There are 47 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.

All linebackers should look like Ike.

NO. 47 DWIGHT “IKE” KELLEY, LB (1963-65)
Born: 1944 (Ludington, That State)
High School: Bremen (Ohio)
 

OHIO STATE CAREER

• The Buckeyes were 19-7-1 with Kelley on the team.
• Went 2-1 against That Team.

HONORS

• 1965 Captain.
• 1965 All-American.
• 1965 All-Big Ten.
• 1964 All-American.
• 1964 All-Big Ten.
• 2008 Received Ohio Gold Award.

NFL DRAFT
Round 17 to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 249th pick of the 1966 draft.

Ike Kelley's career summary by 10tv.com:

Dwight "Ike" Kelley was the first Buckeye standout at the position that became to be known as linebacker. The Bremen, Ohio, native played in an era when the game of football was evolving.

Kelley was All-Big Ten and All-American in 1964 and 65, and served as the Buckeyes' co-captain his senior year. 

Ike Kelley's Ohio State and Philadelphia Eagles career per Jim Gehman of philadelphiaeagles.com:

On the field, Dwight "Ike" Kelley was a two-time All-America linebacker at Ohio State who was also a standout performer on special teams. So much so that the university has an award named after him which is presented each year to the team's top special teams player.

[…]

Fortunately for the Eagles, Kelley proved to have the ideal size needed to continue his spectacular special teams contributions at the professional football level.

Ike Kelley (right) with Greg Lashutka (future Mayor of Columbus) and Woody Hayes.

"I just took advantage of an opportunity," he said. "I didn't realize that they put most of the rookies on special teams. I'd always learned that that was like an offensive play or a defensive play. You could make or break a game with any given special teams play out there. And so I gave it my all and had some success as a rookie."

And what was the rookie's mindset?

"Just be crazy and fly down there with reckless abandon and complete disregard for personal safety and make a tackle or do whatever was necessary," Kelley said. "Whether it was on a punt or a kickoff or a kickoff return, you make a block or two. We had pretty good special teams all around with the Eagles back in the '60s and early '70s."

[…]

"Probably the fondest (memory I have) is never having been booed at Franklin Field or Veterans Stadium. Because you know the Philadelphia fans can be brutal sometimes," laughed Kelley. "They use to throw two banners over the side (of the stadium's concourse walls). One was 'Captain Crunch' and [had Kelley's number] 51 on it with a football player. And the other one said 'Kelley's Killers.' That's what the special teams were known as back in those days. It was kind of neat, it really was. Philly fans are great fans and they'll come to cheer you or boo you, or both - sometimes in the same game."

Kelley's life after football per philadelphiaeagles.com:

Following the final cheer or boo he received as an Eagle, Kelley turned to his college roots and made his home in Columbus, Ohio, where he continued to demonstrate the same work ethic for Worthington Industries that made him a poster boy in Philadelphia.

"It is light manufacturing, steel processing company. We branched out into where we manufacture liquid propane gas cylinders, the tanks you find on gas grills. We make those things by the thousands. And we are now in the metal framing business and have several joint ventures. We're about a $3 billion organization and have 7,500 to 8,000 employees.

"I worked for (them for) 35, 36 years and took an early retirement package back in November 2007 and now I'm doing some part-time work for them on a project-type basis. There are three guys who are retired and we go around and do some training at our different steel locations."

Kelley and his wife, Barb, continue to make their home in suburban Columbus. They have two children: Kerrie and Brian; and six grandchildren.

For more information on other players who wore No. 53 go here.

Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide and philadelphiaeagles.com

ALL PLAYERS COVERED TO DATE