Hart, Leon J.
Football
b. Nov. 2, 1928, Turtle Creek, PA
d. Sept. 23, 2002
The mammoth Hart in 1949 became only the second lineman in history to win the Heisman Trophy as the nation's outstanding college football player. He also won the Maxwell Award and was named Associated Press athlete of the year.
An end at the University of Notre Dame, the 6-foot-5 Hart weighed 245 pounds as a freshman and played frequently, though he wasn't a starter. He did take over the starting job as a sophomore. By his senior year, he weighed 265 pounds and was feared as a blocker, receiver, and defender. Because of his quick start and overall speed, he was often used as a fullback in short yardage situations.
Hart was a consensus All-American in 1948 and 1949. During his four years at Notre Dame, the team won 36 games and tied 2 without a loss, and Hart caught 49 passes for 742 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for 2 touchdowns.
In 1950, Hart joined the Detroit Lions of the NFL. Although professional teams were generally using the two-platoon system, he played both offense and defense for his first two seasons and in 1951 was named All-Pro as an offense end by the Associated Press and as a defensive end by United Press. He became an offensive specialist in 1952.
Hart spent 8 seasons with the Lions, playing on NFL championship teams in 1952, 1953, and 1957. He retired after the 1957 season. During his professional career, he caught 174 passes for 2,499 yards, a 14.4 average, and 26 touchdowns. He also carried the ball from the fullback position 143 times for 612 yards, a 4.3 average, and 5 touchdowns.