Ohio State announced a 13-member 2014 class today that will be inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame in late September, with a public ceremony being held during halftime of the September 27th clash with Cincinnati.
Former football greats Troy Smith and Antoine Winfield lead the class.
- Tessa Bonhomme (women’s hockey)
- Nancy Darsch (women’s basketball coach)
- Boaz Ellis (fencing)
- Rosalind Goodwin (women’s track and field)
- Ralph Guarasci (men’s golf)
- Russ Hellickson (wrestling coach)
- Becky Kim (synchronized swimming)
- Tami Smith (women’s track and field)
- Troy Smith (football)
- Bob Vogel (football)
- Antoine Winfield (football)
- Ralph Wolf (football)
- Jeremy Wurtzman (men’s tennis)
Here's Ohio State on the legendary Antoine Winfield, one of the surest tacklers in Ohio State history (with some attached, albeit NFL, highlights):
Winfield, a team captain as a senior, was one of the all-time great cornerbacks in Ohio State history. A two-time All-American, he was a consensus choice as a senior in 1998. He was the first Buckeye to win the Thorpe Award as the nation’s outstanding defensive back; the first non-linebacker (and only the fifth player total) to record at least 200 solo tackles; the first defensive back in Ohio State history to be voted team MVP (following the 1997 season); and the first cornerback in recorded history to lead the team in tackles when he did so in 1997.
A two-time all-Big Ten Conference selection, Winfield closed his career with 278 tackles, including 224 solo stops, 22 tackles-for-loss, 29 pass breakups and three interceptions. He played in four bowl games, including the 1996 Citrus Bowl when he came in as a true freshman and recorded seven tackles. He played in 50 career games, starting 29 times. As a senior in 1998, he was one of five finalists for the Football News Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was named first-team All-America by the Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp, the Football Writers and the Football News and was named the Buckeyes’ Bill Willis Defensive Player of the Year award winner. He totaled 75 tackles, including nine solo tackles in a win over Michigan to close the season.
As a junior, Winfield was voted by his teammates as the 1997 MVP after a season in which he totaled 100 tackles, 12 pass break-ups and two interceptions. He had 82 solo tackles, the fifth-highest solo tackle total in school history, and made the Football Writers and Football News All-America teams. He led the team in tackles five times, including a magnificent 10-tackle performance against Michigan and a career-high, 13-tackle effort against Missouri.
And here's the wrap on another guy who needs no introduction, Heisman Trophy-winner Troy Smith:
Smith, Ohio State’s seventh Heisman Trophy winner in 2006, was 25-3 as a starter during his career and posted a 3-0 mark against rival Michigan. He led the Buckeyes to two Big Ten championships and a spot in the 2006 BCS National Championship game.
[..]
In 2005, Smith guided the Buckeyes to a 10-2 record that included a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Michigan and a decisive win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Smith threw for 16 touchdowns and rushed for 11 more in his first full season as a starter.
But the Cleveland native saved his best for last, leading the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes to a 12-0 regular-season record and a spot in the national championship game as a senior in 2006. With one remarkable performance after another, he threw for a school single-season record 30 touchdowns and became just the second quarterback in Ohio State history to post a 3-0 record against Michigan as a starter. In a see-saw 42-39 win over the Wolverines, Smith threw four touchdown passes and topped the 300-yard mark in total offense for the third-consecutive year.
Congrats not just to Troy Smith and Antoine Winfield, but to every member of the 2014 Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame class, on their Buckeye immortality.
