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2021 Countdown Thread - Honoring Bill Willis

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DaddyBigBucks said:
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2x All Big Ten
2x All American
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
2x Big Ten OL of the Year (an award that is now named for him)
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
Big Ten MVP (Chicago Tribune Silver Football)
Outland Trophy
2x Lombardi Award - Only Sophomore to win it
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
NFL Hall of Fame

Orlando Pace
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Hey, seems like that guy was pretty good, no?
 
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2x All Big Ten
All American
Captain

Pete Cusick
It was said on the radio at the time that he was the first Buckeye to train by lifting weights. I don't know how much stock we can put in those radio reports; what I know with certainty is that he was the reason that I started lifting weights at the age of 10.

The victory in the 1972 edition of The Game can be credited to Pete Cusick as much as to any man living. Pete's absolute ownership of the middle of the line of scrimmage affected play calls as much as plays. He was the cornerstone of the goal line stands that won that game.

He doesn't make every play in this montage, but his fingerprints are on every one of them.

 
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Captain
William Roberts

While William (better known as Bill while at OSU) won no post season honors at Ohio State, the New York Giants selected him in the first round of the NFL draft and he vindicated that selection with a fine career. He is a great example of Buckeyes who deserve to be remembered even though the sports writers of the day didn't appreciate their contribution at the time.


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2x All Big Ten
Captain
Team MVP
George Hasenohrl

Today is another big day for the goal line stands of the 1972 edition of The Game. While I gave the lion's share of the credit for that to Pete Cusick yesterday, such things don't happen unless both of your tackles (4-3 defense) are bad asses. While my opinion has always been that Pete was better than George by the end of the 1972 season, it should be remembered that George was All Big Ten and Team MVP in 1972, Pete wasn't All Big Ten until the following year (in which he was also All American). Pete was never Team MVP; some little guy named Archie took that honor in 1973.

As for that 1972 game vs TTUN, here is a picture of George (screen cap from VHS) about to make the final tackle in his final game in Ohio Stadium.
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DaddyBigBucks said:
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All Big Ten
All American
National Champion

Rufus Mayes

Rufus was notable for having worn a different number in each of the 3 years in which he was a starter. He wore 73 as a starter in 1968, the year in which he won the above accolades.
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Ah, Rufus. Cold February morning, stadium parking lot filled with snow and slush, trudging through the gloom to a classroom deep in the bowels of Dental School, Phys Ed 546, Teaching Football.

Woody warned us on day 1 that those who wanted As would be in the first three rows and would be ready - notebook open, pen/pencil in hand, looking to the front of the classroom before the 08:00 bell.

7:59.50 am, Rufus rushes in, notes all the seats in the front rows are taken, we hear a chair squeak, hear someone being grabbed, Mike Polaskie, a small DB, shouts, "Hey, you can't do that!" as Rufus bench presses him out of his seat and puts him in a chair in row 4 and then sits in Polaski's former spot.

7:59.58, Hayes enters, the bell goes off, the door is locked, and Coach says, "Something wrong, Mike?"
"No, Coach."

Hayes begins writing on the board and I can hear Rufus behind me, snickering.
 
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cincibuck said:
Ah, Rufus. Cold February morning, 7:59.50 am, stadium parinking lot filled with snow and slush, trudging through the gloom to a classroom deep in the bowels of Dental School, Phys Ed 546, Teaching Football. Woody warned us on day 1 that those who wanted As would be in the first three rows and would be ready - notebook open, pen/pencil in hand, looking to the front of the classroom before the bell. Rufus rushes in, notes all the seats in the front rows are taken, we hear a chair squeak, hear someone being grabbed, Mike Polaskie, a small DB, shouts, "Hey, you can't do that!" as Rufus bench presses him out of his seat and puts him in a chair in row 4 and then sits in Polaski's former spot. 7:59.58, Hayes enters, the bell goes off, the door is locked, and Coach says, "Something wrong, Mike?"
"No, Coach."
Hayes begins writing on the board and I can hear Rufus behind me, snickering.
Click to expand...

Don M Polaski (went by his middle name, Mike) wore number 15
This is the first time he's been mentioned in a countdown thread
He does have a thread of his own
 
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2x All Big Ten
2x All American
Lombardi Award (first one ever awarded - 1970)
Outland Trophy
Team MVP
Captain
National Champion
College Football Hall of Fame

James R Stillwagon
RIP

I do not remember what weight he played at during his days in Scarlet and Gray, but the Toronto Argonauts listed him at 6'0" 239 lbs when he played DT for them. Imagine trying to play Middle Guard in today's college football at < 240 lbs.
 
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