The latest College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been released by the National Football Foundation and it includes three nominees from Ohio State. It got us thinking about all the players that donned the scarlet and gray already enshrined in Atlanta, and we felt obligated to publish a list of all of them.
With the addition of former running back Keith Byars last year, there is now a whopping 26 former Buckeyes that are a part of all the fun, and we’ve decided to roll them out for your scanning pleasure.
So, without further delay, here are all of the OSU players that will forever be a part of the lore of the College Football Hall of Fame, in chronological order of when they were inducted.
Forgive us for the ones we simply couldn’t or don’t have the ability to post photos of because of the age.
First up … He put Ohio State football on the map
Chic Harley
Position: Halfback
Years played: 1916-17, 19
Year inducted: 1951
Next … A player and a coach
Wes Fesler
Position: End
Years played: 1928-30
Year inducted: 1954
Next … Ohio State’s first Heisman winner
Les Horvath
Position: Quarterback
Years played: 1940-42, 44
Year inducted: 1969
Next … Helping bust through the color barrier
Bill Willis
Position: Tackle
Years played: 1942-44
Year inducted: 1971
Next … Chic Harley’s teammate
Gaylord Stinchcomb
Position: Halfback
Years played: 1917-20
Year inducted: 1973
Next … Played on both the offensive and defensive lines
Jim Parker
Position: Guard
Years played: 1943-46
Year inducted: 1974
Next … From Greece to an All-American
Gust Zarnas
Position: Guard
Years played: 1935-37
Year inducted: 1975
Next … Another Heisman winner that did it all
Vic Janowicz
Position: Halfback
Years played: 1949-51
Year inducted: 1976
Next … Heisman winner that also played baseball
Howard “Hopalong” Cassady
Position: Halfback
Years played: 1949-51
Year inducted: 1976
Next … Also a WWII vet
Jim Daniell
Position: Tackle
Years played: 1939-41
Year inducted: 1977
Next … A two-time MVP at center
Gomer Jones
Position: Center
Years played: 1934-35
Year inducted: 1978
Next … Also played in an NCAA Final Four
Warren Amling
Position: Guard/Tackle
Years played: 1944-46
Year inducted: 1984
Next … “The only two-time …”
Archie Griffin
Position: Running Back
Years played: 1972-75
Year inducted: 1986
Next … A Columbus native that went on to teach
Aurealius Thomas
Position: Guard
Years played: 1955-57
Year inducted: 1989
Next … First-ever winner of the Lombardi Award
Jim Stillwagon
Position: Guard
Years played: 1968-70
Year inducted: 1991
Next … A Maxwell winner
Bob Ferguson
Position: Fullback
Years played: 1959-61
Year inducted: 1996
Next … Centerpiece of the “Orange Crush” defense in Denver
Randy Gradishar
Position: Linebacker
Years played: 1971-73
Year inducted: 1998
Next … An offensive lineman as a Heisman runner-up
John Hicks
Position: Tackle
Years played: 1970-73
Year inducted: 2001
Next … A hard-hitting defensive back
Jack Tatum
Position: Defensive Back
Years played: 1968-70
Year inducted: 2004
Next … A two-time team MVP
Jim Houston
Position: End
Years played: 1957-58
Year inducted: 2005
Next … A beloved QB under Woody
Rex Kern
Position: Quarterback
Years played: 1968-70
Year inducted: 2007
Next … An all-time linebacker in Columbus
Chris Spielman
Position: Linebacker
Years played: 1984-87
Year inducted: 2009
Next … A long-striding, Heisman-winning running back
Eddie George
Position: Running Back
Years played: 1992-95
Year inducted: 2012
Next … The “pancake” man
Orlando Pace
Position: Left Tackle
Years played: 1994-96
Year inducted: 2014
Next … The first pick in the 1979 NFL Draft
Tim Cousineau
Position: Linebacker
Years played: 1975-78
Year inducted: 2016
Next … A bruising running back that almost won the Heisman
Keith Byars
Position: Running Back
Years played: 1982-85
Year inducted: 2020
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