Heisman Winner
Clinton Frank
HB | Senior | Yale University
Frank joined his former teammate Larry Kelley as Yale’s second Heisman winner, marking the first of three times that a school would win the trophy in back-to-back seasons.
Though born in St. Louis, Frank attended Evanston Township High in Evanston, Ill., where he obtained notoriety as a superb football player. However, he had a shoulder surgery as a senior that kept him off the field until his sophomore season at Yale.
Frank was the Bulldogs’ No. 1 hero for three years, along with Larry Kelley, and was “The best back Yale ever had,” according to veteran coach Earl “Greasy” Neale. Twice all-American and Yale’s captain, he gained a mile and a quarter on the gridiron for the team in rushing and passing. As a ball carrier, his power and 10-second 100-yard dash speed combined to make him a constant threat.
As a senior, Frank rushed for 667 yards, passed for 489 yards and five touchdowns, caught one pass for six yards, intercepted four passes for 70 yards, returned five punts for 28 yards and four kickoffs for 81 yards. He scored 11 touchdowns total.
He left Yale with 1,244 career rushing yards, 937 passing yards, five receptions, a remarkable 11 interceptions and 20 touchdowns.
Armed with a degree in economics, Frank bypassed professional football and instead tackled the expanding field of advertising, joining Blackett-Sample-Hummert in Chicago. He then served for five years in the Air Force under General Doolittle fighting in bomber groups in Italy, Africa and England. In 1949, he formed his own advertising agency, which was later sold in 1976 to Interpublic in New York. Clint became Chairman of Bridlewood Corporation, a private holding corporation in Chicago, and was Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brain Research Foundation of Chicago and Trustee of the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Boston.
He was the National Football Hall of Fame’s 1988 Gold Medal Recipient. He was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1955.
Frank passed away in July of 1992.
