Buckeye Pipelines puts the spotlight each week on a high school program who has had numerous and notable alumni go on to play for the Scarlet and Gray.
This week, we take a look at a school that has produced 17 Ohio State football players since 1970: Massillon Washington.
The Tigers have had seven players on the Buckeyes' roster since the turn of the century, including three since 2017.
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LOCATION: MASSILLON, OH CONFERENCE: 2021 RECORD 11–3 |
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6 STATE FINAL APPEARANCES 24 PA AND AP STATE TITLES 28 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES SINCE 1972 |
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5TH-MOST PLAYERS ON OHIO STATE'S ROSTER (17) 4TH-MOST ROSTER APPEARANCES (61) (1970-2021) |
Of the 17 Massillon players to come to Columbus, five have been selected in the NFL draft, including one of Ohio State's all-time great linebackers: Chris Spielman.
Notable Buckeyes from Massillon
C/CB Steve Luke (1972-1974)
Luke started his OSU career as a center on the offensive line and lettered at the position. Going into his junior season, he was switched to the secondary. Luke earned All-Big Ten honors his senior season when he broke up six passes, had three interceptions and tallied 62 tackles.
The pre-dental student started his final 23 games as a Buckeye and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft.
At Massillon, Luke was an All-Ohioan who played linebacker and tight end. He also captained the football and track teams.
LB Chris Spielman (1984-1987)
Ohio State's record book has Spielman's name throughout. The tenacious linebacker is at the top of the list for all-time solo tackles with 283. His 29 stops against Michigan in 1986 is the most for any Buckeye in a single game.
Spielman led the Buckeyes in tackles in 1986 and 1987 and was a three-year starter. He would have been a four-year starter, but two sprained ankles limited his playing time when he was a freshman.
Honored as the MVP of the 1987 team, Spielman was also a two-time All-American, three-time All-Big Ten player, Lombardi Award winner and the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP.
Spielman was inducted into the Varsity O Hall of Fame in 2000 and College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Detroit Lions selected the decorated linebacker in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He played in 148 games, amassed 1,363 tackles, recovered 19 fumbles and scored one touchdown during his 10-year career.
Following stints on radio and television, the four-time Pro-Bowl player is currently the Lions’ special assistant to the owner and CEO.
At Massillon, Spielman was a consensus All-American and two-time All-Ohioan. He was named the Male High School Athlete of the Year by Armour-Dial and the "top high school linebacker in the nation" by Parade Magazine. As a senior, he had 112 tackles, six interceptions and recovered two fumbles.
QB Justin Zwick (2002-06)
Zwick was the starter for the 2004 season until he was injured against Iowa in Week 6. Troy Smith took over the starting job and began his Heisman Trophy career.
However, Zwick did start three games after Smith had taken the reins. Due to Smith being suspended, Zwick started the 2004 Alamo Bowl, the 2005 season opener against Miami (Ohio) and the home loss against Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns.
During his time in Columbus, Zwick played in 25 games and completed 158 passes for 1,779 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Zwick's professional career included looks from the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, but he did not make it to training camp with either team. He was a member of the Columbus Destroyers in 2008.
Orrville is where Zwick began his high school career, and he led the Red Raiders to a state title as a freshman. Zwick transferred to Massillon Washington as a sophomore.
At Massillon, Zwick was named an All-American, All-Ohioan and the AP Co-Offensive Player of the Year after he threw for 3,821 yards and 40 TDs as a senior. He finished his high school career with 10,500 passing yards and 112 touchdowns.
Zwick also played basketball and track at Massillon.
WR Devin Smith (2011-14)
At Ohio State, Smith was known for his big-play ability. The rangy receiver holds the school record by averaging 28.2 yards per catch during the Buckeyes' championship season of 2014.
Smith played an integral part of the stretch run in 2014. In the Big Ten title game, he caught four passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns against Wisconsin. Against Alabama, Smith had two catches for 87 yards; his 47-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter gave Ohio State a lead that they never relinquished.
Smith finished his Ohio State career with 121 catches for 2,503 yards and 30 touchdowns. He was also an accomplished track athlete as he tied for second in the 2014 Big Ten outdoor championships when he cleared 7 feet and a quarter-inch in the high jump.
The New York Jets selected Smith in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Knee injuries have dogged his pro career. Since 2015, Smith has played in 22 NFL games over four seasons with 15 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns. At this time, Smith is not under contract with an NFL team.
As a Tiger, Smith was a two-time All-Ohioan and had 110 receptions for 2,119 yards and 24 touchdowns, the second-most in school history. He was also the state champion in the long jump.
CB Gareon Conley (2013-16)
Conley was a captain of the 2016 Ohio State football team and made 26 consecutive starts to finish his collegiate career. The lockdown corner intercepted six passes and broke up 15 passes as a Buckeye.
The Oakland Raiders selected Conley with the 24th overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft. Conley played in 31 games, made 94 tackles and intercepted four passes in his first three seasons in the NFL, but has not played a game in the league since.
In high school, Conley earned All-Ohio honors after recording 13 pass breakups, an interception and 25 tackles during his senior year. Conley also caught 50 passes and scored 16 touchdowns at Massillon.
| POS | PLAYER | YEARS | OHIO STATE CAREER | HS CAREER |
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| K | FRED SCHRAM | 1970-71 | Made 60/63 XPs in and 14/26 FGs during his two years as the starting kicker, led the team in scoring and was a perfect 27/27 on XPs in 1971, booted the game-winning 30-yard FG in sleet and snow against Purdue in 1970. | Did not play HS football, was a reserve in junior high. |
| OG | THOMAS HOUSER | 1970-71 | Did not see the field in 1970 or 1971. | |
| C/DB | STEVE LUKE | 1972-74 | Played OC and DB for Ohio State, All-Big Ten at DB. | All-Ohioan, captain of the football and track teams. |
| FB | BILL HARMON | 1976 | Was not on the roster after his freshman season. | All-Ohioan and All-American honors, rushed for 1,278 yards and 14 TDs as a senior. |
| DT | ERIC BARNARD | 1979 | Played in three games for a total of 5.5 minutes during his only season on the roster. | All-Ohioan who earned eight letters in three sports, The Tigers went 9-0-1 and 9-1 during his final two seasons. |
| QB | BRENT OFFENBECHER | 1981-83 | Enrolled at Wake Forest in 1979 and played in three games for the Demon Deacons before transferring to Ohio State. Played in 7 games in 1982 and started against Wisconsin, finished career with 26 completions for 428 yards, 2 TDs and 5 INTs. | Graduated with almost every passing record at Massillon. |
| LB | CHRIS SPIELMAN | 1984-87 | Captain and MVP in 1987, two-time All-American, three-time All-Big Ten, Lombardi Award, Varsity O and College Football Hall of Fame. | All-American, 2x All-Ohioan, Male HS Athlete of the Year, was on boxes of Wheaties. |
| WR | WES SIEGENTHALER | 1987-88 | As a senior, he played in four games and started the first three games of the season, caught three passes for 71 yards. | Played QB, RB and WR as a senior, earned three letters in football, four letters in track and one in basketball. |
| OT | JOHN SCHILLING | 1988-91 | Did not see the field during his time in Columbus. His brother Mark played for Washington State. | All-District and two-year starter, four letters in wrestling and one in track. |
| HB | TRAVIS McGUIRE | 1992-93 | Had shoulder surgery in the spring of '92, played in six games in '93 and had 35 rushing attempts for 150 yards and a TD, also had two kickoff returns for 12 yards. | All-American, All-Ohian, Co-Player of the Year and D-I Co-Offensive Player of the Year, set the school single-season record with 1,960 rushing yards and 28 TDs as a senior, also set the single-game record with 302 yards and 5 TDs against Canton McKinley. |
| QB | JUSTIN ZWICK | 2002-06 | Starting QB for the 2004 season, won the 2004 Alamo Bowl. | All-American, All-Ohioan, AP Co-Offensive Player of the Year, won a state title at Orrville. |
| WR | DEVIN JORDAN | 2003-05 | Was forced to retire from football in 2005 due to injuries. He is now a quality control coach at Ohio State. | All-Ohioan as a junior and senior, caught 160 passes for 2,397 during his final two seasons, was Justin Zwick's favorite target. |
| WR | DEVIN SMITH | 2011-14 | 2014 national champion, school-record holder with 28.2 YPR in a single season. | Two-time All-Ohioan, state champion in the long jump. |
| CB | GAREON CONLEY | 2013-16 | 2014 national champion, captain of the 2016 team. | All-Ohioan, caught 50 passes and had 16 TDs as a senior. |
| WR | AUSTIN KUTSCHER | 2019-21 | Began his career as a walk-on in 2018. | 2X captain and team MVP, had a program record 17 receptions against Canisius HS from Buffalo, NY. |
| OL | THAYER MUNFORD | 2017-2021 | Captain, All-American, “Block 0” jersey award recipient and 45-game starter. | Started his HS career at LaSalle before transferring to Massillon for his senior season, won 2 state titles at LaSalle. |
| WR | JAYDEN BALLARD | 2021-TODAY | Arrived in Columbus in January of 2021 to start classes and participate in spring drills. | Made it to the state championship game 3 times, caught 141 passes for 2,636 yards and 37 TDs, left as the all-time career leader in receiving yards and receiving TDs. |
More about Massillon
Massillon High School is located in Stark County, and the football team competes in Division II, Region 7. The Tigers are currently playing as an independent and went 8–2 in the regular season last year.
The 2021 team won three playoff games before falling to Green, 26-25, in the regional championship. It was the program's 24th playoff appearance.
Massillon's football history is one of the deepest in the state if not the entire country. The Tigers began playing football in 1894 and claimed three state titles between 1909 and 1922.
Buckeye Pipelines
In 1935, Paul Brown began his championship-winning ways. The future Ohio State coach and NFL pioneer guided Massillon to six straight state titles between 1935 and 1940 before becoming the Buckeyes’ head coach in 1941. Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is named after the legendary coach.
Other coaches to win multiple state titles for the Tigers include Chuck Mather, Leo Strang and another coach who went to coach at Ohio State, Earle Bruce. Bob Commings led Massillon to its most recent state title in 1970.
During the playoff era (1972-today), the Tigers have made it to the state championship game four times.
Canton McKinley is Massillon's longtime rival. The Bulldogs and Tigers play each other in the last game of the regular season and have opposed each other 132 times. Massillon maintains a 74-53-5 advantage and has won six straight in the series.
The 2001 movie Go Tigers! covers what football has meant to Massillon, the school and the rivalry against McKinley.
Other famous alumni
In addition to the 17 Tigers who have gone on to play football at Ohio State, there are many other alumni from Massillon who have achieved success in the sports world and elsewhere, including:
- NFL Players Andy Alleman, Shawn Crable, Dennis Franklin (first African-American to play for Michigan), Horace Gillom, Ed Molinski, Harry Stuhldreher, Stanfield Wells
- Football coaches Don James and Alex Wood
- Geophysicist Jack Oliver
- Musicians Stalley and Jeff Timmons
Why are Buckeyes prior to 1970 not highlighted or included in the rankings? Ohio State's official rosters did not list players’ high schools before 1970.
