We're counting down the days to kickoff with “99 Warriors,” the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes by jersey number, as voted by the staff of Eleven Warriors.
No. 86 Jake Ballard
Though he spent his four seasons as a block-first tight end in a Jim Bollman offense, the most iconic play in Jake Ballard's career was a catch in traffic.
TE Jake Ballard
2006-2010
b. Dec. 2, 1987 (Springboro, OH)
- Team Captain (2009)
- Big Ten Champion (2006, '07, '08, '09)
- Super Bowl XLVI champion
Ballard had just 34 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns during his four-year career, but one of those catches came late in the fourth during the 2010 Rose Bowl against Oregon, when the senior captain out-jumped a number of Duck defenders to haul in a long third-down reception, allowing the Buckeyes to score and put the game away.
Ballard won a Big Ten title every season at Ohio State and went a perfect 4-0 against Michigan. He went on to play a short career in the NFL where he won Super Bowl XLVI with the New York Giants over the New England Patriots. He had two catches for 10 yards in the game.
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Photo: Ohio State Dept. of Athletics
