Other than Woody Hayes, is there a
bigger legend in Ohio State football history than Archie Griffin?
Quite simply, he is the player that most people associate with 
being
the greatest to ever don the scarlet and gray uniform. Archie ran
for 5,589 yards, which still stands as an OSU record (only Eddie George is
within 2,000 yards of him), 26 TDs, with a 6.13 yards per carry average (NCAA
record). Archie ranks fifth in all-time rushing yardage in NCAA
history, and his record of 34 career 100-yard games and his remarkable
string of 31 straight regular season games of 100 yards of more might
never be broken. Archie is also just the third player to ever win
Big Ten Player of the Year twice. Oh, there is that one other little
accomplishment...
Archie says that eventually someone will break his most outstanding record of being the only player ever to win two Heisman Trophies. Sorry, Archie... we're not sure we agree. In these days of underclassman stars leaving early, we wouldn't be surprised if that record was never broken. Archie never had any ego about any of his accomplishments, and he always gave credit to his teammates. "To me, the Heismans symbolize (how great of a team we were) because that success could not happen individually without being part of a great team. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time with the right people. I had the opportunity to play with guys who made me look good."
Archie made a splash right from the beginning at OSU. In his second game as a true freshman, Archie rushed for 239 yards, which was an OSU record. He was undersized, but he played with as much heart as anyone. The 160-pound fullback out of Columbus Eastmoor High School had his doubters ("They thought I was too small and that I would get lost in the shuffle (at Ohio State)," he said), but he let his play on the field prove them wrong. Archie's teams won four Big Ten titles, and he became the only player in history to start in four straight Rose Bowls. Archie's teams went 40-5-1, and he was an All-American in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
Archie ran for 239 yards against
North Carolina in his freshman year (OSU Archives).
The accomplishments didn't just come on the field. After his senior year, Archie won the NCAA's Top Five Award, which honors performance in academics, athletics, and leadership. It is the highest award given out by the NCAA. Coach Woody Hayes once said of him, "He's a better young man than he is a football player, and he's the best football plaer I've ever seen.
Archie has been inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the National High School Hall of Fame. All these accomplishments are truly remarkable. Other OSU records include 117 yards rushing per game, 6,559 total all-purpose yards in his career, and 145.8 all-purpose yards per game. And just think... he did a lot of this while sharing the backfield with Pete Johnson.
But perhaps the pinnacle of Archie's achievements came this year. He was on the field for a reunion of one of his teams during a special halftime celebration, and unexpectedly, it was announced that Archie would become the first player in OSU history to have his number retired. It was an honor that was never even considered to be bestowed upon anyone, but when it was given to Archie, everyone agreed... "It's about time."
Archie
didn't have the success in the pros that he did in college, but he still
enjoyed eight fine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He now works
at Ohio State as Associate Athletic Director, and he is still very visible
in the Columbus community. The legend of Archie Griffin still grows
to this day, and he still is, and always will be, the quintessential
Buckeye.