University of Michigan Hall of Honor
Willie Heston
- Induction:
- 1979
- Class:
- 1904
William Martin Heston was born Sept. 9, 1878, in Galesburg, Illinois. Soon after Willie turned 16, his family headed to the West Coast, where he flourished academically and athletically. Heston initially attended college at San Jose Normal in California, playing at one point for Fielding Yost. Soon after Yost's move to Michigan, Heston followed his tracks to Ann Arbor. Heston eventually rewrote the U-M record book, scoring 72 touchdowns, gaining more than 5,000 yards and averaging better than eight yards per carry, all in just 36 games. From 1901-04, Heston's Michigan teams went 43-0-1 and won four national championships. His 170 yards rushing in the 1902 Rose Bowl was a standard that stood for 57 years. Named an All-American in 1903 and 1904, Heston has been enshrined in numerous Halls of Fame. After coaching stints at Drake and North Carolina State, Heston began practicing law in 1908. Heston branched out into real estate for a short time before becoming an assistant prosecuting attorney in Detroit in 1911. Five years later, he was elected to the bench and served seven years as a judge. Heston started a cemetery near Flat Rock, Michigan, where he served as the manager for 17 years. He died on his birthday in 1963 in Traverse City.
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