There are 18 days that separate us from Ohio State's march to Blacksburg. To help pass the time until the Buckeyes put the Sandman to bed I will countdown Ohio State's top 100 players according to the rubric* listed at the bottom of this article.

NO. 18 CHRIS WARD, OT (1974-77)
Born: 1956 (Cleveland)
High School: Patterson (Dayton)
 

OHIO STATE CAREER

• The Buckeyes were 39-8-1 with Ward on the team.
• Won 4 Big Ten titles (1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977.
• Defeated Colorado 27-10 in the 1977 Orange Bowl.

HONORS

• 1977 Captain.
• 1977 All-American.
• 1977 All-Big Ten.
• 1976 All-American.
• 1976 All-Big Ten.
• 1975 All-Big Ten.
• 1975 Academic All-Big Ten.
• 2000 Named to Ohio State's All-Century Team.

NFL DRAFT
Round 1 to the New York Jets with the 4th pick of the 1978 draft.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Left in a dumpster when he was born.
• Played for the NY Jets from 1978-83 and the Saints in 1984.

Doug Davis of the Daily Dayton News interviewed Bill Myles who was Ward's Ohio State offensive line coach:

...The 275-pound Ward, who already had earned All-Big Ten honors twice, was clocked in the 40-yard dash in a nimble 4.75 seconds. And Myles never had coached a player with such raw strength and speed.

"He was just physically overpowering," said Myles, who coached tackles and tight ends for the Buckeyes through 1985. "He had very quick feet for his size. The most important step in blocking is the second step, and he would take his second step before the other guy could take his. And he'd knock people off the ball."

The results often were devastating. "I have a practice film of him it's still in my garage where he hit a guy so hard he knocked him right out of his shoe," Myles said.

Per Doug Davis, Chris Ward ran into hard times, but found his way:

"He was in our prayers," said Myles, now an associate athletic director at OSU in charge of nine sports. "And I always thought Chris would find a way out. He was a winner." During his long period in the wilderness, Ward managed to work toward his ordination while ministering to transients and anyone else within his reach.

He then received an invitation to speak at a vibrant church, and he cut the congregation to the core with a convicting message. He left the altar that day with a sense that his financial hardships were over.

"God said to me, 'I have sealed your blessing. It's done. From this day on, you are my man and nobody can touch you,' " Ward recalled, his booming voice breaking with emotion. "He said, 'From this day forward, people are going to come to give you money to get off the street.' "

Ward said that a woman approached him the next day with a donation, the first of many charitable gifts.

He soon launched a church and founded Ward International Ministries. In addition to running after-school Bible studies, he teaches career skills and offers job opportunities for at-risk kids.

AS A BABY CHRIS WARD WAS LEFT IN A DUMPSTER TO DIE, per Doug Davis:

Ward's motivation is fueled in part by a sense that he's on borrowed time. He was born in Cleveland but was abandoned by his parents, left in a dumpster to die.

He was saved by a children's services agency. An elderly couple was awarded custody and moved to Dayton when Ward was an infant.

He didn't learn he was adopted until he was 12. The truth caused him great grief, but it's given him compassion for others who feel discarded.

Archie Griffin thinks highly of Chris Ward, per Doug Davis:

Griffin captured the Heisman Trophy in 1974 and '75 and believes Ward deserves much of the credit.

"He was awesome," Griffin said. "When he came to Ohio State, you knew right away he was going to be a difference-maker. Woody was very, very high on him. He played a lot as a freshman and did a great job. "He was a big fella fast and quick off the ball."

The former teammates lost track of each other over the years but reconnected when the Buckeyes played at UCLA in 2001. Griffin, the president of the OSU alumni association, was inspired by Ward's ability to pull himself from the depths.

"It's a testimony to the type of person he is to be able to endure that," Griffin said. "It's a testimony to his faith."

For more information on other players who wore No. 79 go here.

Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide, DaytonDailyNews.com and Wikipedia
 

ALL PLAYERS COVERED TO DATE