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Vic Janowicz | |||||||||||||||
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.png) Janowicz, circa 1951 | |||||||||||||||
| Born | Victor Felix Janowicz (1930-02-26)February 26, 1930 Elyria, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | February 27, 1996(1996-02-27) (aged 66) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Football career | |||||||||||||||
| No. 43 | |||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Elyria | ||||||||||||||
| College | Ohio State (1949–1951) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1952: 7th round, 79th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Baseball player Baseball career | |||||||||||||||
| Catcher | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 31, 1953, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| September 10, 1954, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .214 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| RBI | 10 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
Victor Felix Janowicz (February 26, 1930 – February 27, 1996) was an Americanfootballhalfback andbaseballcatcher. He won theHeisman Trophy and was selected as theUPI College Football Player of the Year in 1950 while playing for theOhio State Buckeyes. He was selected in the seventh round of the1952 NFL draft and played professionally for theWashington Redskins of theNational Football League (NFL) in 1954 and 1955. He was one of the few athletes in the post-World War II era toplay in both the NFL and Major League Baseball, playing as a catcher for thePittsburgh Pirates in 1953 and 1954. Janowicz was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
Janowicz was born and raised inElyria, Ohio as son of Polish immigrants. He went to Holy Cross Elementary School and graduated fromElyria High School. The stretch of Seventh Street which runs along the south side of Elyria High is named Vic Janowicz Drive in his honor. In addition, a life-size painting of Janowicz hangs in the lobby of the school. Additionally, the Little League Baseball field located on Wittenburg Ave in Elyria is named Vic Janowicz Park.
Janowicz playedcollege football atOhio State University. Atailback in thesingle wing, he won theHeisman Trophy in 1950 as a junior.Woody Hayes, who coached Janowicz's senior year, said of him, "He was not only a great runner, but also passed, was aplacekicker andpunter, played safety on defense and was an outstanding blocker. Janowicz epitomized the 'triple-threat' football player."[1]
After college, Janowicz passed up offers to play professional football in order to pursue a baseball career. He reached the major leagues with thePittsburgh Pirates, but hit only .214 over two seasons as a bench player. He returned to football late in the 1954 season with theWashington Redskins, and was their starting halfback in 1955. During training camp in 1956, he suffered a serious brain injury in an automobile accident that left him partially paralyzed and ended his athletic career.
Janowicz eventually made a full recovery and became a broadcaster of Buckeye football games. Later he worked as an account executive at a Columbus manufacturing firm and, from 1986, as an administrative assistant to the state auditor.
_-_Vic_Janowicz_grave.jpg)
He died inColumbus, Ohio, of cancer on February 27, 1996, a day after his 66th birthday. He is buried atSaint Joseph Cemetery inLockbourne, Ohio.[2]
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