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. 10 Troy Smith
QB Troy Smith
2003-2006
b. July 20, 1984 (Columbus, Ohio)
- Consensus All-American (2006)
- Heisman Trophy Winner (2006)
The most recent Ohio State player to win the illustrious Heisman Trophy, Troy Smith was a seldom-used running back his freshman season before quickly blossoming into a two-and-a-half year starting quarterback for the Buckeyes.
Smith began as the quarterback midway through his sophomore season, when Justin Zwick went down with injury. Smith did not disappoint, recording a 134.2 QBR with 10 total touchdowns.
The next season, Smith improved on those numbers and finished with a 162.7 QBR and 18 total touchdowns to lead Ohio State to a victory in the Fiesta Bowl over Notre Dame.
Smith's senior season, however, was his best. He passed for a career-high 2,542 yards and 30 touchdowns, and lead the Buckeyes to the BCS National Championship game. After the season, Smith was doused with awards including the Davey O'Brien Award, an All-American nod, the Walter Camp Award, and of course, the Heisman Trophy.
Following his time at Ohio State, Smith was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, for whom he played three seasons. After stints with the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, he played in Canada for two seasons before hanging up the cleats.
Smith was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
