Ohio State Football: The 10 Greatest Buckeyes in NFL History

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Ohio State has put countless players into the NFL, including eight current Pro Football Hall of Famers.

So choosing the 10 best of all time becomes a much more difficult task because of the high amount of quality players that came from OSU.

It makes it an even more prestigious club when players like Santonio Holmes, Mike Vrabel and Terry Glenn all don't make the list.

Here are the 10 greatest Ohio State alums to play in the NFL.

10. Dick LeBeau, DB

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The current orchestrator of the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers defense was also a much feared cornerback about half a century ago.

LeBeau played 13 years with the Detroit Lions and recorded 63 interceptions in his playing career. He was a model of consistency—recording at least three interceptions in 12 straight seasons with the Lions.

LeBeau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2010.

A Lorain, Ohio native, LeBeau was ironically cut by the Browns during his rookie training camp.

9. Joey Galloway, WR

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Of all of the receivers that came out of the 1990s, Joey Galloway might have been the best of the bunch.

The undersized burner lit up opposing defenses for 15 seasons, reeling in 701 catches for just under 11,000 yards and 77 touchdowns. Galloway was able to translate his big numbers from Ohio State into the pros very smoothly, recording six seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving.

His Hall of Fame status may not be as much of a lock as other receivers, but his numbers are very much on par with some of the better receivers in football.

8. Lou Groza, K

Lou Groza was a part of the Cleveland Browns great corps of players that racked up championship after championship in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

He was both an offensive tackle and a kicker until a back injury in 1959 forced him to be just a kicker for the rest of his career.

"The Toe" scored 1,608 points in his 21-year playing career, each one with the Browns.

He only played one year at Ohio State before being drafted into the Army during World War II.

7. Cris Carter, WR

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Even though Cris Carter has been left out of the Hall of Fame for the past few years, there is no doubt his numbers are among the best for receivers in history.

Carter, an All-American at Ohio State, was an eight-time Pro Bowl selections, a two-time All-Pro and part of the NFL's Team of the 1990s.

He finished his 15-year career with 1,101 receptions for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns. Carter is only behind the great Jerry Rice in terms of receptions and touchdowns.

6. Jim Parker, OL

Jim Parker followed up a spectacular playing career at Ohio State under Woody Hayes with a great 10 years in the NFL, all with the Baltimore Colts.

He was an All-American at Ohio State and a winner of the Outland Trophy as well.

Parker spent half of his pro career as a left tackle before moving inside to guard, and he still earned All-NFL honors eight times. He also was named to the Pro Bowl for eight straight seasons.

Parker was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1973.

5. Dante Lavelli, WR

Lavelli is another legendary Buckeye that became a part of the great Browns teams of the 1940s and 1950s.

He was Otto Graham's go-to receiver throughout their time together—he pulled in all but 20 of his 386 career receptions from the Hall of Fame quarterback. Lavelli was named to the All-NFL team in 1951 and 1953 and won seven championships (four in the AAFC) in his playing career.

He joined the Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 1973.

4. Eddie George, RB

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The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner should find his way to Canton at some point soon.

George had an incredible pro career, rushing for over 10,000 yards and 78 touchdowns in his nine seasons—eight of which were with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.

No. 27 was a model of consistency as a pro, rushing for over 1,000 yards in seven of his nine seasons in the NFL. He was one of the first athletes put on the Madden cover, and also became the first afflicted by the so-called "Madden Curse."

Even with that said, George's pro career was very successful, and he helped carry the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history in 1999.

3. Orlando Pace, LT

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There are very few players that come along and completely revolutionize their position.

Orlando Pace is one of those players.

He was an absolutely dominant athlete at left tackle. Not only did he protect his QB's blind side well, but he also knocked defenders on their backs often, which led to the creation of the pancake block.

Pace was a five-time All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection during his 12-year career, in addition to being a two-time All-American at Ohio State.

Injuries took a toll at the end of his career, though, which put the career of one of the best tackles in the game to a soft, quiet end. It should almost be a guarantee that Pace gets into the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible.

2. Paul Warfield, WR

Paul Warfield is certainly among the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game of football.

A six-time All-Pro during his 13 seasons in the NFL, Warfield was a very fast football player and dominated the air in an era where most teams ran the football very often. While he only eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark once in his career, Warfield was the complete receiver, with great speed, great hands and great route-running ability.

He was a great Buckeye, and an even better pro.

Warfield was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Class of 1983.

1. Bill Willis, DL

Bill Willis is the pro football equivalent to Jackie Robinson in terms of breaking the color barrier.

He played 17 seasons with the Cleveland Browns after a great career at Ohio State in the mid-1940s.

Willis was an amazing athlete who had great quickness and could explode off the line much better than anyone else could at that time. He was a three-time All-Pro and one of the cornerstones behind the Browns' fantastic run in the 1940s and 1950s.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, and is a player who was known for his impact on and off the field.

 

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