Heisman Hoopers: Will Another Mr. Versatile Such As Charlie Ward Emerge?

Will another hooper ever strike the Heisman pose? At least three Heisman Trophy winners in three straight decades - 1940s, 1950s and 1960s - are among the football players also competing in college basketball. But Florida State's Charlie Ward (1993) is the only such multi-sport athlete in the last 50 years to achieve the feat.

At a time when basketball and football seasons overlap, you might want to know three Heisman recipients in a 10-year span from 1947 through 1956 were from Notre Dame. Following is an alphabetical list of Heisman Trophy winners who played varsity basketball at some point in their college careers:

Heisman Winner Year School Where Also Played BKB (Hoop Summary) FB Pos.
Terry Baker 1962 Oregon State (All-West Regional selection in NCAA Tournament in 1962 and 1963) QB
Ernie Davis 1961 Syracuse (team-high rebound average with 9.6 rpg in 1960-61) HB
Glenn Davis 1946 Army (hoop team member in 1944-45 and 1945-46) FB
Tom Harmon 1940 Michigan (averaged 7.6 ppg as sophomore in 1938-39) HB
Paul Hornung 1956 Notre Dame (averaged 6.1 ppg in 10 games as sophomore in 1954-55) QB
Dick Kazmaier 1951 Princeton (averaged 3.4 ppg as sophomore and junior) HB
Larry Kelley 1936 Yale (finished among top 12 in scoring in EIL in 1935-36 and 1936-37) E
Nile Kinnick 1939 Iowa (runner-up in scoring average with 6.1 ppg as sophomore) HB
Johnny Lattner 1953 Notre Dame (game-winning basket in OT at NYU in 1951-52) HB
Johnny Lujack 1947 Notre Dame (averaged 3.4 ppg as starting guard in 1943-44) QB
Roger Staubach 1963 Navy (played varsity hoops in 1962-63) QB
Doak Walker 1948 Southern Methodist (letterman as freshman in 1945-46) HB
Charlie Ward 1993 Florida State (averaged 8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.4 apg and 2.6 spg first half of 1990s) QB