Photo courtesy of the College Football Hall of Fame Vic Janowicz was one of the most highly recruited athletes in Ohio State history.

COLUMBUS -- Vic Janowicz played his final season of high school football in 1947, and the state of Ohio hasn't seen anything like him since.

Janowicz could run, pass, hit on defense and kick the ball better than any schoolboy in the state. Playing at Elyria High School, Janowicz spearheaded his team's run to a Lake Erie League championship by scoring 101 points and earning All-Ohio and All-America honors. He also excelled in basketball and baseball (the latter well enough to eventually play for the Pittsburgh Pirates) while drawing scouts from coast to coast.

Naturally, a recruiting war ensued that included offers from 61 colleges. When the smoke finally cleared, and thanks largely to the efforts of Columbus businessman John Galbreath, Janowicz signed with Ohio State.

It was a historic moment.

"Vic excelled in every phase of the game," said Wes Fesler, who coached Janowicz during his first three years at Ohio State. "He not only was a great runner, passer and blocker, he also did all of our kicking, including punting, field goals, quick kicks, kickoffs and extra points.

"He was one of the finest, most versatile athletes I have ever seen."

Even so, it took Fesler two years to figure out how best to unleash his star. Freshmen were ineligible in 1948, and Janowicz played mostly safety on defense in 1949. He did run 30 times for 121 yards (4.0 avg.), caught a pass for a 24-yard TD and punted four times with a 34.8 average. Injured in the third game against USC, Janowicz missed four contests, but returned in time to help the Bucks tie Michigan, earn a share of the Big Ten title, collect the school's first Rose Bowl victory, a 17-14 win over California, and finish sixth in the final AP poll.

He gave a peek of his future in Pasadena. Trailing 7-0, Janowicz pilfered a key interception to stop a Bears' drive and his 45-yard return to set up the Buckeyes first score. The play turned the game's momentum for good and Fesler described the sophomore's play at the Rose Bowl as "brilliant."

It would be an omen of things to come. In 1950, Fesler moved his 5-foot-9, 186-pound junior to left halfback and quarterback in the single-wing offense. The results were dramatic.

"I can't imagine Ohio State ever having a more versatile player," said former Ohio State sports information director Marv Homan.

Although the Buckeyes lost their season-opener to SMU, Janowicz's inspired play led to an exciting six-game winning streak and vaulted OSU to No. 1 in the national poll. He showed his skills as a passer against Pittsburgh, completing six-of-six passes for 151 yards and four TDs.

His most incredible day came against Iowa on Oct. 28 before 82,174 fans at Ohio Stadium.

In the first five minutes alone, Janowicz blasted two kickoffs into the end zone, recovered two Iowa fumbles, scored on an 11-yard TD run, fired a 12-yard TD pass, returned a punt 61 yards for a score and kicked three PATs. The day ended with Janowicz completing five of six passes for 133 yards and four TDs. He also booted 10 of 11 PATs, still a conference record, and averaged 42 yards on a pair of punts. Fesler yanked him early in the third period after OSU opened a 55-14 bulge at intermission.

"Vic had to be one of the finest athletes ever to play at Ohio State," said teammate Walt Klevay.

Late in the season, No. 1-ranked Ohio State suffered seven turnovers and was upset at Illinois, but still had a chance to salvage the conference crown when Michigan arrived on Nov. 25. Unfortunately, so did the worst blizzard in more than three decades, which turned the game into the infamous Snow Bowl.

Michigan pocketed a 9-3 win without registering a first down in the legendary contest. Janowicz punted 21 times for 685 yards (32.6 yards) in the howling wind, and nailed an incredible 38-yard field goal, one of the greatest feats in school history, to stake the Bucks to a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes.

"I could see the goal posts, but not the stands behind," Janowicz said later. "Conditions weren't so bad in the first half. If it had been in the second half, it would've been impossible."

Michigan blocked a pair of punts into the end zone, one for a safety and recovered the other for a TD, to reach the Rose Bowl. It was a disappointing moment, but only seemed to heighten the aura surrounding Janowicz.

He completed the season by leading the Big Ten in scoring and total offense. Overall he scored 65 points, booted 26 PATs, three field goals and handled the punting chores. Janowicz completed 32-of-77 passes for 561 yards and 12 TDs and ran for 314 yards and four more scores. He also was a top defensive player at safety, and saw action in 277.5 minutes while competing in all nine games.

The 20-year-old junior won the Heisman decisively with 633 votes, compared with 280 for runner-up Kyle Rote of SMU.

Unfortunately for him, the Snow Bowl loss led to Fesler's resignation. Woody Hayes was hired, and although he would eventually lead OSU to unparalleled success, the former Miami of Ohio coach was unable to mold his system to fit Janowicz that first season.

Hayes switched the Buckeyes' offense from the single wing, which featured Janowicz, to the T formation. Janowicz became the halfback, which effectively took the ball out of his hands, a rather bizarre move in retrospect.

In 1951, Janowicz gained 376 yards rushing and completed just 7 of 25 passes for 74 yards and two TDs. He had 14 PATs and three field goals, and averaged 39.4 yards on 62 punts. The Buckeyes went 4-3-2 after being ranked seventh to start the season. It was a disappointing campaign for everyone, and a dour end to a remarkable career for Janowicz.

Numbers don't tell the complete impact he had in all phases of the game. He played in 26 contests, ran for 982 yards and eight TDs, and threw for 635 yards and 14 TDs. He punted 120 times with a career average just under 38 yards per boot, and kicked six field goals, two of which won games against Pitt and Northwestern in 1951.

"He was not only a great runner but also passed, was a place kicker and punter, played safety, and was an outstanding blocker," Hayes said.

Janowicz won MVP honors at the 1952 Hula Bowl, then served a year in the military before signing a baseball contract with the Pirates in 1953. In two years as a catcher and third baseman in Pittsburgh, he compiled a .214 batting average. That rugged showing prompted him to try football again.

Janowicz joined the Washington Redskins in 1954, and lost the NFL scoring title on the final day of the 1955 season, finishing second (with 88 points) to Doak Walker. A near fatal car accident the following fall left Janowicz in a coma for 30 days and resulted in a brain injury. That incident effectively ended his football career.

As an NFL player, Janowicz had 410 yards on 99 carries and scored four touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns. Janowicz booted 10 field goals and 37 extra points.

He went on to become an administrative assistant to the state auditor, and in 1991 was voted the greatest OSU athlete in the past 50 years. Janowicz was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

He died in February 1996, just two months after Eddie George won Ohio State's sixth Heisman trophy.

Contact Phillips by e-mail at lbphillips@nncogannett.com or call (419) 521-7238.