COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State says Heisman Trophy winner and NFL running back Howard “Hopalong” Cassady has died. He was 85.
Jerry Emig, the school’s associate athletic director, says Cassady died early Friday in Tampa, Florida.
Cassady played both football and baseball at Ohio State in the early 1950s, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1955. He was a two-time consensus All-American and finished with nearly 2,500 yards and 37 touchdowns.
He got the nickname “Hopalong” from local sports writers after the black-hatted Western star of the 1950s.
Cassady played 10 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Detroit Lions.
After football, he spent two decades working as a scout and coach in the New York Yankees organization for longtime friend and team owner George Steinbrenner.