OL/DL Warren Amling (All-American, CFB HOF, R.I.P.)

[BB73]

Inducted into the College Football HOF in 1984.

cf.hof


Warren Amling

Position: Guard / Tackle

School: Ohio State
High School: Pana, IL (Pana HS)
Years: 1944-1946
Inducted: 1984
Place of Birth: Pana, IL
Date of Birth: 12/29/1924
Place of Death: Columbus, OH
Date of Death: 11/1/2001
Jersey Number: 90
Height: 6-0
Weight: 197​

Member Biography

A star fullback and team captain at Pana High School in Illinois, Warren Amling continued his winning ways while attending the Ohio State University. The three-year letter- winner became the Buckeyes' captain in 1946 and was selected as a first team All-America at two different positions, as a guard in 1945 and then again at tackle in 1946. On offense, the 5'11", 197-pound Amling was called "an excellent technician," because he matched the best blocking techniques against whatever defense was used. As a defensive guard, his stamina and body balance made him extremely difficult to block. His senior year ,Amling was asked by Coach Paul Bixler to switch to tackle because the team needed help at that position. Surprising quickness and intelligence overcame size and he again was a standout. Amling also excelled on Buckeye basketball teams in 1945, 1946, and 1947. He played in three NCAA tournaments. After earning a bachelor of science degree, he graduated with honors from Ohio State's Veterinary Medicine School. Dr. Amling practiced most of his career in London, Ohio serving in medical and management positions with the John Sawyer Company and the Ohio Feed Lot.​

 

[ScriptOhio]

Remember When: Warren Amling Paired All-American Seasons in Football with Final Four Runs in Basketball

Warren Amling earned All-American honors in consecutive seasons for Ohio State football while he helped lead Ohio State basketball to Final Fours in the same calendar years.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Remember When: Warren Amling Paired All-American Seasons in Football with Final Four Runs in Basketball​

Warren Amling had one of the greatest two-sport runs a college athlete has ever had from 1944 to 1946.

On the football field, Amling earned consensus All-American honors in consecutive seasons while playing two different positions along Ohio State’s offensive line. On the basketball court, Amling played a key role in back-to-back Final Four runs for the Buckeyes.

A native of Pana, Illinois, Amling played on Ohio State’s freshman football and basketball teams in the fall of 1942 and spring of 1943. He was in line to play for both varsity teams the following year, but his athletic career was put on hold for one year as he was called to serve in the Army with World War II ongoing.

Upon his return to play, Amling became the utility man on the Ohio State football team’s 1944 offensive line, starting games at both tackle and guard. He helped lead the way for Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath as Ohio State won the Big Ten championship with a perfect 9-0 record. The Buckeyes were also awarded a national championship for that season by the National Championship Foundation and the Sagarin Ratings, though that national championship is not claimed by Ohio State as Army was ranked No. 1 in the final AP poll.

Amling drew considerable praise for his contributions to the Buckeyes’ undefeated season from head coach Carroll Widdoes following the season.

“I think Warren could play any position on the team,” Widdoes told Paul Hornung of the Columbus Dispatch. “He’s as smart as they come in every way, he’s fast and agile.”

Amling then became one of the top guards on Ohio State’s 1944-45 basketball team. Known for his defense, rebounding and “scrap and drive,” Amling was described in a Dispatch article during the season as the team’s “biggest crowd pleaser.” His efforts, which earned him an All-Big Ten honorable mention, helped Ohio State go 14-4 to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where the Buckeyes beat Kentucky in the national quarterfinals to earn a berth in the Final Four. While he averaged just 4.5 points per game for the season, Amling scored 10 points in his Final Four debut, finishing as OSU’s second-leading scorer in a 70-65 overtime loss to NYU.

After also competing in track and field as a shotput and discus thrower, Amling earned unanimous All-American honors in his first season as a full-time guard for Ohio State football in 1945. Playing both left and right guard for the Buckeyes’ offensive line while also contributing on the defensive line, Amling finished seventh in the Heisman vote as he led Ohio State to a 7-2 record.
Returning to the basketball court, Amling was a starting guard for the 1945-46 Buckeyes as they won the Big Ten championship and made another run to the Final Four, where Ohio State lost to North Carolina in the national semifinals before beating California in the third-place game.

Amling was the captain of Ohio State’s 1946 football team and continued to show his versatility by moving back outside to left tackle. Much like Donovan Jackson in Ohio State’s 2024-25 College Football Playoff run, Amling handled that transition seamlessly, earning consensus All-American honors even though the Buckeyes went just 4-3-2 in Paul Bixler’s lone season as head coach.

Amling concluded his athletics career by averaging a career-high 6.6 points per game for Ohio State’s 1946-47 basketball team. Those Buckeyes took a step back after three straight Final Four appearances, however, going just 7-13 in Amling’s senior season.
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