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 wrap up the series with a look at a school that has produced 16 Ohio State football players since 1970: Canton McKinley.
McKinley has a storied tradition in Ohio high school football. The Bulldogs have also produced some highly talented players for Ohio State. College Football Hall of Fame safety Mike Doss is among eight McKinley alumni who have played for the Buckeyes since the turn of the century.
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| McKINLEY |
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LOCATION: CANTON, OH CONFERENCE: FEDERAL LEAGUE 2021 RECORD 8–5 |
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MADE PLAYOFS IN 13 OF LAST 14 YEARS 6 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS BACK-TO-BACK TITLES IN 1997 AND 1998 |
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8TH-MOST PLAYERS ON OHIO STATE'S ROSTER (16) 9TH-MOST ROSTER APPEARANCES (50) (1970-2021) |
Notable Buckeyes from McKinley
DB Ray Ellis (1977-80)
An All-Big Ten player as a senior in 1980, Ellis led the team with five interceptions that season. He started the last 24 games of his career with the Buckeyes.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Ellis in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played 100 games and started in 62 during his seven seasons in the league. Ellis intercepted 14 passes and recovered eight fumbles during his time with the Eagles and Cleveland Browns.
Ellis was an All-Ohio running back at McKinley, where he captained the football and basketball teams. He is a member of McKinley's Hall of Fame.
FB Jamar Martin (1998-01)
A mountain of a man at 5-foot-11 and 245 pounds, Martin rolled over opponents and cleared the way for Ohio State's running backs. When given the ball, Martin often required multiple defenders to bring him down. During his four seasons in Columbus, he carried the ball 61 times for 226 yards and four touchdowns.
Martin was a captain of the 2001 team that started two decades of dominance against Michigan with a 26-20 win in Ann Arbor.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Martin in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. His pro career consisted of three seasons with three different teams. Collectively, he made two starts during his time with the Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
As a Bulldog, Martin helped lead McKinley to the state championship and a perfect 14–0 record in 1997, when McKinley was also awarded the national championship by USA TODAY. Martin is a member of the Bulldogs' Hall of Fame.
DE/DT Kenny Peterson (1998-02)
Arriving in Columbus as a defensive end, Peterson switched to defensive tackle before the start of the 2002 season. The move paid off as the athletic Peterson led all Ohio State defensive tackles with 43 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss during the national championship season.
For his career, Peterson started 15 times and played in 47 games for the Buckeyes. He collected 84 stops, 22.5 TFL and 12 sacks during his time on the defensive line.
The Green Bay Packers selected Peterson in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. In a seven-year pro career, Peterson played for the Packers and Denver Broncos and racked up 118 tackles, 14 TFL and eight sacks across 76 games.
At McKinley, Peterson was another key player for the Bulldogs during their 14-0 state championship season of 1997. Peterson collecting 101 tackles and 15 sacks and was named an All-Ohioan and All-American for his efforts that season.
S Mike Doss (1999-02)
Doss returned to Columbus after his junior season and delivered on his promise to win the national championship. The 2002 captain became Ohio State’s seventh-ever three-time All-American in the process.
Doss recorded a career-high 107 tackles in 2002 and returned an interception 35 yards to set up Ohio State's first touchdown against Miami in the championship game.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Doss in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft. He started 42 games, intercepted seven passes and forced six fumbles for the Colts. Doss finished his six-year NFL career with one-year stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals.
At McKinley, Doss was a key reason why the Bulldogs won back-to-back state championships. As a senior, he scored four touchdowns and rushed for 143 yards in the title game. During his All-Ohio senior season, Doss racked-up 111 tackles, three interceptions and rushed for 1,454 yards and 22 touchdowns, including 143 yards and four touchdowns in the state title game. He is a member of McKinley's Hall of Fame.
| POS | PLAYER | YEARS | OHIO STATE CAREER | HS CAREER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DT/LB | ROCCO RICH | 1971-73 | Played in three games and made 11 tackles as a senior after battling injuries. | All-Ohioan from a family of six, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| DB | RAY ELLIS | 1977-80 | Captain and All-Big Ten honoree as a senior. | All-Ohioan, captain of the football and basketball teams, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| LB | BEN LEE | 1978-81 | Started eight games as a senior and recorded 41 tackles and a TFL, played in 41 games during his career. | Earned 10 varsity letters and was a captain of the football, wresting and track team, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| CB | DOYLE LEWIS | 1979-82 | Played in 24 games with five starts. | Was a safety and running back and also played basketball and track, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| K/P | MARK SMITH | 1987-88 | Came to Ohio State as a kicker, challenged to be the starting punter in 1988 but never played. | Graduated with the school record for PATs (79) and made a personal best 47-yard FG in Ohio Stadium during the playoffs, won the Don Scott Memorial Award, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| DB | CHE’ BRYANT | 1994-97 | Played in 23 games in 1995 and 1996 as a reserve DB. | Parade Magazine All-American, All-Ohioan as a junior (RB) and senior (DB), member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| FB | JAMAR MARTIN | 1998-01 | Captain of the 2001 team who started 30 games for the Buckeyes. | Averaged 6.2 yards per carry on the 14-0 state championship team, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| DE/DT | KENNY PETERSON | 1998-02 | Made 15 starts and played in 47 games, recorded 41 tackles, 13 TFL and 6 sacks. | All-American and All-Ohioan, state champion, had 101 tackles and 15 sacks as a senior, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| S | MIKE DOSS | 1999-02 | Captain of the 2002 national championship team, one of eight Ohio State players to be a three-time All-American. | All-Ohioan who had 111 tackles, 3 INTs and rushed for 1,454 yards and 22 TDs as a senior, member of McKinley's Hall of Fame. |
| WR | ANDRE HOOKS | 2001-02 | Did not see the field during two seasons on the roster. | Inducted into McKinley's Hall of Fame, earned AEP's Chairman's Life Saving Award after saving a man who was in a car accident in 2018. |
| DB | TYLER EVERETT | 2002-05 | Played in 48 of 51 games and made 14 career starts, had an INT return for TD against Penn State in 2004. | All-Ohioan who played RB and DB, rushed for over 1,300 yards as a junior and had 5 INTs as a senior, inducted into McKinley's Hall of Fame in 2018. |
| OL | ZACH SLAGLE | 2007-08 | Walk-on in 2006, made the roster for 2 seasons. | All-Ohio Honorable Mention in 2005. |
| DL | STEVE MILLER | 2011-14 | Played in 35 games with 13 starts, had a 36-yard INT return against Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl. | Three-time All-Ohioan had 260 tackles, 28 TFL and 19 sacks during his HS career. |
| DL | SE'VON PITTMAN | 2012 | Was Urban Meyer's second Ohio State commit but never played for the Buckeyes before transferring to Akron. | Two-time All-Ohioan had 102 tackles as a senior. |
| DB/WR | ERIC GLOVER-WILLIAMS | 2015-16 | Played in every game of the 2016 season and had seven tackles, but was dismissed from the team in September 2017. | All-Ohioan who rushed for 1,149 and 14 TDs as a senior. Also had a punt return and a 100-yard interception for a TD. Finished his career with 56 TDs. |
| WR | De'SHAWN WHITE | 2018 | 2017 walk-on, did not see the field in 2018. | Lettered in football, basketball and track. Set the school and district record with a 23 foot, 8.5-inch long jump. |
Notable older Buckeyes
Jack Dugger, Nick Roman and Don Scott are among the Bulldogs who played for Ohio State prior to 1970. Dugger was a tackle and defensive end for the 1942 national championship team and was a consensus All-American that season.
Roman was a defensive end for the Buckeyes in the late 1960s. An offseason knee injury caused him to miss the 1968 national championship season. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 10th round of the 1970 NFL draft. Roman's life was cut short at the age of 55 in 2003 by a sudden heart attack.
A two-time All-American at quarterback, Scott played halfback and quarterback for progressive offensive coach Francis Schmidt. Scott also played basketball for the Buckeyes and was on the team that lost to Oregon in the 1939 NCAA championship game.
The Chicago Bears selected Scott in the 1941 NFL draft, but he decided to volunteer as a pilot in World War II. His life ended in England when his bomber crashed during a training flight. The Ohio State University Airport and Canton Airport are both named in his honor.
More on McKinley
McKinley High School is located in Stark County and is currently in the Federal League. The team competes in Division I, Region I.
The Bulldogs went 6–4 in the regular season last year. McKinley hosted and defeated Solon and Jackson in the playoffs, but its tournament run came to an end with a shutout loss against St. Edward.
McKinley has six state championships, winning the titles in 1934, 1955, 1956, 1981, 1997 and 1998. The Bulldogs were named national champions in 1934 and 1997.
Buckeye Pipelines
McKinley plays its home games in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which sits adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
The Bulldogs’ rivalry game against Massillon is the only high school game in the country to have odds in Las Vegas. The teams have played 132 times, which is in the top 15 for most football games between rivals in the country.
Two former McKinley head coaches, Don Nehlen (West Virginia) and Ben Schwarzwalder (Syracuse), are in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Across all sports, McKinley has won 30 state championships. The boys’ swimming team leads the way with 13 titles. Other sports to win multiple state championships are football, boys’ baseball, boys’ basketball and girls’ volleyball. Boys’ golf, boys’ track and girls’ basketball have also won state titles.
Other famous alumni
In addition to the Bulldogs who have gone on to play football at Ohio State, there are many other alumni from McKinley who have achieved success in the sports world and elsewhere, including:
- NFL players Hal Broda, Ralph Fife, Wayne Gift, Percy Snow, Marion Motley, Garland Rivers, Robert Sedlock, John Grimsley, Reggie Corner
- NFL coaches Wayne Fontes and Josh McDaniels
- NBA players Nick Weatherspoon, Phil Hubbard, Gary Grant, Eric Snow, Michael Dawkins and Keith McLeod
- Olympians Ronnie Harris and Harry Steel
- Ohio State and Olympic track coach Larry Snyder
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians The O'Jays
- Musicians Matt Hoopes and Brian Pittman of Relient K
- Star Trek writer and producer Brannon Braga
- Academy Award winner Mary Orr
- Reporter John Scali
Why are Buckeyes prior to 1970 not included in the rankings or tables? Ohio State's official rosters did not list players’ high schools before 1970.
