Who was the first Heisman Trophy winner to play Major League Baseball (MLB)?

The individual who was the first Heisman Trophy winner to play Major League Baseball was Vic Janowicz (1930 - 1996). He is best known for his actions as an American football halfback in the National Football League (NFL). In the NFL, he was able to play for the Washington Redskins. He had played college football at Ohio State University and was drafted in the 7th round of the 1952 NFL Draft.

In college, Janowicz played football for coach Woody Hayes. He was an offensive player who was a tailback in the single-wing alignment. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1950 as a junior. After college, Janowicz passed up offers to play professional football in order to pursue an MLB career. He reached the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates but hit only 0.214 over two seasons. He returned to football late in the 1954 season of NFL with the Washington Redskins. He was the Redskins' starting halfback in 1955.

Janowicz was born and raised in Elyria, Ohio. He lived for 66 years and died of cancer on February 27, 1996, in Columbus, Ohio.