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. 49 Jayson Gwinn
An up-and-coming star from Columbus Brookhaven, Gwinn unfortunately saw his career — and life — come to a close far too soon.
DE Jayson Gwinn
1992-93
b. Nov. 24, 1973 (Columbus, OH)
d. Dec. 12, 1993 (Columbus, OH)
- Big Ten Champion (1993)
The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Gwinn earned his first start late in his redshirt freshman season and subsequently tied the school record with five tackles for a loss in a 23-17 win over Indiana. He finished the season with 14 total tackles while backing up starter Randall Brown.
In December 1993, Gwinn was killed in an early morning car accident just blocks from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. He was returning to the hotel where players stayed during the semester break after he helped teammate Marvin “Obie” Stillwell get medical treatment for a gunshot wound at a local nightclub when his car collided with another.
Gwinn, who had just turned 20 on Thanksgiving, was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the other vehicle was in good condition following the accident.
Cornerback Marlon Kerner, who played with Gwinn at Brookhaven, honored Gwinn by wearing No. 49 during the Holiday Bowl against BYU, while the rest of the team wore a helmet decal with his initials.
Gwinn was survived by a then-7-month-old son, Jayson Jr. His younger brothers, Anthony and Justin, also played at Ohio State.
Photo: The Glenn-Gwinn Foundation
