[4] Blanchard, nicknamed "Little Doc", attended high school at Saint Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

"[5] Instead, Blanchard chose to play for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, in part because its coach, Jim Tatum, was his mother's cousin.

He was stationed in New Mexico with a chemical-warfare unit until enrolling at West Point in July 1944 in an appointment his father secured.

[5][7] During his three years of playing football at West Point, his team under coach Earl "Red" Blaik compiled an undefeated 27–0–1 record – the tie being a famous 0–0 game[6] against Notre Dame in 1946.

"[8] An all-around athlete, Blanchard served as the placekicker and punter in addition to his primary roles as an offensive fullback and a linebacker on defense.

In his three seasons at West Point Blanchard scored 38 touchdowns, gained 1,908 yards and earned the nickname "Mr.

Also appearing as themselves are 1940 Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and sportscasters Bill Stern and Harry Wismer.

[11][12][13] In addition to football, Blanchard was also a member of the Army track and field team, with a shot put championship and a ten-second 100-yard dash in 1945.

[3] In 1959, while with the 77th Tactical Fighter Squadron and flying back to his base at RAF Wethersfield near London, England, a fuel leak in Major Blanchard's F-100 Super Sabre broke and caught his plane on fire.

[3][7] He retired from the Air Force in 1971 as a colonel,[7][9] then spent several more years as the commandant of cadets at the New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college that prepares students to enter the service academies.

[5] At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Heisman Trophy winner,[10] and is interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

[17] The trophy, awards and jersey were enshrined in the Brother Alexis Memorial Resource Center on the Saint Stanislaus campus until they were briefly lost to flooding during Hurricane Katrina.

[18] Beginning in 2004 the Rotary presents the Doc Blanchard Award as well as the Glenn Davis Award to the two high school football players participating in the U.S. Army All American Bowl who best exemplify the U.S. Army's high standard of excellence in community service, education and athletic distinction.