There are 12 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. 12 KEITH BYARS, RB (1982-85)
Born: 1963 (Dayton)
High School: Roth and Trotwood Madison

OHIO STATE CAREER:

• The Buckeyes were 36-12 with Byars on the team.
• 1984 Big Ten Title.
• 1982 Defeated BYU 47-17 to win the Holiday Bowl.
• 1984 Defeated Pitt 28-23 to win the Fiesta Bowl.
• 1985 Defeated BYU 10-7 to win the Citrus Bowl.

Honors:

• 1985 Captain.
• 1984 Heisman Runner-up.
• 1984 All-American.
• 1984 Big Ten Most Valuable Player.
• 1984 Team MVP.
• 2000 Inducted into the Varsity O Hall of Fame.

NFL DRAFT
Round 1 to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 10th pick of the 1986 draft.
 

Keith Byars' Ohio State career per The Ohio State Team Guide:

Keith Byars earned first team All-America honors, was Big Ten MVP and runner-up for the Heisman Trophy (to Boston College’s Doug Flutie) in 1984, when he rushed for a then-school record 1,764 yards and 22 touchdowns. That season, he led the nation in rushing, scoring
(144 points) and all-purpose running (2,441). Included in those totals were 274 yards and five TDs against Illinois in one of the most brilliant individual performances in OSU annals.

The Fighting Illini led 24-0, but Byars’ fourth TD was a spectacular 67-yard run in which he completely reversed his field and lost a shoe at the Illinois 35, but still outran the Illini secondary. His fifth touchdown of the day was the game winner. Byars, who missed most of his senior year with a broken foot, is still fourth on the all-time rushing list with 3,200 yards.

The Dayton, Ohio, native played 13 seasons in the NFL. He was elected to the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.

Byars' injury and senior season per Wikipedia:

Byars was a preseason favorite for the 1985 Heisman, but fractured the bone in his right foot near the little toe in preseason practice. He missed the first five games of the 1985 season, and returned too early. He reinjured the broken bone in his second game back and missed the remainder of the regular season. He attempted to return for the Citrus Bowl game on December 28, but reinjured his foot again in the second Ohio State offensive series of the game. Many observers note that throughout the remainder of his football career Byars was never as dominant a player as he had been in 1984.

Despite losing almost his entire senior year, Byars finished his college career at Ohio State with 4,369 total yards, 3,200 rushing yards, and 50 touchdowns. His 50 touchdowns remain the second most in school history.

Keith Byars' NFL career per Wikipedia:

As a professional, he played fullback and tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles(1986–1992), Miami Dolphins (1993–1996), New England Patriots (1996–1997), and the New York Jets (1998). Byars was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993.

[...]

In his 13 seasons, Byars rushed for 3,109 yards, caught 610 passes for 5,661 yards, returned five kickoffs for 94 yards, and completed 6 of 13 passes for 119 yards and six touchdowns, with one interception. He also scored 54 touchdowns (23 rushing and 31 receiving). His six passing touchdowns are the third highest total by a running back in NFL history.

With the 1984 Fiesta Bowl tied at 14-14 in the 4th quarter Keith Byars ripped the heart out of the Pitt Panthers:

For more information on other players who wore No. 41 go here.

Sources: The Ohio State Team Guide and Wikipedia
 

ALL PLAYERS COVERED TO DATE

Today's article is brought to you by Byars' one shoe run: