John W. Heisman (1986) - Hall of Fame - University of Akron Athletics

John W. Heisman

Induction:
1986

1893
Coach/ Athletic Director
Football

Mentioned with a reverence unparalleled to none in college football, John W. Heisman, namesake for the Heisman Memorial Trophy, which is given annually to the nation’s outstanding collegiate player, was an integral part of the University of Akron football tradition. Heisman, famous for his interventions in the game, was Akron;s first paid football coach an athletic director at Buchtel College, forerunner of The University of Akron. Heisman directed the 1892 squad to Akron’s first winning season, 5-2. That 1893 team scored 276 points to establish an all-time UA record that was not broken until 1969. Heisman also directed Buchtel College to a 12-6 defeat of Ohio State Buckeyes. After much faculty pressure over “the evil inherent in our athletic system, its tendency to train the few and neglect the many”, Heisman resigned in 1894. Credited with many first that still remain today in the modern era, Heisman originated the division of the game into quarters, the spin play, use of the offensive shift and while at Buchtel College, the center snap. He was also the main promoter for legalizing the forward pass. All told, Heisman coached football for 36 years at such schools as Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Pennsylvania, Washington and Jefferson and Rice. Heisman passed away in 1936, after serving two terms as President of the American Football Coaches Association.