Ohio State Greats Keith Byars, Jim Otis, and Chris Ward Nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame

By 11W Staff on June 1, 2017 at 11:11 am
Ohio State Greats Keith Byars, Jim Otis, and Chris Ward Nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame
via The Ohio State University
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The College Football Hall of Fame could welcome three more Buckeyes soon.

Thursday, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the ballot for the 2018 class. It includes former Ohio State greats Keith Byars, Jim Otis, and Chris Ward. Only three nominees a year per school can advance past the screening committee.

KEITH BYARS

Ranks seventh at Ohio State in career rushing yards with 3,200, sixth with 4,369 all-purpose yards and second with 50 touchdowns scored ... he was a unanimous All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1984 when he led the nation in rushing with a then-school record 1,764 yards, in all-purpose yards (a still-standing school record of 2,441 yards) and in scoring (144 points).

JIM OTIS

A member of the 1968 national championship team and a consensus All-American in 1968 ... he is one of only four Buckeyes to lead the team in rushing for three seasons ... ranks 15th at Ohio State in rushing with 2,542 career yards.

CHRIS WARD

Helped Ohio State win four consecutive Big Ten Conference championships ... a two-time All-American, including consensus honors in 1976 and unanimous honors in 1977 ... named first-team all-Big Ten Conference three times ... helped pave the way for Archie Griffin's second Heisman Trophy season.

The announcement of the 2018 class will occur Jan. 8 in Atlanta.

Current Buckeyes in the Hall:

PLAYER POSITION YEARS INDUCTED
CHIC HARLEY HB 1916-17, 19 1951
G. STINCHCOMB HB 1917-20 1973
WES FESLER E 1928-30 1954
GOMER JONES C 1934-1935 1978
GUST ZARNAS G 1935-1937 1975
BILL WILLIS T 1942-44 1971
LES HORVATH QB 1940-42, 44 1969
WARREN AMLING G/T 1944-46 1984
JIM DANIEL T 1939-41 1977
VIC JANOWICZ HB 1949-51 1976
H. CASSADY HB 1952-55 1979
JIM PARKER G 1943-46 1974
A. THOMAS G 1955-1957 1989
ARCHIE GRIFFIN TB 1972-75 1986
JIM STILLWAGON MG 1968-70 1991
BOB FERGUSON FB 1959-61 1996
RANDY GRADISHAR LB 1971-73 1998
JOHN HICKS T 1970, '72-72 2001
JACK TATUM DB 1968-70 2004
JIM HOUSTON E 1957-58 2005
REX KERN QB 1968-70 2007
CHRIS SPIELMAN LB 1984-87 2009
EDDIE GEORGE RB 1992-95 2012
ORLANDO PACE LT 1994-96 2014
TOM COUSINEAU LB 1975-78 2016
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