There are 73 days that separate us from Ohio State's march to Blacksburg. To help pass the time until the Buckeyes put the Sandman to sleep I will countdown Ohio State's top 100 players according to the rubric* listed at the bottom of this article.
Shawn Springs was an elite cornerback for the Buckeyes.
NO. 73 SHAWN SPRINGS, CB (1993-96)
Born: 1975 (Williamsburg, VA)
High School: Springbrook (MD)
OHIO STATE CAREER
- The Buckeyes were 41-8-1 with Springs on the team.
- 1993 Big Ten Title.
- 1996 Big Ten Title.
- 1993 Defeated BYU 28-21 to win the Holiday Bowl.
- 1997 Defeated Arizona State 20-17 to win the Rose Bowl.
HONORS
- 1996 All-American.
- 1996 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
- 1996 All-Big Ten.
- 1995 All-Big Ten.
- 1998 Pro Bowl.
- 2004 All-Pro.
- 2010 Named to the Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team.
NFL DRAFT
Round 1 to the Seattle Seahawks with the 3rd pick of the 1997 draft.
SHAWN SPRINGS' OHIO STATE CAREER PER ohiostatebuckeyes.com:
In 1996, Shawn Springs was one of the top cornerbacks in college football and the dominant defensive player in the Big Ten - despite not recording an interception. Most teams simply chose not to test him. The 1996 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (selected by the conference head coaches) was named to the first-team Walter Camp, Football Coaches, Sporting News and Football News All-America teams.
He finished the year with 39 tackles and a team-high 15 passes broken up. In his final game as a Buckeye, he held Arizona State receiver Keith Poole to just one catch for 10 yards in the Rose Bowl. He finished that game with five tackles and four passes broken up. Springs finished his career as a two-time All-Big Ten selection. The Seattle Seahawks selected him with the third overall selection in the 1997 NFL Draft.
Springs was signed to a seven-year $20 million dollar contract as a rookie. At the time it was the largest deal ever signed by a Seattle Seahawk or NFL rookie cornerback.
Shawn Springs broke up 15 passes during the 1996 season. That is good for third all-time at Ohio State for a single season.
SPRINGS CREATES A SCHOLARSHIP AT OHIO STATE PER ohiostatebuckeys.com:
Former Ohio State University football player Shawn Springs has donated a scholarship, the Shawn Springs "Majority of One" Postgraduate Scholarship, to be given annually to a minority student-athlete at OSU.
[...]
The scholarship, worth $1,500 to $2,000, will be awarded to a minority student-athlete based not only on his or her academic achievements, but also on his or her involvement both inside and outside of the Ohio State community. The winner of the scholarship will be a person, or persons, exemplifying outstanding character, drive and achievement.
As a student-athlete Springs excelled both on the playing field and in the classroom. He was named USA Today's Positive Performer in 1996, an award given to collegiate student-athletes who are making positive differences by overcoming obstacles, aiding society and challenging stereotypes on and off campus.
Shawn Springs played in the NFL from 1997-2009. In that time he played in 169 games made 592 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 33 interceptions, 138 pass deflections and 2 touchdowns.
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | |
| BIG TEN MVP | |
| TEAM MVP | |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | 4 |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 6 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | 1 |
| LETTER | 1 |
| TOTAL | 16 |
For more information on Springs and other players who wore No. 24.
Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide, ohiostatebuckeyes.com and Wikipedia
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | 8 |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | 8 |
| BIG TEN MVP | 6 |
| TEAM MVP | 5 |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | 4 |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | 3 |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | 1 |
| LETTER | 0.25 PER YEAR |
