The life of the great, Les Horvath

Editor’s note: News-Press columnist Chuck Benedict has been a

Heisman Trophy elector since 1957. In 1990 he was appointed the

director of California voting, and, in 1996, he became director of

the Far West Region, comprising 12 states.

There have been 67 winners of the Heisman Trophy, representing the

annual crowning of the nation’s top college football player, as

elected by 920 voters.

Among the winners after the first year (1935) was a long-time

prominent resident of Glendale, Dr. Leslie Horvath, who was the 10th

Heisman winner (1944).

He had led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national title and became

the first of OSU’s five Heisman winners. He was a single wing

tailback and his signal calling (no plays were sent in from the

sideline) was so astute that coach Carroll Widdoes said Les was “my

coach on the field.”

Horvath had been a high school star in Cleveland and wanted

desperately to play football at Notre Dame. However, at 160 pounds,

he was rejected, judged by the Irish to be too small. However, at

Ohio State he was a big man at that weight, and proved that toughness

often counters the lack of size.

Entering the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, Horvath was a scatback

for two seasons, 1947 and 1948, then finished in 1949 with Cleveland.

In 1950, Dr. Horvath returned to this area to practice dentistry

and chose Glendale as his year-around home. At the same time, he

married Shirley, a sparkling brunette flight attendant. Les was a

happy man. He had a Heisman trophy, was living where he wanted to

live, was a success from the beginning in his dental practice and was

married to one of the loveliest of the lovelies.

Shirley was not a rabid football fan, but an avid Les Horvath fan.

He was a fine golfer and she made the rounds with him at Oakmont,

where he was a low handicap player.

When they opened their home in Glendale, Les put his impressively

sculptured Heisman Trophy on modest display. Shirley looked at the

statue and asked, “What is that?”

Les smiled and replied, in his proud but quiet manner, “It’s the

Heisman Trophy. I got it for being voted the best college player in

the nation for 1944. Only one player a year gets it.”

Shirley accepted his explanation, but didn’t hold it in high

regard very long. She and Les were invited to the home of KIEV Sports

Director Tom Harmon, who had won the eighth Heisman in 1940 while at

Michigan.

Shirley saw Harmon’s copy of the trophy and decided that Tom, too,

must have been great.

Later, the Horvaths were invited to the home of Glenn Davis, the

12th (1946) Heisman winner, who had earned his recognition at West

Point. Shirley looked at it, turned to Les and said,

“Why are you so proud of the Heisman? Everybody has one.”

When Shirley developed a malignancy and passed away after less

than 25 years of marriage, Horvath was devastated. They had no

children, and Shirley was the focus of Les’ life.

In a state of melancholy, Dr. Horvath announced he was closing

his dental practice. He escaped to Hawaii, where he had spent

pleasant days in the Navy.

While in the islands, he met Ruby, a divorcee from Virginia, who

was as quiet as Shirley had been vivacious, although Ruby’s manner

belied an inner enthusiasm for living and loving. At a time when

Horvath needed just that kind of smiling loyalty and insight, Ruby

was there and Les’ melancholy gradually evolved into pleasant

memories.

Les brought Ruby back to Glendale, re-opened his dental practice

and made her his receptionist. They were married in La Crescenta.

Ruby became a student of golf and that supported the binding

between the two.

Before he passed away seven years ago, the publicly shy Dr.

Horvath was talked into a podium appearance, where, in answer to a

post-speech question, he said: “I am a lucky man. I have been married

to the two most wonderful women I ever met.”

Reach Chuck Benedict at 637-3200 (voice mail 974), by fax at

5499191 or by E-mail: BChuckbenedict@aol.com