Ohio State plays Oregon State to start the season in 81 days. Today's article will list the 29 players who have worn the No. 81 for the Buckeyes. Fred Kriss, Billy Anders, Louis Irizarry and Nick Vannett will be featured in today's article.
Today's Trivia Questions
How many players who have worn No. 81 for Ohio State have been selected in the NFL Draft?
Where did Louis Irizarry finish his college career?
| PLAYER | WORN | B1G MVP | TEAM MVP | AA | CAPT. | 1R NFL | ALL B1G | AC AA | NFL DRAFT | AC B1G | LETTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Shannon | 1947 | 1947 | |||||||||
| Ralph Armstrong | 1949-51 | 1949-51 | |||||||||
| Joel Maddox | 1952 | ||||||||||
| Fred Kriss | 1954-56 | 1955 | 1954-56 | ||||||||
| John Lord | 1958 | 1958 | |||||||||
| Larry Stephens | 1959-61 | 1959-61 | |||||||||
| Terry Meyer | 1962-63 | ||||||||||
| Billy Anders | 1965-67 | 1967 | 1967 | 1965-67 | 1965-67 | ||||||
| Richard Kuhn | 1968-70 | 1968-70 | |||||||||
| Thomas Marendt | 1971-72 | 1971-72 | |||||||||
| Robert Lillie* | 1974 | ||||||||||
| Farley Bell | 1975-76 | 1975-76 | |||||||||
| James Light | 1978 | ||||||||||
| Brad Dwelle | 1979-82 | 1979-82 | |||||||||
| John Hutchison | 1984-86 | 1984-86 | |||||||||
| Anthony Cook | 1988 | ||||||||||
| Tom Lease | 1989-92 | 1989-92 | |||||||||
| Steve Langenkamp | 1993 | ||||||||||
| Matt Jacobs* | 1994-95 | 1995 | |||||||||
| Dark Warnke | 1996-99 | 1997, 1998 | 1997-99 | ||||||||
| Andre Hooks | 2001-02 | ||||||||||
| R.J. Coleman | 2002, 2004-05 | 2004 | 2004 | ||||||||
| Louis Irizarry | 2003 | 2003 | |||||||||
| Marcel Frost* | 2004-05 | 2005 | |||||||||
| Brent Ullery* | 2006-07 | 2007 | |||||||||
| Nic DeLillo | 2008-10 | ||||||||||
| Ricky Crawford | 2008-10 | 2010 | |||||||||
| Nick Vannett | 2011-15 | 2016 | 2012-15 | ||||||||
| Jake Hausmann | 2016-18 | 2017 |
*Wore another number at Ohio State
Did not earn a varsity letter while wearing No. 81
Fred Kriss, WR / PK (1954-56)
High School: Austin (Austin, TX)
Ohio State
5 receptions, 87 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Buckeyes went 23-5 with Kriss on the team.
1954 National Champions.
Won 2 Big Ten titles.
2-1 against That Team.
Honors
1955 Academic All-Big Ten.
Miscellaneous
Against that team in 1955 Kriss kicked a field goal (drop kick from the 14 yard line) that put Ohio State up 3-0. The Buckeyes won the game 17-0. The recap of the game is here.
Kicked extra-points during his Ohio State career.
His dad was Howie "Buckeye Bullet" Kriss.
Interesting newspaper article about Fred Kriss.
Bill Anders, WR (1965-67)
High School: Sabina
Ohio State
108 receptions, 1,318 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Ended his Ohio State career 1st all-time in receptions and receiving yards.
The Buckeyes were 17-10 and 2-1 against That Team with Bill Anders on the team.
Honors
1967 Captain
1967 All-Big Ten
Bill Anders' bio in the 1967 Ohio State Team Guide:
6-2, 194 (pounds)...from Sabina...the finest pass receiver in Ohio State history...caught 25 for 244 yards as a sophomore and 55 for 671 yards last year...his 80 receptions betters Bo Rein's career total of 77...needs 15 yards to break Rein's three year total of 929 yards...the most outstanding athlete on the 1967 Buckeye team.
His high school did not have a football team...hobby is hunting...majoring in physical education...won 11 high school letters...has remarkable hands and the rare ability to make the "great catch"...one of the hardest working members of the squad...caught 12 against Washington and nine against Wisconsin last year.
Bill Anders' career per markrea.wordpress.com:
Every one of the players on this list was a high school star before he got to Ohio State. Not Anders, however. He didn’t even play high school football. On a dare, he went out for the team as a sophomore walk-on and became team captain by his senior year in 1967.
By his own admission, Anders was the slowest receiver on the team. But what he lacked in quickness, he more than made up for with great hands. Oldtimers still talk about a touchdown catch he had during a 14-10 win over Iowa in 1966. On a third-and-8 play, Anders slipped to the turf while making his cut and still managed to reach up and snag the ball one-handed to sustain the winning touchdown drive.
By the time he finished his career in 1967, he was the school’s all-time leading receiver with 108 catches for 1,318 yards.
Louis Irizarry, TE (2003)
Born: 1984 (Youngstown)
High School: Ursuline (Youngstown)
Ohio State
The Buckeyes went 11-2 with Irizarry on the team.
Played on the special teams unit.
Suspended from team in 2004. Finished career at Youngstown State.
Played against Ohio State in 2007. Story by Ken Gordon of The Dispatch.
Miscellaneous
Irizarry's off-field troubles per zoominfo.com:
October 27, 2003: Ohio State tight end Louis Irizarry is arrested on three counts of first-degree misdemeanor assault. He is suspended two days later, and is found guilty of one count of assault, one count of negligent assault, and one count of disorderly conduct. He is put on probation, and is listed as second on the depth chart at tight end on Ohio State's spring 2004 roster.
May 1, 2004: Ohio State tight end Louis Irizarry and cornerback Ira Guilford are arrested and charged with robbery after a student is assaulted and his wallet is stolen at 3 AM.
June 7, 2004: Ohio State tight end Louis Irizarry is arrested for criminal trespassing after police pull him over and discover he has been banned from the campus of Ohio State.
October 12, 2004: Louis Irizarry is sentenced to three years in prison.
Nick Vannett (2011-2015)
High School: Westerville Central (Westerville)
Ohio State
17 receptions, 203 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Buckeyes are 30-9 with Vannett on the team.
2-1 against That Team.
Vannett's career per the 2013 Ohio State Team Guide:
| NAME | YEAR | ROUND | PICK | POS | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRUCE JANKOWSKI | 1971 | 10 | 250 | WR | CHIEFS |
| DAVE HAZEL | 1975 | 11 | 261 | WR | COLTS |
| BYRON LEE | 1986 | 7 | 176 | LB | EAGLES |
*Rufus Mayes, Joseph Robinson, Drew Carter and Roy Hall did not wear No. 82 when they were selected in the NFL Draft.
Today's Trivia Answers
How many players who have worn No. 81 for Ohio State have been selected in the NFL Draft?
Answer: 1.
Where did Louis Irizarry finish his college career?
Answer: Youngstown State.
| 99 | 98 | 97 | 96 | 95 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 91 | 90 |
| 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 81 | 80 |
166 days until The Game and That Team still sucks.
