Heisman Winner, Two-Sport Great Janowicz Dies at 66

COLUMBUS, Ohio —  Vic Janowicz, a Heisman Trophy winner who went on to become a two-sport player in the pros, died Tuesday. He was 66.

Janowicz, a single-wing halfback and defensive back at Ohio State, played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in baseball and the Washington Redskins in football. He won the Heisman in 1950.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 1990, but continued an active life. Janowicz died at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

In 1950, he easily captured the Heisman with 633 points in the balloting to 280 by Kyle Rote of SMU and 231 for Red Bagnell of Penn.

He was a two-time most valuable player on teams coached by Wesley Fesler and Woody Hayes.

“Of all the former Ohio State stars I have seen or heard about, Vic Janowicz was the greatest,” Fesler said later. “He did our field-goal kicking, our punting, our quick kicking, was as fine a single-wing left halfback as I have seen, did all our passing and was truly a great blocker. On defense he played safety. He was absolutely great. He excelled in every phase of the game.”

He was the third junior to win the Heisman Trophy.

After graduation and a stint in the service, Janowicz signed with the Pirates as a catcher--despite not having played since his senior year in high school six years before--and played in 1953 and 1954.

He returned to football in 1954 with the Redskins and played defensive back. In 1955 he led the NFL in scoring until the final day of the season when Doak Walker, the 1948 Heisman winner, beat him out.