Welcome to the Bucknuts Hall of Fame. This is our little tribute to some of the greatest players in OSU history. But this is also your opportunity to contribute to the OSU history section.
There are some players that are no-brainers and belong here without question, and we have included a few of those to start out with just to show you how the Hall of Fame will look. But who will the rest of the players in the Hall of Fame be? That's up to you!
That's right... you will be in charge of electing players into the Bucknuts Hall of Fame. Hall of fame voting is often controversial, so this is your chance to decide who you think the best players are. Every so often, we will come out with a new ballot of players, and you will vote to decide if they will get accepted. The guidelines? A player has to have 75% or over of his votes as "Yes" to get accepted. If the player has 50% or over, he will still be eligible to make the Hall of Fame on a later ballot. If the player has under 50%, he will be permanently dropped from the ballot unless we overrule.
(Keep checking back... the next ballot will be coming soon!)
Also, look below for the current inductees into the Bucknuts Hall of Fame (we know there are many others that deserve to be here, but this is a work in progress and we just chose a few great stars at random, so chances are that they will be here eventually!).
(All photos on this page from OSU Archives unless noted)
Heisman Winners- Les
Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Howard Cassady, Archie Griffin, Eddie George
Of course these guys get in
here. As a matter of fact, they each get their own page. Click
here to see them.
David Boston
When David came to OSU in 1996 out
of the town of Humble, TX, it didn't take him long to make an impact. He
saw the field immediately as a freshman, and once he was on it, he never came
off. He stayed at OSU only three years, but that was long enough to become
the most prolific pass catcher in school history. Among the records he
holds are most pass receptions for a career (191), most pass reception yards for
a career (2,855) and a season (1,435), and most TD catches in a career
(34). He is currently playing in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals.
Paul Brown
Paul
Brown is truly one of the greatest figures in the history of football. A
true innovator, Brown was born to be a Buckeye. He always wanted to play
football for OSU, but he was too small, and the Buckeyes refused to give him a
uniform. Instead, he went to Miami of Ohio, but his love for OSU never
stopped. He started his prolific coaching career at Massillon as he
amassed a 80-8-2 record in nine seasons and an amazing 58-1-1 record from 1935
to 1940. Brown then came to Ohio State, and although he was only there for
three seasons, he definitely left his mark. His 1942 team was the first
national championship team at OSU, and it set the standard of excellence for the
Buckeyes that is still present today. Brown brought with him a true hatred
for losing, especially to that team up north.
All one has to do to realize the importance of Paul Brown is remember that he had an NFL team named after him, which is an honor that no one else has ever or will ever be able to claim. But Brown was always a Buckeye at heart. Before his death in 1991, Paul Brown wrote "My first two years at Ohio State were the happiest, most exciting and most rewarding period of my life, better in some respect than the years in Cleveland, because coaching the Buckeyes had been my ultimate dream." The importance of Paul Brown to football is immeasurable, and OSU fans should be honored to call this football legend a Buckeye.
Keith Byars
Keith Byars is one of the best
running backs to ever play at Ohio State. He played from 1982 to 1985, and
in his time, he set some Ohio State rushing records including most yards in a
season and most yards in a game, which were later broken by Eddie George.
Keith had a tremendous season in 1984, when he rushed for over 1700 yards and
finished second in the Heisman voting. Keith went on to have a stellar NFL
career and became the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards for a running
back.
Cris Carter
Cris
re-wrote the record books while he was at OSU. He set several major
receiving records in his playing days, including most yards in a season, most
catches in a career, most touchdowns in a season, and most touchdowns in a
career. All have since been broken, but Cris definitely left his mark at
OSU. He has since gone on to become one of the more reliable receivers in
NFL history, and he has become a figurehead for young NFL receivers. The
man who was once cut by Buddy Ryan because "he only catches
touchdowns" is on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wesley Fesler
Wesley
Fesler is one of the greatest athletes in Ohio State History. His athletic
accomplishments exceeded football as he won nine letters at OSU and was All-Big
Ten in Basketball. But Fesler will be most remembered for his
accomplishments on the gridiron.
Fesler played end and fullback from 1928 to 1930 and won All-American honors all three years and a Big Ten MVP award. Fesler graduated and went on to coach at Princeton and Penn, and in 1947, he returned to coach Ohio State. He coached from 1947 to 1950, and he compiled a 21-13-1 record and won a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl. Fessler resigned in 1950, however, citing "the tension brought about by the tremendous desire to win football games." (Some things never change at OSU!!!)
Joe Germaine
Joe might be one of the more unlikely
heroes to arrive in this Hall of Fame. When he came to OSU as a walk-on,
not many people would have dreamed of the success he had. But despite only
playing one season as a starter, Joe finished his career as one of the most
prolific passers in OSU history. Among the OSU records he holds are most
passing yards in a season (3,338), most completions in a game (31), most
completions in a season (230), highest career passing effeciency (151.00), and
highest career completion percentage (.592).
Randy Gradishar
Randy
was one of the better college and pro linebackers of his time, if not
ever. He started at linebacker from 1971 to 1973, and in 72 and 73, he was
an All-American. He was a key member of Ohio State's excellent defenses in
the early 70s and was a terror to opponents. He became such a good player
on the college level that he finished sixth in the Heisman voting in 1973.
Randy's greatness didn't end at Ohio State as he went on to have a terrific NFL
career and many great years with the Denver Broncos.
Chic Harley
Chic
Harley was arguably the very first Buckeye great and is still a very important
figure in Buckeye history. Chic was the first OSU player ever to win
multiple All-American honors and is one of only six players to be an All-American
three times at OSU. A Buckeye in 1916, 1917, and 1919, Chic was the key
member of the first two Buckeye teams to win Big Ten titles. The record of
the teams that he played on was a whopping 21-1-1. The 1917 team was so
dominant that it outscored opponents 292-6.
Chic's legacy is still standing in the middle of the OSU campus. Because of Chic's play, fans started coming out to Buckeye games in record numbers, and soon, OSU would be forced to build a new stadium -- Ohio Stadium. Thusly, Ohio Stadium was dubbed, "The House that Harley Built." Harley is a member of the College Football Hall of fame.
John Hicks
John
Hicks was one of the greatest offensive linemen in Ohio State history. In
1973, he had one of the single greatest seasons in college football history for
an offensive lineman as he won both the Lombardi and Outland trophies and
finished second in the Heisman voting. If teammates Archie Griffin and
Randy Gradishar did not take votes away from Hicks, he would have won the award.
John played from 1971-1973, starting each year and winning All-America honors in 1972 and 1973.
Woody Hayes
Woody is the first person that
should be inducted into any Buckeye Hall of Fame. Like the Heisman
winners, he has his own page. Click here to read it.
Rex Kern
You won't find Rex's name very high in the OSU record books, you will find him
holding a big spot in the hearts of Buckeye fans everywhere. Rex was the
quarterback and tremendous leader and field general for the great Woody
Hayes-led teams of the late 60s. Kern was the QB for OSU's last national
title in 1968, and when he was the starter from 68 to 70, the Buckeyes lost only
2 football games. Kern was the perfect QB for Woody's offense. You
won't find any Woody Hayes players other than running backs in the offensive
record books, but Kern's greatness was measured in his leadership and his team's
accomplishments.
Orlando Pace
Who can forget this mammoth of an offensive
lineman? Orlando was quite possibly the most dominant college
football player in the 1990s. Opposing defenders just had to hope that
they did not get flattened under his huge body. Pace made the
"Pancake" block famous, and he had a whopping 80 pancakes his junior
year. Pace started as a freshman for OSU, and by the time he was a junior,
he was such a big name that he was actually one of the final five Heisman Trophy
contenders invited to the Downtown Athletic Club. For an offensive
lineman, that's very impressive and rare, but Pace was so good that it was no
surprise that he was there. Orlando won back-to-back Lombardi awards in 95
and 96 and won the Outland Trophy in 1996 before he left school as a junior to
become the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Right now, Orlando is still
in the early stages of his NFL career, but his mark on OSU football history is
etched in stone.
Jim Parker
Jim
Parker was one of the greatest offensive linemen in OSU history and one of the
better ones to ever play college football. He was a tremendous blocker for
both the run and pass, and his athleticism made him very hard to compete
with.
Jim received just about every accolade possible in his career. He was a three-year starter and two-time All-American, he was a key member of the 1954 national championship team, and he became OSU's first ever Outland Trophy winner in 1956. He also went on to enjoy an excellent career in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts.
Jim is a member of the Ohio High School Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Woody Hayes called him "the greatest offensive linemen I ever coached." Parker is a true great in OSU history, and his name will forever be recognized as one of the greatest Buckeyes ever.
Chris Spielman
There
are Buckeyes, and then there is Chris Spielman. This is a man that needs
no introduction; he embodies not only what it should mean to be a Buckeye, but
what it should mean to be a football player and a man. Simply put, there
cannot possibly be anyone out there who does not respect Chris Spielman.
The man was born to play football as he rose from the storied Massillon Tigers
to OSU to the NFL. One of the more famous stories about Chris is during a
game as a freshman, he would not stop asking to get put in the game. The
coaches gave in and sent him in, and he never came out. Spielman was an
All-American in 1986 and 1987 and won the Lombardi Award in 1987.
Shawn Springs
Shawn
was one of the great cornerbacks in Ohio State history. He was such a good
cover corner that no one wanted to throw in his direction. Often times, he
had such good coverage that no one could throw in his direction. Shawn was
a tremendous athlete who was one of the best overall players to play at OSU in
the past decade. He entered the NFL draft as a junior, and he was picked
as the #3 overall player by Seattle. He is currently established as one of
the NFL's better cornerbacks.
Jim Stillwagon
Jim
Stillwagon is truly one of the greatest linemen in Ohio State history.
Wagon was a starter from 1968 to 1970 for OSU, and he was one of college
football's best at that time. In 1969 and 1970, he was voted as a
unanimous All-American. He was dominant in the middle as he was the
cornerstone of some of the most dominant OSU defenses ever.
Jim's most famous accomplishment came in 1970. He was so dominant that year that he won both the Outland and Lombardi trophies (the first time this had ever been accomplished in the same year). Jim was drafted to play NFL football, but he played in the Canadian League instead. He enjoyed a good career there, and he is now living in Columbus. Jim is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Gaylord Stinchcomb
Take
a look at this guy. You just know he was a player, eh? Here's a
picture of a guy who played both ways, wore a leather helmet with no face mask,
has mud all over his face, and he loves it!
Gaylord was one of the greats on those teams of the late 1910s that helped begin OSU's rise to power. He played QB and DB from 1918 to 1920, and he won All-American honors in 1919 and 1920. He helped lead the great 1919 team to their first win over Michigan in 22 years.
Gaylord is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Jack Tatum
Jack
was one of the all-time gridiron greats at Ohio State. He might have been
the best defensive players on the great Woody Hayes-led teams of
1968-1970. In his time at OSU, the Buckeyes went 27-2 and won a national
championship. Jack is remembered for his ferocity and his tenacious hits
that he used to lay on people. He came to OSU as a RB, but he started for
three years at defensive back and won All-American honors for two. In his
senior year, he was voted as National Defensive Player of the Year. But it
wasn't until early 2000 when Jack may have gotten his greatest honor as a
Buckeye -- he was voted as one of four team captains for the Buckeye All-Century
Team. Needless to say, Jack was one of the all-time greats at Ohio
State.
Chris Ward
Chris came to OSU as one of the
most highly-touted offensive line prospects in America, and he didn't
disappoint. He became one of Woody Hayes' all-time best linemen, and he
won All-American honors twice (in 1976 and 1977). Ward was drafted into
the NFL, and he went on to have a fine career with the New York Jets.
Paul Warfield
Paul didn't put up huge stats
while at OSU... no receiver did in Woody Hayes' offense. But when he got
to the NFL, he blossomed into one of the most electrifying WRs in pro football
history. The Warren native had a tremendous career with the Cleveland
Browns and Miami Dolphins, and he would go on to become a member of the Pro
Football Hall of Fame. He is regarded as one of the best athletes to ever
play football at Ohio State.
Bill Willis
Bill Willis was a trailblazer on and off
the field. Despite only being 6-2 and 215 pounds, Willis was a tremendous
lineman. Playing for OSU from 1942 and 1944, Bill would become OSU's first
black All-American in 1943 (he also was All-American in 1944). He went on
to play in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, and he became the first black
player to start for a pro franchise. Before it was all said and done,
Willis became a member of the Ohio High School Football Hall of Fame, the
College Football Hall of Fame, and the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
Antoine Winfield
Antoine
(left, Columbus Dispatch photo) has only
been an ex-Buckeye for just over a year now, but he has already become one of
the all-time fan favorites. The undersized but hugely talented DB was
known for making great plays all over the field. He may have been one of
the best tackling and pass-rushing defensive backs to ever play college
football. Antoine capped off his great career by winning the Thorpe Award
(nation's top DB) as a senior. Antoine is currently on the way to
establishing himself as a pro CB for the Buffalo Bills.