Washington Huskies: 30 greatest football players of all-time

Another Huskies legend from Bremerton, Washington, Don Heinrich was a part of the legendary backfield that included guys like Hugh McElhenny and Roland Kirby back in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Heinrich was the quarterback of those teams and is regarded as one of the better quarterbacks in program history.

Heinrich played for the Huskies from 1949 to 1952, though he had to sit out the 1951 season due to a separated shoulder. In 1950, he led the Huskies to an incredible 8-2 record, as he was named an Associated Press All-American. He set the NCAA record for completed passes that year, racking up 134, a number he would break in 1952.

For his career, Heinrich passed for almost 4,400 yards and connected on 33 touchdown passes. While those numbers do not jump off the page in today’s game, those were big-time numbers back then. His ability to pass the ball is a big reason for the team’s success.

Heinrich would go on to play in the NFL for seven seasons, as he split his time between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. In 1952, he finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. In addition, he is rightfully a member of the Husky Hall of Fame and is one of the best players in school history.