Leon Hart

Leon Joseph Hart (November 2, 1928 – September 24, 2002) was an American football player. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, winning the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award in 1949. He also received All-American honors in three consecutive years from 1947 to 1949. In his four years at Notre Dame, he helped the team to a 36–0–2 record with national championships in 1946, 1947, and 1949. He also played professional football for eight seasons, from 1950 to 1957, with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).

Hart is the only lineman to win three college football national championships and three NFL championships. He is the most recent of only two linemen ever to win the Heisman Trophy. Also, he is one of five players, along with Angelo Bertelli, Cam Newton, Joe Burrow and Fernando Mendoza to win the Heisman Trophy, a national championship, and be the first overall pick in the NFL draft all in the same one-year span.

Hart was a pioneer for NFL player benefits, risking his pro career and initiating union talks targeting support for a reasonable standard of living for all players during the 1954 season, well before the eventual formulation of the NFLPA. He also spearheaded an initiative for the inclusion of players who retired prior to the 1959 season in the NFL pension plan.