Vic Janowicz
![]() | |||||||||
No. 40 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Halfback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Date of birth: | February 26, 1930 | ||||||||
Place of birth: | Elyria, Ohio | ||||||||
Date of death: | February 27, 1996 | (aged 66)||||||||
Place of death: | Columbus, Ohio | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
College: | Ohio State | ||||||||
NFL Draft: | 1952 / Round: 7 / Pick: 79 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Victor Felix "Vic" Janowicz (February 26, 1930 – February 27, 1996) was an American football halfback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Ohio State University and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1952 NFL Draft. Janowicz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
MEDIA | STATS | TRADING CARDS | IMAGES |
Early life[edit | edit source]
Janowicz was born and raised in Elyria, Ohio as son of Polish immigrants. He went to Holy Cross Elementary School and graduated from Elyria High School. The stretch of Seventh Street which runs along the south side of Elyria High is named Vic Janowicz Drive in his honor, and the school's official address is 311 Vic Janowicz Drive. In addition, a life-size painting of Janowicz hangs in the lobby of the school. Janowicz has a relative, Jake Augustyniak, now playing football in Chicago for the St. Rita of Cascia High School Mustangs (2010–2014).
College career[edit | edit source]
Janowicz played college football at Ohio State University. A tailback in the single wing, he won the Heisman 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 a placekicker and punter, played safety on defense and was an outstanding blocker. Janowicz epitomized the 'triple-threat' football player."Template:Citation needed
Professional career[edit | edit source]
After college, Janowicz passed up offers to play professional football in order to pursue a baseball career. He reached the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but hit only .214 over two seasons as a bench player. He returned to football late in the 1954 season with the Washington 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.
He died in Columbus, Ohio, of cancer in 1996.
External links[edit | edit source]
Preceded by Jack Lininger |
Ohio State Buckeyes Football Season MVP 1950 & 1951 |
Succeeded by Fred Bruney |
Template:Heisman WinnersTemplate:UPI College Football Player of the YearTemplate:Sporting News College Football Player of the Year Template:Chicago Tribune Silver Football navbox Template:1950 College Football Consensus All-Americans Template:Redskins1952DraftPicks