College football: Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner
By Brad Weiss
Joe Bellino. 51. player. 2394. . RB/QB/P. Midshipmen
51. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Joe Bellino, Navy Midshipmen football
Though he was highly-recruited coming out of high school, the choice all along for Joe Bellino was to attend the Naval Academy. A tremendous athlete, Bellino ended up being a star in both football and baseball for the Midshipmen, becoming one of the greatest football players in school history, and the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Nicknamed the “Winchester Rifle,” due to the fact he was born in Winchester, Massaschutes, Bellino became an instant star at Navy, culminating with him winning the Heisman Trophy following the 1960 college football season. He did a little bit of everything on the offensive side of the ball that season, rushing for over 800 yards and 15 touchdowns, catching two more scores, and even throwing for a few. In addition, he also handled punting duties.
Outside of his exploits on the gridiron, Bellino was also an excellent baseball player, hitting over .400 during his college career on the diamond. During his 1960 Heisman season, he would end up taking home the Maxwell Award as well. He absolutely blew away Penn State’s Richie Lucas in the Heisman voting, racking up 1929 points to his 613, defeating him in every region.
50. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Frank Sinkwich, Georgia Bulldogs football
Frank Sinkwich was born in Croatia, which is important information because when he won the Heisman Trophy in 1942, he was the first to do so after being born outside of the United States. He also holds the distinction of being the first player from the University of Georgia to win the award, which is an incredible accomplishment in itself.
Sinkwich was an absolute star under head coach Wally Butts, getting the job done on the ground, where he set the SEC rushing record as a junior with 1,103 yards, and through the air, where he passed for nearly 1,400 yards as a senior. Overall, he was a two-time All-American for the Bulldogs and was an easy choice for the Heisman Trophy in his final year on campus.
That season, his 713 rushing yards and 1,392 passing yards set the SEC total offense record, and he finished out his career by beating UCLA 9-0 in the Rose Bowl, despite the fact he was injured. Sinkwich was such a national star that the Associated Press named him the “athlete of the year” in 1942, with the runner-up being Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams.