Heisman Highlight: Les Horvath

Name: Les Horvath
Position: Quarterback
College: Ohio State Buckeyes
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1944 – 10th Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here

Interesting Notes: Horvath won the Heisman in a very close competition and edged out two Army sophomore standouts…led OSU to an undefeated season by superior skills in passing, rushing, blocking, kicking, and tackling…graduated with degree in dentistry…served in Navy as dental officer and assistant football coach…played for a few years in the pro ranks…established a successful dental office while coaching when his playing years ended…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1969.

Featured Card: 1948 Bowman #41. Despite never being a professional standout, Horvath was included in the 1948 set from Bowman, several years before many of his Heisman winning peers who had to wait until the 1955 Topps All American set. There are not many copies currently available on eBay, but all of them fall right into the $20 ballpark.

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Heisman Highlight: Angelo Bertelli

Name: Angelo Bertelli
Position: Quarterback
College: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1943 – 9th Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here

Interesting Notes: Bertelli was a master and pioneer of the T-formation…led the 1943 Notre Dame team, which is considered one of the greatest teams in college football history…swept the Heisman balloting regions…entered Marine Corps after graduation to serve in WWII…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1972.

Featured Card: 1955 Topps All American #76. Another Heisman winner that jumped from college to the armed forces, Bertelli was first featured in the legendary college set from Topps. While a few higher grade copies of the Heisman winner’s rookie card demand prices of $40-$50, quite a few can be found for around $5.

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Heisman Highlight: Frank Sinkwich

Name: Frank Sinkwich
Position: Halfback
College: Georgia Bulldogs
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1942 – 8th Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here

Interesting Notes: Sinkwich dominated the Heisman voting and won all five regions handedly…racked up 382 yards passing and rushing in what is considered the greatest Orange Bowl performance of all time…enjoy modest success in the NFL…was one of the first college players to wear a face mask (to protect his broken jaw)…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1954.

Featured Card: 1955 Topps All American #69. Despite playing several years in the NFL, Sinkwich was not featured on a football card until the legendary 1955 set from Topps. A relatively forgotten player, Sinkwich’s only rookie card rarely tops $20 on eBay and can even be found for about $5 if a high grade is not a big concern for your collection.

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HOF Spotlight: Steve van Buren

Name: Steve van Buren
Position: Halfback
Pro Career: 1944 – 1951
Team Affiliation(s): Philadelphia Eagles
College: Louisiana State
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: A punishing rusher, Steve van Buren helped to lead an Eagles team that dominated the NFL in the late 1940s. A team that wallowed in mediocracy before van Buren’s arrival suddenly became division runners up for two years, won three straight divisional championships, and won the NFL title in 1948 and 1949. In many ways, the Eagles have never since been as successful since van Buren’s retirement. During van Buren’s brilliant career, he broke the 1,000 rushing yard mark twice, won 4 NFL rushing titles, won an ever elusive “triple crown” in 1945 by leading the NFL in rushing, scoring, and kickoff returns, and was first-team all-NFL six seasons in a row.

Career Stats: 83 games played; 5,860 rushing yards; 69 rushing TDs; 523 receiving yards; 3 receiving TDs; 3 return TDs

Featured Card: 1948 Leaf #22. When Leaf created its first all-football set in 1948, there is no guessing why they included van Buren. The man was dominating the gridiron and leading his team to feats unexplored in the franchise’s past. Trivial Beckett value of this gem is $300. Prices on eBay listings are all over the place, but a majority fall in just below $100. Similar to Sid Luckman, van Buren also has a 1948 Bowman rookie card that can be used as a substitute for the 1948 Leaf if you are just trying to get a basic HOF collection put together.

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Heisman Highlight: Bruce Smith

Name: Bruce Smith
Position: Halfback
College: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Class: Senior
Winning Year: 1941 – 7th Award
Official Heisman Profile: Click Here

Interesting Notes: Smith helped lead the way for two straight undefeated national championships at Minnesota…was one of the fastest backs in the Big 10 Conference despite his large frame…was voted the best college player in the 1941 All-Star game…received his award two days after Pearl Harbor bombing and had an air raid signaled during his speech…was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1972.

Featured Card: 1948 Bowman #104. As one of the first Heisman winners to play in the NFL, Smith was included in the 1948 Bowman set. Not to be mistaken for the HOF defensive lineman, this vintage card runs in the $35 range on eBay.

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HOF Spotlight: Sid Luckman

Name: Sid Luckman
Position: Quarterback
Pro Career: 1939 – 1950
Team Affiliation(s): Chicago Bears
College: Columbia
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: The first quarterback to champion the T-formation, Sid Luckman was truly a force to be reckoned with. As the #1 draft choice by the Bears in 1939, Luckman at first struggled with the complex formation and was demoted to tailback by legendary coach/owner George Halas. Given a second chance, though, Luckman never looked back. In his 12 professional years, Luckman led the Bears to 4 NFL championships and just missed a fifth. Luckman was named first- or second-team all-league every year from 1940 to 1948 and was named the league’s MVP in 1943, a year in which he threw a record tying 7 touchdowns passes in one game and threw another five to lead the Bears to a commanding 41-21 victory over the Redskins for the championship.

Career Stats: 128 games played; 14,686 passing yards; 137 passing TDs; 4 rushing TDs; 8,862 punting yards; 38.5 yards-per-punt career average; 2 interception TDs

Featured Card: 1948 Leaf #1. In the tail end of a brilliant career, there is no wonder that Luckman was the first card in the 1948 Leaf set (no national football card sets were produced between the 1935 National Chicle set and the 1948 Bowman and Leaf sets). Trivial Beckett value of this card is $400. Most eBay listings fall into a $100 ballpark while some are quite a bit higher and lower, depending mostly upon condition and grade. For an alternative, Luckman also has a 1948 Bowman card that is also considered a rookie card, although the bland black-and-white Bowman seems to command slightly higher prices than the colorful (albeit airbrushed) Leaf offering.

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