jcollingsworth
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Making the List: Ohio State’s Untouchable Two
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Last week we addressed that it was football season, thus being appropriate to choose a football great for Making The List. But in the labor of locating that first name of football greatness the conclusion was simple – How in the world could you choose a Player over the Teacher? So clearly Woody Hayes had to be our first choice – especially pertaining to any mention of Football at The Ohio State University.
Now comes the moment of choosing a player. In your mind when you think of all the great football players that have battled in Ohio Stadium throughout the years’ what is the first name that comes to mind? There are many names that surface through this process – from different eras – the 40’s, the 50’s, the 60’s, the 70’s …
The 70’s? This brings me to a pause. Perhaps the greatest player to ever play for the Ohio State University was in fact Archie Griffin.
Archie was born and raised in Columbus in the shadows of The Ohio State University. He attended Eastmoor High School, called Tank, where he ran crazy setting City and State records. So when he chose to attend The Ohio State University it seemed perfect.
And it was!
The great Woody Hayes would say of Archie: “He’s a better young man than he is a football player and he’s the best football player I’ve ever seen.”
Archie would start as a freshman the very first year that freshmen could according to the NCAA rules. His first game in The Shoe as a freshman he would set a School rushing record with 239 yards against North Carolina. This was a record held for 27 years.
His sophomore year he would break his own record – running for 246 yards against Iowa. His sophomore year would end with him being voted 5th for the Heisman Trophy.
Archie would rush for over 100 yards in 34 games throughout his four years at The Ohio State University. This includes an NCAA record of 31 consecutive games.
The end of this brilliant career would amass 5, 589 yards in 924 carries. The Buckeyes in the journey of Griffin’s career with them would go 40-5-1. The team would win 4 Big 10 Conference Titles. Archie, too, would be the 1st player ever to start in 4 Rose Bowls.
Archie Griffin would be the only player ever in history to win two Heisman Trophies – 1974 -75.
In addition to his two Heisman Trophies, Griffin won many other College Awards. He is one of two players to win The Big 10 Most Valuable Player Award twice (1973–1974). He would be named the UPI Player of the Year twice (1974–1975), the Walter Camp Foundation named him top player twice (1974–1975), he won the Maxwell Award (1975), and Sporting News named him Man of the Year (1975).
He’d be enshrined at The College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. Ohio State enshrined him at the Varsity “O” Hall of Fame in 1981 and officially retired his number, #45, in 1999. He’d also be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2007, he was ranked #21 on ESPN’s Top 25 Players in College Football History. And in 2014 Archie Griffin was named the All-Century Player of the Rose Bowl Game during the celebration of the 100th Rose Bowl Game.
Do I need to add more?
Griffin is currently the President and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association. He has also served as Assistant Athletic Director for The Ohio State University and is an influence to this day, as he speaks to players before every game.
There have been many great football players in the history of The Ohio State University Football Program. We will undoubtedly get to them as the season carries on. As my intent is to focus on these players as football dominates our minds and hearts. But, unquestionably, the first football player to Make The List has to be our very own piece of history that looks to be untouchable, and certainly unbreakable – and that is the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy – Archie Mason Griffin #45.
The post Making the List: Ohio State’s Untouchable Two appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Last week we addressed that it was football season, thus being appropriate to choose a football great for Making The List. But in the labor of locating that first name of football greatness the conclusion was simple – How in the world could you choose a Player over the Teacher? So clearly Woody Hayes had to be our first choice – especially pertaining to any mention of Football at The Ohio State University.
Now comes the moment of choosing a player. In your mind when you think of all the great football players that have battled in Ohio Stadium throughout the years’ what is the first name that comes to mind? There are many names that surface through this process – from different eras – the 40’s, the 50’s, the 60’s, the 70’s …
The 70’s? This brings me to a pause. Perhaps the greatest player to ever play for the Ohio State University was in fact Archie Griffin.
Archie was born and raised in Columbus in the shadows of The Ohio State University. He attended Eastmoor High School, called Tank, where he ran crazy setting City and State records. So when he chose to attend The Ohio State University it seemed perfect.
And it was!
The great Woody Hayes would say of Archie: “He’s a better young man than he is a football player and he’s the best football player I’ve ever seen.”
Archie would start as a freshman the very first year that freshmen could according to the NCAA rules. His first game in The Shoe as a freshman he would set a School rushing record with 239 yards against North Carolina. This was a record held for 27 years.
His sophomore year he would break his own record – running for 246 yards against Iowa. His sophomore year would end with him being voted 5th for the Heisman Trophy.
Archie would rush for over 100 yards in 34 games throughout his four years at The Ohio State University. This includes an NCAA record of 31 consecutive games.
The end of this brilliant career would amass 5, 589 yards in 924 carries. The Buckeyes in the journey of Griffin’s career with them would go 40-5-1. The team would win 4 Big 10 Conference Titles. Archie, too, would be the 1st player ever to start in 4 Rose Bowls.
Archie Griffin would be the only player ever in history to win two Heisman Trophies – 1974 -75.
In addition to his two Heisman Trophies, Griffin won many other College Awards. He is one of two players to win The Big 10 Most Valuable Player Award twice (1973–1974). He would be named the UPI Player of the Year twice (1974–1975), the Walter Camp Foundation named him top player twice (1974–1975), he won the Maxwell Award (1975), and Sporting News named him Man of the Year (1975).
He’d be enshrined at The College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. Ohio State enshrined him at the Varsity “O” Hall of Fame in 1981 and officially retired his number, #45, in 1999. He’d also be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2007, he was ranked #21 on ESPN’s Top 25 Players in College Football History. And in 2014 Archie Griffin was named the All-Century Player of the Rose Bowl Game during the celebration of the 100th Rose Bowl Game.
Do I need to add more?
Griffin is currently the President and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association. He has also served as Assistant Athletic Director for The Ohio State University and is an influence to this day, as he speaks to players before every game.
There have been many great football players in the history of The Ohio State University Football Program. We will undoubtedly get to them as the season carries on. As my intent is to focus on these players as football dominates our minds and hearts. But, unquestionably, the first football player to Make The List has to be our very own piece of history that looks to be untouchable, and certainly unbreakable – and that is the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy – Archie Mason Griffin #45.
The post Making the List: Ohio State’s Untouchable Two appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...