Greatest Buckeye Linebacker

[LordJeffBuck]

Probably the hardest choice of all the polls, because all of these players were so great:

Tom Cousineau: All American (1977, 1978); #1 selection in 1979 NFL draft
Randy Gradishar: All American (1972, 1973); Academic All American (1973)
A.J. Hawk: All American (2004, 2005); Lombardi Award (2005); national championship (2002)
Andy Katzenmoyer: All American (1997); Butkus Award (1997)
James Laurinaitis: All American (2006, 2007, 2008); Nagurski Award (2006); Butkus Award (2007); Lott Award (2008)
Chris Spielman: All American (1986, 1987); Lombardi Award (1987)

 

[sepia5]

Don't you dare make me pick.

 

[matcar]

Cous. Tackling machine.

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

Randy Gradishar.

I've always thought it would take an extremely extraordinary player here to convince me that he was better than Randy. We've had some extraordinary ones since (Cooz, Chris, and Marek) but NONE have achieved the "extremely" like Randy did.

For one, dude was HUGE. Most people don't realize that Gradishar was damn near as big as the guys on the line in front of him. 6'3" and about 238, he had lineman size and safety speed. He coud smash you in the mouth head on, and also could run you down from sideline to sideline, better than anyone we've ever had here.

On top of that, as a little kid I always hated my name I was the only "Randy" I knew. Starting when I was 10, if someone asked me my name, I'd always reply "Randy, just like Gradishar."

Peace

 

[JXC]

He probably won't get nearly as many votes as he should, but Laurinaitis was a complete stud from the time he stepped on the field. Even though he got a lot of hype, I still think he was very underrated. The fact that he never won the Lombardi is a laugher.

 

[MD Buckeye]

 

[TooTall]

AJ Hawk. Biased opinion, being from Dayton.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Gradishar

Not really that hard a choice for me. Played faster than everybody else on the best defense Ohio State ever had.

 

[cincibuck]

Gradishar

Not really that hard a choice for me. Played faster than everybody else on the best defense Ohio State ever had.

Double that.

 

[MaxBuck]

Voted Gradishar, but I'm not sure Marcus Marek wasn't the best collegiate LB ever to play here.

 

[LitlBuck]

Just looked at the thread title and thought Gradishar

 

[Buckeneye]

I went on a limb and said Animal...

He started behind one good Dline his entire career (save for being inserted in The Game in 05) and was still a ball hound.

Not fast or overly athletic. Instinctive and tough. Buckeye.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Spiels was my favorite.

Gradishar was the best.

No offense to the younger guys but Hawk and JL aren't in his zip code.

 

[buckeyeintn]

Gradishar

Not really that hard a choice for me. Played faster than everybody else on the best defense Ohio State ever had.

QFT

 

[buclife]

Not really my favorite or best to me, but Thomas Johnson had a nice career.