There are 66 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.
Most people know that Woody Hayes struck Clemson player Charlie Bauman. Ken Fritz was the Ohio State player lashed out at after the Bauman altercation.
NO. 66 KEN FRITZ, OG (1976-79)
Born: 1957 (Ironton, Ohio)
High School: Ironton
OHIO STATE CAREER
- The Buckeyes were 36-10-2 with Fritz on the team.
- 1979 Big Ten Title.
- 1977 Big Ten Title.
- 1976 Big Ten Title.
- Defeated Colorado 27-10 in the 1977 Orange Bowl.
- Known for being the Ohio State player Woody grabbed by the face mask after the famous punch in the 1978 Gator Bowl.
Honors
- 1979 Captain.
- 1979 All-American.
- 1979 All-Big Ten.
- 1978 All-Big Ten.
NFL Draft
Round 10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 277th pick of the 1980 draft.
An excerpt about Ken Fritz from an article by Jim Walker of the irontontribune.com (1-10-13):
Fritz was and three-year starter at Ironton High School where he played on two playoff teams. He was named the 1975 Associated Press Ohio Class AA Lineman of the Year. He was also voted the SEOAL Co-Player of the Year, a rare accomplishment for a lineman.
Fritz played at Ohio State and was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter at guard. He was named first team All-Big Ten in 1978 and 1979, and was a two-time first-team Association Press All-American. He was also a two-time team captain.
Fritz helped lead Ohio State to the Big Ten championship in 1979, an 11-0 regular season, and a berth in the Rose Bowl. Top-ranked Ohio State lost 17-16 to Southern Cal, costing the Buckeyes the national championship.
Fritz was later drafted in the 10th round of the NFL draft by the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | |
| BIG TEN MVP | |
| TEAM MVP | |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 6 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | |
| LETTER | 1 |
| TOTAL | 17 |
For more information on other players who wore No. 56 go here.
Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide and irontontribune.com
| 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 |
