There are 2 days that separate us from Ohio State's march to Blacksburg. To help pass the time until the Buckeyes put the Sandman to bed I will countdown Ohio State's top 100 players according to the rubric* listed at the bottom of this article.

Cassady won the Heisman by the largest margin in history.

NO. 2 HOWARD "HOPALONG" CASSADY, HB (1952-55)
Born: 1934 (Columbus)
High School: Central

OHIO STATE CAREER

• The Buckeyes were 29-8 with Cassady on the team.
• 1954 National Champion.
• 1954 Big Ten Title.
• 1955 Big Ten Title.
• 1955 Defeated USC 20-7 to win the Rose Bowl.
• Went 3-1 against That Team.

HONORS

• 1955 Heisman Trophy.
• 1955 Maxwell Award.
• 1955 AP Athlete of the Year.
• 1955 Big Ten MVP.
• 1955 Team MVP.
• 1955 All-American.
• 1955 All-Big Ten
• 1954 Team MVP.
• 1954 All-American.
• 1954 All-Big Ten.
• 1979 College Football Hall of Fame.
• 1997 Varsity O Hall of Fame.
• 2005 Columbus Baseball Hall of Fame.
   

NFL DRAFT
Round 1 to the Detroit Lions with the 3rd pick of the 1956 draft.
 

Cassady hopping in for a score against That Team. Both teams are wearing their home jerseys.

How Cassady received the nickname Hopalong per Wikipedia:

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 characterHopalong Cassidy. In that game Cassady came off the bench to score three touchdowns in a win over Indiana University.

Cassady helped Woody Hayes win his first national championship in 1954.

Howard Cassady's Ohio State career per The Ohio State Team Guide:

It didn’t take Ohio State fans long to realize why Howard “Hopalong” Cassady was something special. In his first collegiate game, the season opener against Indiana in 1952, the 150-pound freshman came off the bench to score three touchdowns and lead the Buckeyes to a 33-13 victory. From then on, “Hop” was a regular in the OSU lineup, playing in 36 of a possible 37 games and leading the Buckeyes to a combined record of 29-8 during the next four years.

In 1954, Cassady won unanimous All-America honors and helped the Buckeyes to a perfect 10-0 record and the first of five national championships for Coach Woody Hayes. The 1954 season concluded with a convincing 20-7 win over Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl.

Cassady again won All-America acclaim in 1955, when he rushed for 958 yards and 15 touchdowns. At the end of the year, Cassady’s list of accolades included the Heisman Trophy and recognition by the Associated Press as the 1955 Athlete of the Year.

Cassady, who also was an outstanding defensive back, finished his collegiate career with 2,466 rushing yards. That total still ranks 11th on the all-time OSU rushing list. 

Cassady, who prepped at Columbus Central and as a boy would sneak into Ohio Stadium to see the Buckeyes play, also played baseball at OSU, starting at shortstop for three years. He is a member of the Ohio State University Athletics (1997), College Football (1979) and Columbus Baseball (2005) halls of fame.

Did you know that Cassady coached for the Columbus Clippers?

Cassady's NFL and Clippers career per The Ohio State Team Guide:

After graduation, Cassady was a first round pick of the Detroit Lions. He played defensive back with Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia before retiring. “Hop” lives in Tampa, but spent many summers in Columbus as a coach for the Columbus Clippers, the Yankees’ AAA farm club. His jersey number “40” was retired Nov. 18, 2000.

Ohio State records held when he finished his career per Wikipedia:

Cassady held some Ohio State career records for many years following his graduation. He held the career rushing record (2,466 yards) until he was surpassed by Jim Otis in 1969, the career all-purpose yards record (4,403 yards) until he was surpassed by Archie Griffin in 1974, and the scoring record (222 points) until he was surpassed by Pete Johnson in 1975.

Cassady's life after football per Wikipedia:

After retiring from football, Cassady became an entrepreneur; he formed a company manufacturing concrete pipe. More recently, he has served as a scout for the New York Yankees baseball team, and as the first base coach for their former AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.

For more information about No. 40 go here.

Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide and Wikipedia
 

Today's article is brought to you by Howard Cassady and his Heisman Trophy:

ALL PLAYERS COVERED TO DATE