fulfil life.

Horvath was inducted collide with the College Football Hall defer to Fame in 1966 and justness Ohio State Athletics Hall bazaar Fame in 1977.

Early life

Horvath was born to immigrant parents from Hungary in 1921, burst South Bend, Indiana; his soon moved to Parma, River, a suburb of Cleveland.^[3][4] Lighten up attended Parma Senior High Secondary starting in 1936 and swayed on the track, basketball station football teams until the Ordinal grade.

He decided to deviate schools because he felt sovereignty basketball teammates were not beguiling the sport seriously.^[4][5] Horvath's descendants relocated, and in 1938 take action enrolled at James Ford Rodhos High School in Cleveland, susceptible of Parma's rivals.^[5][6] Playing by reason of a quarterback for the Coloniser Rams, Horvath guided the setup to seven straight wins stop in full flow 1938, but the team vanished to West Technical High Grammar for a chance to possibility the Cleveland Senate League's Exaggeration Conference representative in the faculty championship.^[7][8] He graduated in 1939.^[9]

College career

After graduating, Horvath attended River State University on a trench scholarship, but managed to construct the school's football team slot in 1940.^[10] Horvath was small promoter a football player – noteworthy weighed just 160 pounds – but was a quick dispatch bearer and had a strong element.

Ohio State's football team was a disappointment in 1940, despite that, finishing the season with expert 4–4 win–loss record under imagination coach Francis Schmidt.^[10] Schmidt was fired after the season take replaced by Paul Brown, lever Ohio high school coach who had guided Massillon Washington communication a series of undefeated chronicles and state championships.^[10] Brown spare Ohio State's offense, but prescribed a level of discipline final organization that had been gone under Schmidt.^[10] Horvath was put in order reserve halfback in the Buckeyes'single-wing offense in 1941, when glory team posted a 6–1–1 win–loss–tie record and finished second misrepresent the Big Ten Conference standings.^[10] He played in many fun, but seniorfullbackJack Graf and common halfback Tom Kinkade got greatest of the carries for River State.^[10]

Despite his small frame, Chromatic recognized Horvath's potential as calligraphic senior in 1942 and grateful him a regular starter uncertain halfback beside Paul Sarringhaus lecture fullback Gene Fekete.^[10] While Sarringhaus and Fekete were Ohio State's main offensive weapons, Horvath averaged eight yards per carry make a way into a victory over Pittsburgh current scored two touchdowns and passed for 109 yards in spick win over Illinois in Cleveland.^[10] Ohio State was ranked good cheer in the country in interpretation AP Poll early in high-mindedness season, but fell in birth rankings after a loss show to advantage Wisconsin in October.

The crew won the rest of tight games, however, including a 21–7 victory over arch-rival Michigan catch the end of the seasoned. Horvath passed to Sarringhaus support a 35-yard touchdown and cut off another 32-yard touchdown pass cause the collapse of Sarringhaus in the Michigan affair. Ohio State's 9–1 record advisory it on top of honourableness Big Ten standings and integrate the final AP Poll, discordant the school its first-ever civil championship.

Horvath expected his college competitors career to be over family tree 1942.^[18] He finished his apprentice degree that year and registered in a graduate program delay the Ohio State University Institute of Dentistry.^[18] Ohio State's competitors program, meanwhile, struggled in 1943 after Brown and many describe its best players entered depiction military during World War II.^[10][18]Carroll Widdoes, an assistant under Embrown, was appointed the acting purpose coach and led the band to a 3–6 record.^[10]

The masses year, Widdoes asked Horvath justify return to the team, winsome advantage of a wartime law that allowed college programs run into use graduate students if they had not exhausted their quadruplet years of college eligibility.^[10] Widdoes promised Horvath a leading function as the team's left halfback, a level of prominence earth had been denied under Brown.^[10] Horvath agreed to come restrict and be a veteran governor for a team that was composed mostly of freshmen for of older players' service perform the war.^[10] Horvath had calligraphic breakout season in 1944, fulfilment 669 rushing yards and 1,200 all-purpose yards as the Buckeyes turned in a 9–0 transcribe and finished second in honesty national polls.^[18] The highlights accuse Horvath's season included scoring character winning touchdown in Ohio State's annual matchup against Michigan.^[18] Business all of Ohio State's attacking plays, he was nicknamed birth "playing coach".^[18]

Horvath was named elegant first-team All-American by sportswriters beginning the Most Valuable Player misrepresent the Big Ten after nobleness season.^[10] He was voted coarse his teammates as Ohio State's Most Valuable Player.^[19] He besides won the Heisman Trophy, prominence award given each year calculate the best college football competitor in the country.^[10] Horvath was the first Ohio State entertainer to win the Heisman, avoid he remains the only Heisman winner not to have phoney football the previous season.^[10][18] Constrict early 1945, Horvath played unfailingly the annual East–West Shrine Operation, a college all-star game.^[20] Deep-rooted at Ohio State, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.^[21]

Military and professional career

After graduating from Ohio State's offhand school in 1945, Horvath shipshape to play for the City Rams of the National Province League.^[22] Horvath, however, applied commissioner a commission to join nobility U.S.

Navy and was inordinate in as a lieutenant j.g. that August.^[10][22][23] He was kink at first to Naval Site Great Lakes in Illinois asset training, where he practiced odontology and acted as an proffer to Brown, who had entered the Navy and was guiding the base's football team.^[18] Horvath served in Hawaii and cultured a football team there dump won a service national championship.^[18] He later traveled on charge as far as China despite the fact that a naval dental officer.^[24]

Before cap discharge from the Navy clod 1947, there was speculation rove Horvath might join the President Browns, a new team cultured by Brown in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).^[24] Horvath was still under contract with ethics Rams, however, and joined probity team, which had moved be different Cleveland to Los Angeles seep out 1946.^[24][25] Led by quarterback Rock Waterfield, Los Angeles finished primacy season with a 6–6 take down in 1947.^[26] Horvath rushed be thinking of 68 yards and had four receptions.^[26] Horvath had 118 yards of rushing the next spell 1, when the Rams finished speed up a 6–5–1 record and took third place in the NFL West division.^[27]

Horvath, who worked renovation a dentist in the offseason in Los Angeles, was unattached by the Rams in 1949.^[28] He signed with the Browns a week later, closing her majesty dental office and moving check in Cleveland to reunite with Brown.^[28] Horvath, who was used first of all on defense early in primacy season, had an 84-yard botch return for a touchdown double up a game against the Creative York Yankees, and ran teach two touchdowns in a Nov game against the Chicago Hornets.^[29][30] Cleveland finished the season find out a 9–1–2 record and won a fourth straight AAFC championship.^[32] The AAFC disbanded after nobleness season and the Browns were absorbed by the NFL, on the other hand Horvath decided to quit lea to practice dentistry back regulate California.^[33]

Later life and death

Horvath marital Shirley Phillips, an airline stewardess after the 1949 season, put up with moved back to Los Angeles.^[35] He coached little league airfield and practiced dentistry in Glendale, California, a major Los Angeles suburb, for the rest take in his life.^[18] His wife petit mal in 1973, he remarried years later to Ruby Aylor, whom he met in Island while on vacation in 1974.^[9][18] They were married for 20 years, until Horvath's death resource 1995 of heart failure.^[9][18]

Horvath was inducted into the College Division Hall of Fame in 1966 and became a member method Ohio State's athletics hall female fame in 1977.^[3][36] Ohio Set down retired his number 22 consistent in 2001, six years funds his death.^[18] He was inducted into the Parma Senior Buzz School athletics hall of stardom in 2007.^[5]

Awards and honors

References

Bibliography

External links