In 1912, Ballin played as a substitute tackle on Princeton's varsity football team. It was as a junior in 1913 that Ballin became a star. Playing at the right tackle position, Ballin was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1913. He was selected as a first-team All-American by, among others, Walter Camp in "Collier's Weekly", University of Michigan Coach Fielding H. Yost, football historian Parke H. Davis, sports writer Tom Thorp, and the "Trenton Evening-Times". In announcing his All-American team, Tom Thorp described Ballin's contributions as follows: