Oller: C.J. Stroud tops list of best NFL quarterbacks who started at Ohio State
C.J. Stroud may not yet be the Tom Brady of NFL quarterbacks, but he is the GOAT among NFL quarterbacks who started at Ohio State.
Granted, it’s a low bar, but Stroud’s rookie season ranks among the best for any quarterback in NFL history, which after just 17 games already puts him at the top of the list of Buckeyes who have plied their trade in the pros.
A look at the top five:
C.J. Stroud (OSU 2020-22)
The No. 2 draft pick of the Houston Texans played more like a No. 1, throwing for 4,108 yards on 319 completions with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions, while leading his team to the playoffs. The 22-year-old, who just earned a Pro Bowl bid, set a league record for pass attempts without an interception (186) to begin a career and earned high praise from teammates for being a leader in the locker room.
For a statistical comparison, Peyton Manning set rookie records for completions (326), attempts (575), passing yards (3,739 and touchdown passes (26) in 16 games, but also threw 28 interceptions.
Mike Tomczak (1981-84)
The three-year starter with the Buckeyes is one of two former Ohio State starting quarterbacks to own Super Bowl rings (Joe Germaine was a backup on the championship 1999 St. Louis Rams). Tomczak went undrafted but signed with Chicago in 1985, when the Bears won the Super Bowl with Jim McMahon at quarterback. He went on to collect 73 starts (42-31) in 185 games, primarily with the Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, compiling 16,079 yards and 88 touchdowns against 106 interceptions.
The Chicago-area native also held the NFL record with 10 consecutive wins for a first-time starter, until Pittsburgh rookie Ben Roethlisbeger broke it with 13 straight in 2004.
Justin Fields (2019-20)
After leading the Buckeyes to the 2020 CFP title game, Fields bolted for the NFL, where he was the No. 11 overall pick of the Chicago Bears. It’s been a rough two seasons for Fields. His 10-28 record may be it for him in the Windy City, as the Bears are expected to trade him to make room for Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams.
Fields has thrown for 6,674 yards, with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, but has shined in the run game, totaling 2,220 yards on 356 rushes for an impressive 6.2-yard average. In 2022 he rushed for 1,143 yards, second most in NFL history to Lamar Jackson’s 1,206 in 2019.
Kent Graham (1990-91)
Graham totaled 1,189 yards passing in two seasons for the Buckeyes after transferring from Notre Dame. The New York Giants drafted him in the eighth round in 1991 and over the next nine seasons with the Giants, Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers he went 17-21 in 38 starts. His final NFL totals: 694 completions on 1,339 attempts for 7,801 yards, 39 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.
Bob Hoying (1992-95)
After leading OSU to a 30-7-1 mark as a three-year starter, Hoying went to Philadelphia as a third-round pick, but played in only 16 games before the Eagles traded him to the Oakland Raiders in 1999.
Hoying’s career numbers: 2,544 yards, 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, and 3-9-1 as a starter.
@rollerCD
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: C.J. Stroud went from Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback to NFL stardom
