NCAA Football: 25 Heisman Trophy finalists who should have won in hindsight

Chuck Bednarik deserved the 1948 Heisman Trophy because he was a man.

To unpack that statement, he attended a Catholic parochial school called Saints Cyril and Methodius in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a center of the steel industry. The school used Slovak as a language of instruction, as Bednarik’s parents had immigrated to the United States in 1920 to work for Bethlehem Steel. Bednarik flew 30 combat missions as a B-24 waist-gunner in Germany with the U.S. Eighth Air Force in World War II.

As if this wasn’t enough to convince you of Bednarik’s manliness, he went on to star at both center and linebacker at the University of Pennsylvania. He is recognized today as the last full-time two-way player in the NFL.

I mean, it’s one thing to run around like a wide receiver and cover like a cornerback, but imagine enduring the blows that Bednarik did during his playing career. Bednarik lived to the age of 89-years-old, passing away in 2015.

His legacy lives on through the Bednarik Award, based in Philadelphia, which is awarded to the nation’s best defensive player for the year.

In the 1948 Heisman race, Bednarik lost to SMU running back Doak Walker (who today also has a notable award named after him). Walker rushed 598 yards and eight touchdowns for a 9-1-1 Mustangs team.

There are no reliable statistics available for Bednarik. That’s how impressive he was on both sides of the field. How could you not be convinced of his Heisman candidacy?

Here’s a shot of Bednarik posted by the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2019 NFL Draft: