• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

CB Neal Colzie (All B1G, All-American, OSU HOF, Super Bowl Champion, R.I.P.)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Buckskin86

Buckskin86

Moderator
Neal Colzie
Date of birth: February 28, 1954
Place of birth: Fitzgerald, Florida
Date of death: August 19, 2001
Place of death: Miami, Florida
Career information
Position(s): Cornerback
College: Ohio State
NFL Draft: 1975 / Round: 1 / Pick 24
Organizations
As player:
1975-1978
1979
1980-1983 Oakland Raiders
Miami Dolphins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Cornelius Connie Colzie (born February 28, 1954 in Fitzgerald, Florida; died August 19, 2001 in Miami, Florida) was an American football defensive back for the Oakland Raiders (1975-1978), Miami Dolphins (1979), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1980-1983). He also played for the Orlando Renegades of the USFL in 1985. Before his NFL career, he played for the Ohio State University, where he recorded 15 interceptions and returned 60 punts for 855 yards and 2 touchdowns. At the time, his 15 interceptions ranked him fourth in school history, and his 855 punt return yards were a school record.

A solid, dependable defensive back during his 9 season career, Colzie recorded a total of 25 interceptions, which he returned for 412 yards and a touchdown. He also recovered 5 fumbles, returning them for 42 yards and a touchdown. His best season was in 1981, recording 6 interceptions for 110 yards and a touchdown, along with 1 fumble recovery. Colzie also returned 7 kickoffs for 130 yards in his career.

Colzie also excelled as a punt returner on special teams. In his first NFL season, he recorded 655 punt return yards, the most ever by an NFL rookie. Overall Colzie returned 170 punts for 1,759 yards during his career. One of his more notable performances was in the Raiders 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. Colzie recorded 4 punt returns for a Super Bowl record 43 yards, including a 25-yard return that set up a Raiders touchdown, and a 12-yard return that set up a field goal.

Colzie died on August 19, 2001 in Miami, Florida of a heart attack at the age of 47.
Click to expand...

Neal Colzie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

0520_colzie_sp_05-20-08_C1_1IA8HPB.jpg


Neal Colzie was considered a game-changer during his career at Ohio State. He set a school record for punt return yards in a season in 1973 and set up the go-ahead score against USC in the 1974 Rose Bowl with a 56-yard punt return.

Rob Oller commentary: Shame on OSU Athletic Hall of Fame for not yet giving Colzie his just reward
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
By Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Cornelius Colzie III -- Duke, as they call him -- has the old-man face and receding hairline of his grandfather, Neal Colzie.

Same ability to lower the boom, too. If you hear a baby-voiced "down, set, hut," when 3-year-old Duke is in the room, guard your knees.

"Because he'll knock them off," said Shaun Welch, a friend of the Colzie family who was four months from marrying Neal when the former Ohio State defensive back died of a heart attack in his Florida home on Aug. 19, 2001. He was 48.

Colzie, a first-team All-American with the Buckeyes his senior year in 1974, deserves to be in the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame but has received little consideration through the years. At one point, it appeared little Duke would be a college defensive back before Colzie would even be nominated for the OSU Hall of Fame, but at least now the flamboyant former Buckeye is in the discussion, if not in the hall.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Colzie missed the cut in recent voting by the Varsity "O" board that determines who gets in. Reportedly getting the nod in men's sports were former quarterback Bob Hoying and offensive lineman Jeff Uhlenhake, current baseball coach Bob Todd and former gymnast Drew Durbin. To be considered, an athlete must be out of his sport for five years after his or her graduating class and a coach must have served the school for at least 15 years. A nominee must receive 12 votes from the board that comprises 12 former athletes and four ex-officio committee members, including alumni association president Archie Griffin. The maximum number of nominees per year is 18.

"Do I think Neal Colzie should be in? Absolutely," said Griffin, who spoke on Colzie's behalf to the Varsity "O" board before the vote took place. "He was a terrific player who meant a great deal to our team."
Click to expand...

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Rob Oller commentary: Shame on OSU Athletic Hall of Fame for not yet giving Colzie his just reward
 
Probably the first "modern cornerback" at OSU. He had the speed to break a game open or smother an oppossing receiver. He coud also lay the lumber on a runner or a receiver. Truely one of the most exciting players of his time. You held your breath everytime he got his hands on the ball.
I hope justice is done and soon and that he's in the HoF.
 
Upvote 0
Threads like this emphasize the depth and history of OSU. Growing up in the south and not attending Ohio State until the early '90s, I don't know about all of the great players/people who were not necessarily in the national spotlight. I didn't even know much about Bill Willis until last year.

Colzie sounds like a great one. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
 
Upvote 0
I just wonder if some of the guys who are doing the voting are holding one play that Neal made in the Rose Bowl against USC. He had just intercepted a ball and would have put the Buckeyes in great field position but in the exuberance of the play when he got up he threw the ball way over the sidelines and that one play might have cost Ohio State that Rose Bowl. I will never forget that one play but make no mistake about it he was a great CB and punt returner. He was a tremendous football player!
 
Upvote 0
ATH: Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Announced
Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Release: 06/23/2009

WMZXVSHGVBPSDEI.20090623192506.jpg


COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Twelve members will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame the weekend of Sept. 25-26, the Men?s Varsity O Alumni Association and the Women?s Varsity O Alumnae Society announced Tuesday. The class will be officially inducted in two separate ceremonies Sept. 25 and introduced to the public at halftime of the Ohio State home football game against Illinois Sept. 26.

The 2009 class includes: Men - Neal Colzie (football), Robert Gary (cross country/track and field), Bob Hopper (swimming), Andy Katzenmoyer (football), Dick LeBeau (football), Michael Redd (basketball) and Pandel Savic (football); Women - Kaja Fiserova (rowing), Allison Hanna (golf), Vanessa Immordino (field hockey), Emma Laaksonen (ice hockey) and Jim Montrella (swimming coach).

2009 Inductee Bios
Neal Colzie
Football 1972-74
An All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, Neal Colzie is in the Buckeye Top 10 for interceptions in a season and career, interception yards in a game, interception returns for a touchdown in a season and career, career punt return yards, punt returns in a game, season and career, and punt returns for touchdowns in a season and career. Colzie remains the record holder for punt return yards in a game (170) and season (679), both set in 1973. Drafted in the first round of the 1975 NFL draft, Colzie went on to a nine-season pro career in which he played for the Raiders, Dolphins and Buccaneers. In his first season, he recorded 655 punt return yards, an NHL rookie record. He won Super Bowl XI with the Raiders, with four punt returns for a Super Bowl record of 43 yards, including a 25-yard return to set up a Raiders touchdown and a 12-yard return that set up a field goal. Colzie passed away in 2001.
Click to expand...


ATH: Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Announced - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com
 
Upvote 0


7. NEAL COLZIE, 1974
After starting for the previous two years, Neal Colzie's senior season was ahead of its time. The star cornerback averaged two interceptions for every three games played, giving him the second-best chaos factor of any cornerback in Ohio State history.

Colzie was selected to Ohio State's All-Century team in 2000 and is near the top in many of Ohio State's punt return records.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top