Ralph Heywood

Ralph Alvin Heywood (September 11, 1921 – April 10, 2007) was an American professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL) and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He played college football for the USC Trojans, earning consensus All-American in 1943. Heywood, along with Harry Marker, are the only NFL players to serve in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised during the Great Depression, Heywood received a football scholarship to attend college at the University of Southern California (USC). Despite having football scholarship, he took a job as a busboy at a sorority house, while attending USC. As two-way end, he was a captain on the 1943 USC team that finished with an 8–2 record. He was unable to play in USC's a 29–0 win over Washington in the Rose Bowl, due to being drafted into the United States Marine Corps and sent to the South Pacific Ocean to serve on the . In his absence he was awarded an All-America honors as an end and punter in 1943, despite playing in only 5 games that season. Heywood initially enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 to fight in World War II. He entered the V-12 program, which was initiated to meet the increased need for Navy and Marine Corps officers, allowed him to stay in school while learning the military basics. The program allowed officer candidates to attend civilian schools while in an enlisted status in the Navy or Marine Corps. However, he was shipped off to the USS Iowa, before he had a chance to graduate. In prior years, he led the Trojans in receiving yards in 1942 and 1943, and had the school's first-ever 100-yard receiving game when he gained 101 yards on 4 receptions versus St. Mary's Pre-Flight in 1943. He also led USC in punting in 1941 and 1942. On August 9, 2004, Heywood made an appearance, when he delivered the game ball at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, between the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos.