Articles from the Historical Society in Josephine County Oregon

Touchdown Willie Heston

9/11

another nickname, "Willie". The great Walter Kamp, called Willie Heston the greatest player he had ever seen and when selecting his All American team of all time, Willie Heston's name was at the top of the list even over the Great Jim Thorpe, Tom Harmon, etc. "Hurry up" Yost as he was called, said of Heston. "I have seen thousands of players. Jim Thorpe is the second greatest I ever saw and Eddie Mahan the third.

Heston could hit the line with tremendous power and do other things equally well. He had no weakness. He was six feet tall and 190 lbs and so fast, that he could beat Archie Hahn who was an Olympic sprint champion while at Michigan in a 40-yard dash.

The Michigan trainer said of Heston, "The fastest man I ever saw excepting Arthur Duffy, the 100 yd dash champion for many years". Heston, says Yost, took every chance he could. "He was a wonder at manuvering"; 'He also had an uncanny ability to keep his feet. So many are brought down because they don't recover quickly enough after contact. Heston use to yell while coaching Drake University, "Use your searchlight and jump the dead ones!" by which he meant to keep eyes open and jump players already down rather than stumble over them.

After Heston graduated from the law department of the University, he devoted his time to general law practice with the exception of the fall of 1905 when he coached Drake University football, and in the fall of 1906 when he coached football at North Carolina State. In 1911 he was appointed assistant prosecutor for Wayne County and served in that capacity until elected to the bench in 1916 as judge of the Recorders Court. He was a judge until January 1923 when he went back to the practice of law and was also active in real estate.

William Martin Heston died on September the 9 th 1963 in Traverse City, Michigan. "Willie" Heston was elected to the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame in 1954 and was the University of Michigan all time scorers. In the four years he played for Michigan, there were 43 wins, no losses and one tie, with combined scores, Michigan 2,326 points, opponents, 40.

Willie starred in the first Rose Bowl game ... Continued - Page 10

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