Alan Ameche (/əˈmiːtʃi/; June 1, 1933 – August 8, 1988), nicknamed "the Iron Horse", or simply "the Horse", was an American football fullback who played for six seasons with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and won the Heisman Trophy during his senior season in 1954.

Ameche was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as Lino Dante Amici to Italian immigrant parents who came to the United States in the late 1920s, although they returned for a year to Italy during his childhood.

[4] Ameche earned unanimous All-America honors at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he played linebacker as well as fullback in single-platoon days.

[5][6][7] Ameche is one of six Wisconsin football players to have a number retired by the program (35) and enshrined on the Camp Randall Stadium façade as of 2008: fellow Heisman winner and current career rushing record holder Ron Dayne (33), Elroy Hirsch (40), Dave Schreiner (80), Allan Schafer (83), and Pat Richter (88) are the others.

Ameche was the third overall selection of the 1955 NFL draft and played fullback for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 until 1960.

[14][15] Ameche's had five locations, all located in Baltimore or its suburbs: The restaurants were known for "no charge" carry out service, signature "Powerhouse" hamburgers[16] ("A banquet on a bun"), akin to today's Big Mac or Whopper sandwiches, and "Cheerleader" sandwiches (hot ham and Swiss cheese with mustard) and their onion rings.

The company trademark was a Big Boy-like football player (#35) running through the uprights carrying a hamburger.[who?]