There are 58 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.
Neal Colzie is Ohio State's all-time leader with 679 punt return yards in a season (1973).
No. 58 NEAL COLZIE, CB (1972-74)
Born: 1953 (Fitzgerald, GA)
High School: Coral Gables
Died: 2001 (Miami, FL)
OHIO STATE CAREER
- The Buckeyes were 29-4-1 with Colzie on the team.
- 1972 Big Ten Title.
- 1973 Big Ten Title.
- 1974 Big Ten Title.
- 1974 Defeated USC 42-21 to win the Rose Bowl.
- Went 2-0-1 against That Team.
HONORS
- 1974 Captain.
- 1974 All-American.
- 1974 All-Big Ten.
- 1973 All-Big Ten.
- 2009 Inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame.
NFL DRAFT
Round 1 to the Oakland Raiders with the 24th pick of the 1975 draft.
Colzie was inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
COLZIE'S OHIO STATE CAREER PER ohiostatebuckeyes.com:
An All-American and two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, Neal Colzie is in the Buckeye Top 10 for interceptions in a season and career, interception yards in a game, interception returns for a touchdown in a season and career, career punt return yards, punt returns in a game, season and career, and punt returns for touchdowns in a season and career. Colzie remains the record holder for punt return yards in a game (170) and season (679), both set in 1973.
Drafted in the first round of the 1975 NFL draft, Colzie went on to a nine-season pro career in which he played for the Raiders, Dolphins and Buccaneers. In his first season, he recorded 655 punt return yards, an NFL rookie record. He won Super Bowl XI with the Raiders, with four punt returns for a Super Bowl record of 43 yards, including a 25-yard return to set up a Raiders touchdown and a 12-yard return that set up a field goal. Colzie passed away in 2001.
NEAL COLZIE'S LIFE AND NFL HIGHLIGHTS:
- His father, Jim Colzie, was a pitcher in the Negro League.
- Colzie was a punt returner on the Oakland Raiders team that won Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings.
- He played in the NFL from 1975-1983.
| CATGEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | |
| BIG TEN MVP | |
| TEAM MVP | |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | 4 |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 6 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | |
| LETTER | 0.75 |
| POINTS | 18.75 |
For more information on other players who wore No. 20 go here.
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 | 0.75 |
