We’ve been going through a series here at Buckeyes Wire. It’s a debate on which Ohio State football player is the best to wear specific jersey numbers, and we’re cruising along, now up to jersey No. 20 as we count down towards the hopeful start of college football in 2020.
Before we get into all the fun, here’s an update on where we stand with the jersey numbers we’ve debated to date:
Jersey No. 1 | Jersey No. 2 | Jersey No. 3 | Jersey No. 4 | Jersey No. 5 | Jersey No. 6 | Jersey No. 7 | Jersey No. 8 | Jersey No. 9 | Jersey No. 10 | Jersey No. 11 | Jersey No. 12 | Jersey No. 13 | Jersey No. 14 | Jersey No. 15 | Jersey No. 16 | Jersey No. 17 | Jersey No. 18 | Jersey No. 19
We’re all a little stir crazy from being locked down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as things begin to open, it’s still fun to debate Buckeye football history. In the long, illustrious history of Ohio State football, there is sure to be some disagreement, but that only makes it more fun.
We will continue to keep going along his journey through the summer and will have the results of all of the Twitter surveys where you can vote further down the road.
Next … Mark’s kicks things off
Contact/Follow Mark Russell
Whether you want to call it DBU or BIA, there is no denying that Ohio State has put out some serious talent in the defensive backfield. And I’m going with another cornerback for my best ever to wear No. 20 at Ohio State, Nate Clements.
Clements was plagued by playing on some mediocre teams in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, Clements was a solid contributor finishing his career with seven total interceptions, four in his senior year alone. He was another example of a shutdown cover corner at Ohio State.
Clements rode his excellent college career to a first-round draft pick with the Buffalo Bills and would later sign an 8 year 80 million dollar contract with the San Francisco 49ers which made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at the time.
Next … Phil’s opinion
Contact/Follow Phil Harrison
While Clements is a fine choice, I’m going to go with another defensive back that is hugely underrated when it comes to picking some of the best Buckeye greats, Neal Colzie.
Colzie played for Woody Hayes from 1972 to 74 and is the only All-American to have donned the No. 20 in the history of the program. On top of that, he was a captain and two-time All-Big Ten performer, going 2-0-1 against Michigan.
It wasn’t just as a DB either that Colzie excelled. He led the nation in punt return yardage in 1973, even taking one to the house against USC in the Rose Bowl that changed the momentum of the game towards Ohio State.
Colzie was inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
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