Thursday, June 5, 2025

Question: Which college football star was nicknamed after the character Hopalong Cassidy?

Answer: Columbus native Howard “Hopalong” Cassady earned his nickname as a tailback at Ohio State, where he won the Heisman Trophy and helped lead the Buckeyes to Woody Hayes’ first national championship.

Cassady received the nickname “Hopalong” from Columbus sportswriters after scoring three touchdowns in his first game, with reporters writing he “hopped all over the field like the performing cowboy.”