He was selected by the Football Writers Association of America as the halfback for its all-time team for the first 50 years of the sport.

Heston reportedly had two near-death experiences while living in Iowa, the first after contracting "whooping cough" and the second when he fell into the Raccoon River and had to be rescued by his sister.

[2] As a teenager, he worked digging a ditch to supply water to a mine and chopping down and selling firewood.

Heston attended Grants Pass High School starting in 1895, and it was there that his athletic ability as a runner was discovered.

"[4] San Jose's 1899 football team, with Heston as the captain, lost only one game, that being against the University of California.

During the 1900 season, San Jose was undefeated and played Chico State Normal School to a 6-6 tie in the championship game.

Heston initially declined, but subsequently agreed and joined Yost at the University of Michigan in late summer of 1901.

In a 1903 game against the Chicago Maroons, the Michigan team gained 267 yards rushing, and Heston accounted for 237 of them.

While sitting on the bench, he noticed that Albion's quarterback made long lateral passes to the backs.

[8] In the inaugural Rose Bowl game played on January 1, 1902, Heston rushed for 170 yards on 18 carries,[5] as Michigan defeated Stanford 49–0.

In a letter to Grantland Rice in 1925, Fielding H. Yost claimed that Heston had scored 106 touchdowns at Michigan.

[16][17][18] Although several sources cite Heston as the first player from outside the Ivy League to be picked as a first-team All-American, Clarence Herschberger of Chicago and William Cunningham of Michigan were the first, receiving the honor in 1898 from Camp and Caspar Whitney respectively.

Fielding Yost observed that "Heston could run full speed at a brick wall and, just before crashing into it, pivot and proceed alongside it with no diminishing of acceleration.

"[20] Heston developed a reputation as a "hard, crunching runner who smashed through opposition when he couldn't outspeed his rivals.

"[14] In 1929, a newspaper reporter recalled Heston's running style as follows: A strong arm helped Willie Sr., to move 'em.

"[7] Though known primarily for his running and scoring, Fielding Yost said of Heston: "He was one of the greatest defensive backs, one of the hardest, surest tacklers that ever lived.

[19] Heston's charging ability and open-field running have also been credited with leading to the origin of the "seven man line and a diamond on defense.

"[19] Minnesota's College Football Hall of Fame coaching staff of Henry L. Williams and Pudge Heffelfinger devised the strategy in 1903 to stop Heston.

[19] In 1943, NEA sports editor Harry Grayson credited Heston as the impetus for "a turning point from old style football to the modern game.

"[14] In late 1904 or 1905, Heston reportedly sought to establish a bidding contest for his services among the professional football teams.

[23] The Canton Bulldogs offered him $500 a game in August 1905,[24] but Heston instead accepted a coaching position at Drake University for the 1905 season.

[26] He next organized a team called "Willie Heston's All-Stars" to play a game against the Massillon Tigers at Chicago's Comiskey Park on Thanksgiving Day 1906.

Early in the game, Heston broke a bone in his leg, ending his professional football career.

[27] Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa for one season, in 1905, compiling a record of 4–4.

His Drake team lost to Michigan, 48–0, but responded the following week with a "Point-a-Minute" win against Simpson College by a score of 75–0.

His first wife died Lydia Frances Sisson, and he was married in 1956 at age 77 to the former Sarah E. Williams of Bay City, Michigan.

A short time before his death at age 85, Heston told a reporter, "I don't run the half mile any more and I've quit going to dances, but I smoke seven cigars a day and I'm having a lot of fun loafing and living.

[29] The pallbearers at Heston's funeral were former Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans Ernie Vick, Jack Blott, Bennie Oosterbaan, Francis Wistert, Harry Newman and Otto Pommerening.

Since those days many wonderful backs have flashed on the gridiron, including Red Grange and my own Four Horsemen of 1924, and my choice is still Heston.

He hurled his compact, marvelous body into the most powerful human walls that were ever produced -- and split them asunder.