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Digging Deeper: Players Who Wore No. 30

Matt Gutridge's picture
August 2, 2018 at 12:33am
5 Comments

Man, yesterday sucked. However, no matter the outcome, Ohio State will play Oregon State to start the 2018 season in 30 days. Holding out hope that Urban Meyer will still be on the sidelines.

Below, you will find a list with the 36 players who wore No. 30 for the Buckeyes. Today's featured players are David Katterhenrich and Greg Bellisari. You will learn why Bellisari moved Ohio State from last on his list to first and what he is doing today.

Players Who Wore No. 30 At Ohio State
PLAYER WORN B1G MVP TEAM MVP AA CAPT. 1R NFL ALL B1G AC AA NFL DRAFT AC B1G LETTER
Vernell Roberts 1934                    
Walter Seaman 1935                    
Louis Young 1938                   1938
Ewing Bruckner* 1940                   1940
Dick Zimmerman 1941                    
Paul Priday* 1942                   1942
Jasper Harris 1943                    
Herbert Gorby 1945                   1945
Jack Wagner* 1950                   1950
Paul Ludwig* 1952                   1952
Joseph Hans 1953                    
James Young 1954-55                    
Patrick McCarthy 1956                    
Ralph Gage 1958                   1958
David Katterhenrich* 1960, 1962               1963 1962 1960, 1962
Stephan Dreffer* 1964                   1964
Thomas Portsmouth 1965-67                 1966 1965-67
Almond Mathis 1971-73                   1971-73
Charles Simon 1974                   1974
Joel Payton 1977-78                   1977-78
Brien Smith 1981                    
Michael Kee 1983-85                   1983-85
Dedrick Howard* 1987                    
Otto Susec 1988                    
Brent Johnson 1989-92                   1989-92
Greg Bellisari 1993-96       1996     1995, 1996   1994, 1995, 1996 1993-96
Mark Lovely 1993                    
Jason Ott 1997-2000                 1998, 1999, 2000 1998-99
Lydell Ross 2001-04       2004           2001-04
Sirjo Welch 2004-05                   2004-05
Dre Riddick 2006                    
Donnie Evege 2007-11                 2009 2009
Devan Bogard 2012-14                   2012-14
Jared Drake 2015-17                    
DeMario McCall 2016-18                    
Kevin Dever 2018                    

*Wore another number at Ohio State
Did not earn a varsity letter while wearing No. 30

David Katterhenrich

David Katterhenrich, FB (1960-1962)
Born:
1940 (Greenville, Ohio)
Died: 2017 (Crestline, Ohio)
High School: Bucyrus

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 21-5-1 with Katterhenrich on the team.
1961 National Champion.
1961 Big Ten Title.
Went 3-0 against That Team and outscored them 85-20.

Honors
1962 Academic All-Big Ten.

Katterhenrich's senior bio per The Ohio State Team Guide:

6-1, 209...from Bucyrus...after playing understudy to All-American Bob Ferguson for two years, Katterhenrich is ready to take over...saw limited action in all nine games last year, chiefly on offense...top game was against Wisconsin, when Ferguson was hurt in the first series of downs and Katterhenrich paced the Buckeye attack, netting 71 yards in 17 carries...averaged five yards per carry last year.

Won ten high school letters and All-Ohio honors at fullback...called "Kat"...majoring in psychology...hobbies are hunting and fishing...works for the highway department during the summer.

Learns quickly...fits into the tradition of strong-running Ohio State fullbacks...has been bothered by a series of injuries...very cheerful, pleasant disposition.

Katterhenrich was inducted into the Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016:

Katterhenrich will be the newest member of the Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame David Katterhenrich, a Bucyrus native, is part of the 2016 Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame.(Photo: Submitted Photo) BUCYRUS – People from Ohio are known as Buckeyes. But for 2016 Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame inductee David Katterhenrich, living as a Buckeye meant more than just growing up in the state. It meant being a Buckeye on the gridiron. From his days as a dominant force at Bucyrus High School to playing for the legendary Woody Hayes at The Ohio State University and even playing for Paul Brown as a member of the Cleveland Browns, Katterhenrich was a Buckeye. 

But his story really begins in Crawford County. Katterhenrich began his athletic career for the Bucyrus Redmen in the late 50’s. He played basketball, football and track setting multiple school records and collecting numerous awards. But his success didn’t start in high school. “I still remember playing in the field by the cemetery in town,” Katterhenrich said. “There would always be a bunch of us kids out there playing pick-up football games and it would carry over to us playing at halftime of the varsity games. We really thought we were something.” 

Turns out, Katterhenrich did turn into something. He was part of the mile relay team that set the school record in 1958 and helped his team to back-to-back Northern Ohio League Championships in 1958 and ’59. He also owned the record for the shot put and discus at Bucyrus and earned the Michael MVP trophy in basketball during the 1958-59 season.

A high school influence and his Ohio State playing days:

After graduating, he decided to play for the legendary coach Woody Hayes at The Ohio State University and was a 3-year letter winner during his time as a Buckeye. He was 3-0 against Michigan earning the coveted Gold Pants and was awarded the Greatest Desire Award in 1959.

In 1961, Katterhenrich played fullback on the Big Ten and National Championship team and in 1962 was named to the All-Academic Big Ten team. Being a Buckeye meant he had to continue his football career and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.

His thoughts on being inducted in the Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame:

 “I am really humbled by it and I could not believe it when I got the call,” Katterhenrich said. "I honestly didn’t know they had one as we have been out of the area for 30 years. It is unbelievable. Some of these guys in the hall of fame were my heroes growing up so it is an honor.”

An excerpt of Katterhenrich's obiturary per legacy.com:

Dave was a secondary Health, Physical Education and OWE teacher for forty-five years at various central and southeast Ohio schools. Dave played varsity football as a fullback at The Ohio State University under Woody Hayes from 1960-1962. He was part of the National Championship Team in 1961, and a member of the Varsity O. Later, Dave was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Dave enjoyed fishing, hunting and flower gardening.

 

Greg Bellisari

Greg Bellisari, LB (1993-96)
Born:
1975 (Boca Raton, FL)
High School: Boca Raton

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 41-8-1 with Bellisari on the team.
1993 Big Ten Title.
1996 Big Ten Title.
1997 Defeated No. 4 Arizona State 20-17 to win the Rose Bowl.

Honors
1996 Captain.
1996 National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship Winner.
1996 Academic All-American.
1996 Academic All-Big Ten.
1995 Academic All-American.
1995 Academic All-Big Ten.
1994 Academic All-Big Ten.

Bellisari's senior bio Ohio State per The Ohio State Team Guide:

6-1, 230...from Boca Raton, FL...Led the team in tackles last year with 98...one of 10 finalists for the Butkus Award...First-team Academic All-America...will be on his third year as a starter...started on the outside as a sophomore and in the middle last year...could spend time at both spots this season and is capable of playing any of the three linebacker positions...not real big as linebackers go, but a very intelligent player, who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Will be a candidate for postseason honors this year and a nominee for a National Football Foundation Post Graduate Scholarship...outstanding leader...the consummate student-athlete.

First team all-state (class AAAA) and South Florida Player of the Year as a senior...also a standout baseball player...A National Football Foundation Scholarship winner.

Greg Bellisari's recruitment and announcement to attend Ohio State per The Sun-Sentinel.com:

Although he said family pressure played no role in his decision, Greg Bellisari will continue family tradition and attend Ohio State.

Bellisari, a Class  4A All-State linebacker from Boca Raton High who earned the Sun-Sentinel`s Defensive Player of the Year award, made an oral commitment to the Buckeyes at 11 p.m. Tuesday and announced his decision Wednesday afternoon.

``It came down to where my heart was and where I felt the most comfortable,`` Bellisari said.

Bellisari`s father, Art, played strong safety at Ohio State; his mother, Mary Beth, is also an OSUgraduate; and his sister, Annette, went to the school for two years.

``I feel relieved that he feels that I didn`t influence his decision,`` Art Bellisari said. ``That was very important to me from the beginning. We exhausted every avenue to make this decision.``

The phone calls, visits and pressure took a toll on Bellisari, who looked relieved he made his choice a week before the Feb. 3 signing date.

``It`s my dream and goal  to start next year and Ohio State had the best opportunity for me in that respect,`` Bellisari said.

Bellisari selected Ohio State over Florida State, his other finalist. Michigan was eliminated at 10 p.m. Tuesday, while Florida and Georgia were crossed off earlier in the night. Despite the family ties, the Buckeyes started as a long shot when the recruiting process began.

``Ohio State came from the last position to the first,`` Bellisari said. ``They had the toughest job to do to impress me because of my dad.``

Buckeyes coach John Cooper, who visited Bellisari on Thursday night, overcame the disadvantage to get Palm Beach County`s most heavily recruited player. Bellisari, 6 feet 2, 225 pounds, was a two-time All-County pick who had 239 tackles and blocked seven extra points the past two seasons. Coaches from 27 major universities  visited Bellisari and about 40 schools expressed serious interest.

Florida`s Steve Spurrier visited Monday, and Michigan`s Gary Moeller met with Bellisari last week.

Bellisari said if he can`t start or earn solid playing time, he would ask to redshirted next year. In the past two seasons Bellisari became known for his wild-eyed sideline-to-sideline pursuit of ball carriers. He`s a crushing tackler who gained needed weight and speed between his junior and senior seasons to become a major Division I recruit.

``He`s definitely got to be the most highly recruited athlete ever out of Boca High,`` coach Jay Minton said. ``Maybe the most highly recruited athlete I`ve ever dealt with. It`s a process and a half. It`s an intense process, it`s a grueling process.``

Today Greg Bellisari is known as Dr. Bellisari. His bio page per ohio-ortho.com:

Dr. Greg Bellisari is an orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in Sports Medicine. A Florida Native, he completed undergraduate training and medical school at The Ohio State University. Dr. Bellisari went on to complete a specialized "fellowship" training program in Sports Medicine at OrthoCarolina while caring for amateur, collegiate and professional
athletes.

Dr. Bellisari has highly trained arthroscopic experience in orthopedic conditions
of the knee, shoulder, and elbow as well as in reconstructive surgery. As a former professional athlete himself, Dr. Bellisari shares a passion for athletics and for athletes of all levels of play. He adds, "I am dedicated to getting athletes back on the field of play and people back to the activities they enjoy". In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children.

Surgical procedures include:
• Knee Arthroscopy
• Complex Knee and Revision Surgery
• Shoulder and Elbow Arthroscopy
• Shoulder and Elbow Replacement

Greg Bellisari was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 1997 season and two games of the 1998 season. 

No. 30 In The NFL Draft
NAME YEAR ROUND PICK POSITION TEAM
PAUL PRIDAY* 1945 31 324 BACK PACKERS
DAVE KATTERHENRICH 1963 13 177 RB BROWNS

*Wore No. 27 when drafted

Previous Numbers
99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90
89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80
79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70
69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60
59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50
49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40
39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30

113 days until The Game.

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