How many Pro Football Hall of Fame players went to Ohio State?

colin gay, the columbus dispatch

Tue, Apr 25, 2023, 12:04 PM·6 min read

Ohio State football has its fair share of football busts in Canton.

The Buckeyes have the fourth-most representatives at the Pro Football Hall of Fame with 10, including coach Sid Gillman and NFL Films creator Ed Sabol. Ohio State sits behind Notre Dame (13), USC (13) and Michigan (11).

Here's a look at the eight players from Ohio State who went on to have Hall-of-Fame careers in the NFL.

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OL Jim Parker (1954-56, Hall of Fame class of 1973)

Jim Parker, Ohio State's first Outland Trophy winner as college football's best interior offensive lineman, left a large legacy in Columbus.

Parker was a three-year starter and a two-time All-American for the Buckeyes from 1954-56 before becoming a first-round pick by the Baltimore Colts in 1957. In 11 seasons with the Colts, Parker was an eight-time first-team All-Pro lineman at left tackle or left guard, along with spots on eight Pro Bowl rosters.

Parker was Ohio State football's first Hall of Fame player after being inducted in the 1973 class.

K Lou Groza (1942, Hall of Fame class of 1974)

Lou Groza of the Cleveland Browns poses in Chicago, Dec. 11, 1961, with ball marked 826 for the points that gave him the National Football League record for total points scored.

Lou Groza only spent one season at Ohio State before enlisting in the U.S. Army for World War II. But he ended up being the Buckeyes' second Hall of Fame player in the 1974 class.

Groza was a nine-time Pro Bowl and four-time first-team All-Pro kicker for the Cleveland Browns between 1946-67, hitting 54.9% of his 481 field goal tries, including an 88.5% success rate in 1953. Groza only missed 13 of his 833 extra-point tries in his 21-year career.

Groza won four NFL championships in 1950, 1954-55 and 1964.

E Dante Lavelli (1941-42, Hall of Fame class of 1975)

Cleveland Browns Dante Lavelli (56), tries to catch a pass in front of Philadelphia Eagles' Otto Graham in this Dec. 16, 1951 file photo from Philadelphia. (AP Photo/File)

Dante Lavelli's playing time at Ohio State was limited after a slew of injuries and an early exit after being drafted by the U.S. Army in World War II. Lavelli was not able to show what he could do at "end" — not called wide receiver — until he joined coach Paul Brown and the Cleveland Browns in 1946.

In 11 seasons with the Browns, Lavelli was a three-time Pro Bowl player with 6ths ,488 receiving yards and 62 touchdown receptions.

Lavelli was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

OG Bill Willis (1942-44, Hall of Fame class of 1977)

All-American lineman Bill Willis helped deliver Ohio State's 1942 national championship team under coach Paul Brown. [Associated Press file photo]

A three-year starter for Ohio State from 1942-44, Bill Willis was a Buckeye All-American in 1943 and 1944 — Ohio State's first Black honoree — and helped the team to a national championship in 1942.

Willis broke the color barrier in the NFL, joining the Cleveland Browns in 1946 and playing in three Pro Bowls and earning four first-team All-Pro honors and winning an NFL championship in 1950.

Willis' No. 99 is retired at Ohio State, while the "Block 0" jersey has been designated each season to a different Buckeye player in honor of him. Willis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

WR Paul Warfield (1960-63, Hall of Fame class of 1983)

Ohio State back Paul Warfield (42) barrels along in the third quarter in Bloomington, Ind., on 5, 1963, into the waiting arms of Indiana's back Marvin Woodson (40). Warfield gained about 5 yards on the play. Ohio State won, 21-0.

A two-time All-Big Ten player for Ohio State from 1960-63, Paul Warfield recorded 1,572 total yards and 14 touchdowns for the Buckeyes, averaging 6.7 yards per carry.

A first-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in the 1964 NFL draft, Warfield led the NFL in touchdown receptions twice, finishing with 12 in 1968 and 11 in 1971 for the Miami Dolphins.

Warfield was an eight-time Pro Bowl honoree, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1964 and sixth in MVP voting in 1971. Warfield has been honored both by the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins as one of the franchise's top players, while being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

DB Dick LeBeau (1955-58, Hall of Fame class of 2010)

After intercepting a second period Chicago Bears pass in Chicago Sunday, Detroit Lions cornerback Dick LeBeau (44) tugs on sleeve of teammate Lem Barney (20) to indicate desired path for his 26-yard runback in 1970. At left is Lions safety Wayne Rasmussen (47). Lions won 16-10.

Playing for coach Woody Hayes, Dick LeBeau played both defensive back and half back for Ohio State, scoring two of his nine career touchdowns against Michigan in 1957, which helped the Buckeyes to a national championship.

LeBeau was drafted int he fifth round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns in 1959, but spent his entire career with the Detroit Lions, earning Pro Bowl status three times. As a cornerback, LeBeau recorded 62 interceptions in 14 seasons.

In the midst of a storied career as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals, where he was the head coach from 2000-02, LeBeau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

WR Cris Carter (1984-86, Hall of Fame class of 2013)

1986 FILE PHOTO -- OSU's Cris Carter (#2) 10 yard gain on pass by Jim Karsatos. Tackle Wisconsin Pete Nowka. (Dispatch photo by Fred Squillante) 1986

Cris Carter made a splash in his three seasons as an Ohio State wide receiver.

After combining for 1,598 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 1984-85, Carter broke free for 1,127 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 1986.

After being a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987, Carter led the league in touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings three times, while leading the league in receptions with 122 in 1994.

In his 16 seasons, Carter had 130 touchdowns before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

OT Orlando Pace (1994-96, Hall of Fame class of 2016)

Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Orlando Pace watches warm-ups prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

A two-time unanimous All-American tackle at Ohio State, Orlando Pace won two Lombardi Awards in three seasons with the Buckeyes, along with Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 1995 and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1996 along with earning the Outland Trophy.

Pace, Ohio State's most recent No. 1 overall pick, was a cornerstone for the St. Louis Rams, retiring as a seven-time Pro Bowl and three-time first-team All-Pro selection.

Pace was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Are any Ohio State football players in NFL teams' Halls of Fame?

Here's a look at former Ohio State football players who have been honored by individual NFL teams

Detroit Lions: LB Chris Spielman, DB Dick LeBeau
Minnesota Vikings: WR Cris Carter, DL Jim Marshall, OL Korey Stringer
New Orleans Saints: DL Will Smith
Cleveland Browns: K Lou Groza, WR Dante Lavelli, WR Paul Warfield, OL Bill Willis
Denver Broncos: LB Randy Gradishar
Tennessee Titans: RB Eddie George
New York Jets: C Nick Mangold
Miami Dolphins: WR Paul Warfield
Kansas City Chiefs: OT Jim Tyrer
Green Bay Packers: RB John Brockington

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