Posted on 03/29/2019 9:26:39 AM PDT by EveningStar
Navy football lost one of its legends Thursday when Joe Bellino died in his home state of Massachusetts at the age of 81. Bellino, the 1960 Heisman Trophy winner as a standout halfback for the Midshipmen, had been in failing health for some time.
Bellino was nicknamed the “Winchester Rifle” – a reference to his hometown and high school as well as his explosive running style. He was described by one newspaper reporter as “the player who was never caught from behind.”
He starred at Navy from 1958-1960 under head coach Wayne Hardin, rushing for 1,664 yards on 330 carries and scoring 31 touchdowns during his three-year career. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound speedster was also a dangerous return man and amassed 577 yards on kickoffs and 256 yards on punts...
A unanimous All-America selection, he was awarded the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Trophy in 1960. It was an era when football players went both ways and Bellino was also an outstanding defensive back, recording an end zone interception to preserve Navy’s narrow victory over Army that year.
Bellino was the first of two Heisman Trophy winners at Navy, preceding quarterback Roger Staubach by three years...
(Excerpt) Read more at capitalgazette.com ...
Amazing athlete. Kind of the Johnny Football of his time.
The guy was my hero. I could not believe his massive calf muscles; what a hard-hitting stud of a fullback.
Drunken stunts, debauchery, and fights with girlfriends?
LOL, back then that term meant something different.
No, not quite
...I’m not sure if there are any highlights of the Army Navy they reference. I remember watching it as a little boy.
Amazing. The following days while playing football with friends, I pretended to be Joe Bellino...
I remember him too and yes the thing he was really known for were those big calves.
I just noticed today Johnny and his marathon cheatin’ wife broke up.
Youtube had a bunch of hits for "army navy 1959".
BEAT ARMY
RIP Sailor. Fair winds and following seas.
Back in the days when a Heisman winner didn’t automatically turn pro and play in the NFL. In his case, that was partly because he had a required hitch with the Navy upon graduation (as did Staubach) and because he had more profitable things to do with his time than play professional football.
No Captain Bellino was a stand-up guy, not some smuck.
Bellino did play briefly in the American Football League with the Boston Patriots, parts of three seasons (1965-67).
Back then the NFL wasn’t necessarily big money either.
A lot of players used to have real jobs in the off season.
Lou “the toe” Groza of the Browns had an insurance agency, and it wasn’t just his name on the front, my dad actually bought policies from Lou.
Now of course the NFL min wage is nearly a half mil.
I remember watching Joe Bellino. Must have been the Army Navy game 1959.
Neck muscle was pretty good also
Amazing with calves like that that he was so fast
RIP.
Condolences to family and friends of Joe Bellino.
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