When LeCharles Bentley visited Ohio State as a 17-year-old, he told his mother that he would make his mark on Ohio State history.
His mother encouraged him to make that dream come true, and that’s exactly what he did.
Bentley earned a permanent place in Ohio State history on Friday, when he was one of eight Buckeye legends inducted in the 40th anniversary class of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
"To get to this point, it’s surreal. And to be a part of a fabric that has built what Ohio State truly represents, it’s special, to say the least," Bentley told Eleven Warriors before Friday night’s ceremony. "I’m not going to sit here and lie and say I worked to get in the Ohio State Hall of Fame, that wasn’t the case. I wanted to be the best player that I could be. And I understood that there was a tradition, there was a legacy, there was a foundation that had been built before me, and I don’t want to be the guy that let that not continue to exist. And to see it continue to exist with the guys like Pat Elflein and Taylor Deckers of the world and Jack Mewhorts, you’re just so proud to be a part of continuing to build that legacy."
Making his mark on Ohio State’s football program didn’t come easily.
During his speech at the Marriott Columbus University Area on Friday night, Bentley revealed that during his first week on campus out of Cleveland’s St. Ignatius High School, he was told by a coach that he would never see the field for the Buckeyes, that he "didn’t meet the qualifications, the standards of other great players that had walked those same hallways."
Yet Bentley persevered, and by the end of his four years at Ohio State, he was the best center in college football, earning the Rimington Award and consensus All-American honors for the 2001 season. Bentley went on to be a second-round NFL draft pick of the New Orleans Saints and spent six seasons in the NFL before retiring due to knee injuries.
Bentley, who now has six children, used his story as an example to encourage others to pursue their dreams regardless of who might try to discourage them.
"I had to figure out as a 17-year-old how the hell I was going to get through this," Bentley said during his speech on Friday night. "I realized something very simple: The less time you spend worrying about who likes you, the better off you’ll be. The more time you spend and invest in working toward getting people to respect you, the better off you’ll be."
“To be a part of a fabric that has built what Ohio State truly represents, it’s special, to say the least.”– LeCharles Bentley
Now more than 15 years removed from his Ohio State playing career, Bentley – who spends most of his time now training up-and-coming offensive linemen at Offensive Line Performance in Chandler, Arizona – said he would encourage Ohio State’s current crop of student-athletes not to take their time as Buckeyes for granted.
"Enjoy it. This is the most fun you will have playing this game, and what tends to happen at this level is you start to look at tomorrow," Bentley said. "Enjoying the moment, enjoying the process is what I would tell all our players and anyone. It ain’t exactly what you think it is at the next level, and you may be in a hurry to get out of Ohio State, you may be in a hurry to move on with your life and achieve the things you want to achieve but be great where you are. Establish that, enjoy that process and then whenever the opportunities come down the road, then you begin that new process, new journey."
Friday night’s honorees also included former Ohio State men’s basketball player Mike Conley Jr., who became the first inductee into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame who was an Ohio State student-athlete for only one year.
Conley, who led Ohio State to the national championship game in 2007 along with high school teammate Greg Oden, was unable to attend Friday’s ceremony due to NBA obligations, as he is entering his 11th season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Conley did send along a video message, however, that was played during the ceremony.
"I am truly honored to be inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame," Conley said. "It is one of the greatest honors of my life. My family and I are extremely appreciative of everything this university has done for me, and will continue to support all the way through."
The rest of this year’s Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame class consists of Tom Byers, Chelsea Davis, Pete Hanson, Bryce Keough, Christina Manning and Nancy Pearson.
- Byers, who competed in track and field for the Buckeyes from 1974-76, still holds the school record in the 1,500-meter run (3:37.50), which he set inside Ohio Stadium in 1974. He was also the U.S. outdoor champion in the 1,500 in 1974.
- Davis, who competed in diving for Ohio State in 2007, 2008 and 2010, won an individual national title in the three-meter springboard in 2008, was an All-American in 2008 and 2010 and was a Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient in 2010.
- Hanson, the only member of this year’s Hall of Fame class who is still an active member of the Ohio State athletic department, has been the Buckeyes’ men’s volleyball coach since 1985. He has led the Buckeyes to three national titles since 2011, including back-to-back titles in that past two seasons.
- Keough, who was inducted posthumously, competed in wrestling for the Buckeyes from 1949-51. Despite being a walk-on when he arrived at Ohio State, Keough went on to be a two-time Big Ten champion for the Buckeyes, winning titles at 147 and 155 pounds along the way.
- Manning, who competed in track and field for Ohio State for 2009-12, was an 11-time All-American, 10-time Big Ten champion, four-time Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year and two-time national champion for the Buckeyes. A school record holder in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay, Manning still competes professionally as one of the world’s top female hurdlers, finishing fifth at this year’s IAAF World Championships.
- Pearson competed in swimming for the Buckeyes from 1980-83, earning All-American honors in 1982 and leading the Buckeyes to Big Ten titles in 1982 and 1983. She held school records in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyles and the 800 freestyle relay upon her departure from Ohio State.
