Ohio State plans to honor the late Howard “Hopalong” Cassady by having its players wear helmet decals with his jersey number, 40, during Saturday's game against Miami (Ohio).
Cassady died early Friday morning.
The helmet decal members of the @OhioStateFB team will wear today to honor the memory of Howard "Hopalong" Cassady. pic.twitter.com/XhmKz9XIbH
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) September 21, 2019
As the third Heisman Trophy winner in program and a two-time consensus All-American, Cassady is one of just seven players in program history to have his jersey number retired.
Cassady, a versatile player who made his largest impact on the ground, had 2,466 career rushing yards, 4,403 career all-purpose yards and 222 career points. All three were Ohio State records at the time. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in the late 1970s.
“He was an all-time great Buckeye in every way,” athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement on Friday. “We will have the Cassady family in our thoughts and in our prayers.”
Ohio State's game against Miami (Ohio) will kick off at 3:30 p.m. At some point during Saturday's game, Cassady will be publicly honored at Ohio Stadium.
