Football Legend Harmon Named Big Ten Icon No. 5
1/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 31, 2011
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The University of Michigan football team's first Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon (1938-40) has been named Big Ten Icon No. 5. Presented by Discover and hosted by Keith Jackson, Harmon will be featured on the Big Ten Network on Sunday, Feb. 6, at 2:30 p.m., with the show repeating at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
The episode includes one-on-one interviews with U-M athletic director Dave Brandon, award-winning sportscaster and former Wolverine standout Jim Brandstatter, journalist John Bacon and others.
A native of Gary, Ind., Harmon enrolled at Michigan in 1937 after earning 14 letters in football, basketball and track at Horace Mann High School. He is still revered as one of the most complete athletes to play Michigan football, excelling as a rusher, passer and kicker while also contributing on defense. As a junior, Harmon seized national attention after leading the nation with 102 points to earn All-America first team.
During his senior season, Harmon ran for 852 yards and 14 touchdowns to repeat as the national scoring leader. His jersey No. 98 was retired after he won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards as the nation's most outstanding college player. During three seasons in Ann Arbor, Harmon rushed for 2,134 yards and scored 33 touchdowns, including 16 on 1,304 yards passing. He also kicked 33 extra points and two field goals, accounting for a total of 237 career points.
After serving four years as a pilot during World War II, in which he won a Silver Star and the Purple Heart, Harmon emerged as one of the nation's top sports broadcasters and directors, reporting live on major sporting events from the Olympics to the Rose Bowl. In 1954, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and became a charter member of Michigan's Hall of Honor in 1978.
In an essay for www.BigTenIcons.com, former Chicago Tribune sports editor Dan McGrath wrote, "Tom Harmon transcends the overused term 'football hero.' He was a hero in most every sense of the word."
To read the essay on Harmon and learn more about his accomplishments, visit his Big Ten Icons locker at www.BigTenIcons.com.
Harmon is the second Wolverine to be profiled among the top 20 Big Ten Icons following fellow Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson (1995-97), who checked in at No. 20.
The No. 1 Big Ten Icon will be revealed in March 2011 in conjunction with the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. Big Ten Icons counts down the top 50 student-athletes in conference history, based solely on their collegiate playing careers. All student-athletes from current Big Ten schools are eligible for the network's list.
Fans can visit www.BigTenIcons.com to see a complete roster of Big Ten Icons, which also features essays, video and other key facts about each Icon's career.
BIG TEN ICONS COUNTDOWN
No. 20 -- Charles Woodson, Michigan football (1995-97)
No. 19 -- Suzy Favor Hamilton, Wisconsin track and field (1987-91)
No. 18 -- Jack Nicklaus, Ohio State golf (1959-61)
No. 17 -- Steve Alford, Indiana basketball (1983-87)
No. 16 -- John Cappelletti, Penn State football (1971-74)
No. 15 -- Dave Winfield, Minnesota baseball/basketball (1970-73)
No. 14 -- Otto Graham, Northwestern football/basketball/baseball (1940-44)
No. 13 -- Ron Dayne, Wisconsin football (1996-2000)
No. 12 -- John Wooden, Purdue basketball (1930-32)
No. 11 -- Mark Spitz, Indiana swimming (1968-72)
No. 10 -- Isiah Thomas, Indiana basketball (1979-81)
No. 9 -- Rick Mount, Purdue basketball (1967-70)
No. 8 -- Jerry Lucas, Ohio State basketball (1959-62)
No. 7 -- Nile Kinnick, Iowa football/basketball (1937-39)
No. 6 -- Dick Butkus, Illinois football (1962-64)
No. 5 -- Tom Harmon, Michigan football (1938-40)
