Education
Heisler grew up in Ohio and attended Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio.
Heisler grew up in Ohio and attended Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio.
Heisler played for Brown when Brown was head coach at Massillon Washington High School before attending Miami University, where he was a standout as a guard. After graduating, he went back to Massillon to serve as an assistant under Brown. Heisler followed Brown to Ohio State University in 1941 when Brown became head coach there, but left the following year for a stint in the United States. Navy during World World War World War II After the war, Brown was named head coach of the Browns and hired Heisler as an assistant.
He retired from coaching in 1971 but remained a scout for the Browns until 1976.
He died in 1982 during surgery in Cleveland. Heisler was inducted into Miami"s athletics hall of fame in 2006.
He tried out for the school"s football team in 1932 despite weighing only 135 pounds – undersized for a football player. He made the team under head coach Paul Brown, however, and was a regular starting in 1933, the first of a series of strong seasons.
After graduating from Massillon, Heisler enrolled at Miami University in his home state.
After college, Heisler came back to Massillon as an assistant to Brown. When Brown became the head coach at Ohio State University, Heisler went with him, coaching the freshman football team in 1941. He then enlisted in the United States. Navy during World World War II, and coached a V-5 team at Depauw University in 1943.
When the war ended, Brown was hired to coach the Cleveland Browns, a team under formation in the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Brown brought Heisler onto his staff as a guard coach, tutoring linemen on both offense and defense. After the AAFC dissolved, the Browns moved to the more established National Football League starting in 1950.
Heisler transitioned from coaching on offense and defense to working primarily with the team"s offensive line in the 1950s. He stayed on after Brown was fired in 1963, and remained Cleveland"s top offensive line coach until retiring in 1971.
After serving as a scout for the team for another five years, he left football for good in 1976.
Heisler retired to Aurora, Ohio. He suffered a stroke in 1977 that limited him physically, and he died five years later at the Cleveland Clinic during brain surgery. Heisler was inducted into Miami University"s athletics hall of fame in 2006.