Vic Gatto, Harvard's 1968 football captain and all-time rushing leader, yesterday became the first Crimson player ever to receive the much-coveted Nils V. Nelson national award for sportsmanship.

The award will be presented to Gatto at the annual dinner of the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston on January 18 at the Sheraton-Plaza in Boston.

Twenty-one football players were nominated this year for the 23rd annual award.

Jack Daly, president of the Gridiron Club said, "Vie was far more than a great player. He was rated highly for his work with disadvantaged children last summer, and players on opposing teams had only the highest praise for him as a sportsman as well as a great halfback."

Good Month

This is at least the fourth great thing that has happened to Gatto in the last four weeks. 27 days ago he caught the final touchdown pass as time expired to help his team to the memorable 29-29 victory over Yale. A few days later he was named the recipient of the Crocker Award as Most Valuable player. A week after that, he got married.

Swede Nelson, for whom the award is named, was a letterman on the Crimson football team in 1919, the year that Harvard went to the Rose Bowl and beat Oregon, 7-6.

In winning this award, Gatto succeeds none other than Yale's Brian Dowling.