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Football
25 Years of Buckeye Icons
Part One of Five
By Tony Gerdeman

There's been quite a bit of talk on the forum lately about favorite Buckeyes, and players who people enjoyed watching more than any other. Recently with the induction of Chris Spielman into the College Football Hall of Fame, and the pending Big Ten Network Show “Big Ten Icons”, it got me thinking about which Buckeyes I consider to be the best at their craft that I ever saw play with my own two eyes.

My list is hardly all-inclusive—as it only goes back to 1986 on account of my delightful youth and innocence, but from my perspective, I've included everybody that I can speak to personally watching.

I'm not entirely sure of my own criteria—though like the Supreme Court, I know it when I see it. For instance, I have Terry Glenn ranked ahead of David Boston, though I consider Boston to be the best wide receiver to ever play at Ohio State.

I guess my list ranks players when they were at their best, and looks for those who were better. Some on the list only had one great year—others had four. But this list is based on the years where they were at the top of their game, regardless of how many of those years there were.

Even though it only encompasses about 25 years, I'd take this team against anybody else's and feel pretty good about my chances.

(50) Mike Stafford, LG

Mike Stafford (50) pulls to lead Maurice Hall around end.
Photo by Jim Davidson

Admittedly this looks like a reach, but as a pulling guard on the 2002 team, few players executed their duties as perfectly as Stafford did. He opened gaping holes for Maurice Clarett, and Jim Tressel had no qualms about running certain plays repeatedly. He could do this because Stafford was always able to get to his spot and find his man. He was like a designated hitter that had both power and speed. When he went down with injury later in the season, the running game suffered because of it.

(49) Mike Kudla, DE (All-Big Ten 2005)

Mike Kudla corrals Laurence Maroney on fourth and two.
Photo by Jim Davidson

The poor man's Will Smith...which is still something to crow about if you ask me. Came a long way during his career, battling depth charts and illness. My lasting memory of Kudla is him chasing down Laurence Maroney from behind and pulling him down with one hand on fourth and two.

(48) Matt Finkes, DE (All-Big Ten 1994, 1996)

The Robin to Mike Vrabel's Batman. Vrabel and Jason Simmons are the only two Buckeyes with more career sacks than Finkes' 25.0. He and Vrabel seemingly came out of nowhere as sophomores in 1994 and became the bookends to compare all others to. I'm not sure any have matched them yet.

(47) Scottie Graham, FB

My overall collective memory of Scottie Graham revolves around him lining up at fullback in the I-formation, being given the ball and then exploding through the line for a quick-hitting 50-yard gain, his stubby little legs moving as fast as his body would let them. He had five 100-yard rushing games as the starting fullback in 1989. He and Carlos Snow formed one of the top running back tandems I've seen at Ohio State. (Let's rank those tandems, shall we: 4. Carlos Snow and Scottie Graham in 1989; 3. Robert Smith and Raymont Harris in 1992; 2. Michael Wiley and Joe Montgomery in 1998; and Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells in 2006.)

(46) Bobby Carpenter, LB

Bobby Carpenter (42) roughs up Vince Young (10) with a little help from A. J. Hawk (47).
Photo by Jim Davidson

Even though the Buckeyes lost the game, watching Carpenter and A.J. Hawk give Vince Young fits on the ground in 2005 will always be a fond memory. Though seeing Carpenter on crutches on the sideline against Michigan later in the year will always be stuck in my head too.

(45 )Carlos Snow, RB

Snow never rushed for 1,000 yards and never received first team All-Conference accolades, but he did lead the Buckeyes in rushing three seasons and finished seventh on the school's all-time rushing list. His 70-yard touchdown catch and run down the sideline against Michigan in 1987 will forever be a part of Buckeye lore. For me, he was the first Buckeye running back that really excited me as a fan, and is still one of my favorites to this day.

(44) Cameron Heyward, DL

Cameron Heyward
Photo by Jim Davidson

Will become a rare four-year starter on the defensive line this year for the Buckeyes. Has has much ability as any lineman I've seen at Ohio State. Some will argue that he probably shouldn't be on this list just yet, but I believe he could become the most disruptive overall force on the defensive line since Dan Wilkinson this season.

(43) Michael Wiley, RB (All-Big Ten 1998)

After his three-touchdown collegiate debut against Rice in 1996, I remember telling people that Ohio State had just found themselves another Terry Glenn in Wiley. That was to go along with the new Cris Carter they had found in David Boston. Instead, he was moved to running back and finished eighth all-time on the Ohio State rushing list. Oh well.

(42) Vernon Gholston, DE (All-American 2007)

Vernon Gholston annihilates Chad Henne
Photo by Jim Davidson

The Buckeye record-holder for most sacks in a game (four against Wisconsin in 2007) and in a season (14.0 in 2007). I will always remember him for his game against Michigan in 2007 that saw him get the best of Jake Long on more than one occasion; and the best of Chad Henne on every occasion. One of the few men other men can get caught staring at and not get called out for it.

(41) Bobby Hoying, QB (All-Big Ten 1995)

The owner of two of the six best passing yardage seasons in Ohio State history, and the quarterback of the 1995 Buckeyes—one of the most dynamic offenses Big Ten fans have ever seen. The progression he made as a player was impressive. As a sophomore, he had to be bailed out quite a bit by back-up Bret Powers. But as a senior, there were few quarterbacks more in control than Hoying.

Tomorrow - 40 through 31

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