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. 42 Paul Warfield
HB Paul Warfield
1961-1963
b. Nov. 28, 1942 (Warren, OH)
- National Champion (1961)
- First-Team All-American (1963)
- First-Team All-Big Ten (1962, 63)
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
A powerful runner and dangerous in the passing game, Paul Warfield was one of the most dynamic halfbacks in Buckeye football history.
His debut season in 1961, Warfield shared the backfield with Ohio State legend Bob Ferguson – the lightning to Ferguson's thunder. Warfield rushed for 420 yards and five touchdowns while hauling in nine passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Together, Warfield and Ferguson combined for almost 164 total yards per game to lead the Buckeyes to the 1961 national title.
Warfield continued to be an integral part of the offense the following season. He averaged 7.8 yards per touch with four touchdowns, earning him first-team All-Big Ten honors. His senior season, he emerged as more of a receiving threat, doing more than half of his damage through the air on his way to 526 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, earning him first-team All-Big Ten status once again as well as first-team All-American honors from Time magazine.
After his career at Ohio State, Warfield was selected in the first round of the 1964 NFL Draft and helped bring the Cleveland Browns their most recent NFL title in his debut season. Warfield was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1970 where he won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973 as part of the only undefeated team in NFL history.
Warfield finished his NFL career with 427 catches for 8,565 yards and 85 touchdowns. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
Photo: Ohio State Dept. of Athletics
