A former Ohio State captain who went on to star for the Cleveland Browns passed away this weekend.
Dick Schafrath, who was a captain for the Buckeyes in 1958 and made seven straight Pro Bowls as an offensive lineman for the Browns, died Sunday in his hometown of Wooster, Ohio, at the age of 84, his grandson told Eleven Warriors.
As a two-year letterwinner in the trenches for the Buckeyes, Schafrath helped lead Ohio State to a national championship in 1957 and back-to-back rivalry game wins over Michigan. He found even more success at the next level, where he missed only two games in 13 years (1959-71) with the Browns and was a four-time All-Pro, helping lead Cleveland to its most recent NFL championship in 1964.
Following his playing career, Schafrath returned to the NFL to be the assistant offensive line coach in Washington from 1975-77, then later went into politics, serving in the Ohio Senate for 16 years.
Schafrath returned to Ohio State in 2004 to complete his degree and graduated from the university in 2006. He also published a book in 2006, “Heart of a Mule,” in reference to his nickname from his playing career.
