COLUMBUS, Ohio – Archie Griffin, the iconic figure from Ohio State University, had a statue unveiled and dedicated today during a lively celebration at the Ohio Stadium Rotunda, attended by family, friends, university officials, Board of Trustees members, the President’s Cabinet, longtime supporters, as well as teammates from Ohio State and Eastmoor High School, alongside many fans from Buckeye Nation.
The statue is a replica of one that was recently dedicated by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Rose Bowl Stadium to honor Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner and one of just two players to have started in four Rose Bowl Games. The original statue, along with this replica, highlights his significant contributions both at Ohio Stadium and at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and was generously donated to Ohio State by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation.
During the ceremony, Griffin expressed gratitude to the fans, saying, “There’s one group that I want to honor, and that’s Buckeye Nation. Winning the Heisman at Ohio State has always felt like a shared achievement. I truly appreciate the conversations, meals, and moments we’ve had together, and I’m thankful that you still remember me after 50 years.
“You’ve shown me incredible support since I became number 45, and that love from Buckeye fans has meant everything to me. This statue will stand outside Ohio Stadium as long as football is played here, and I love the idea that fans might stop by before games and share stories about the great teams I played with. I feel so honored that I can forever stay connected to the Ohio State fans.”
Speakers at the event included Ohio State President Ted Carter, Senior Vice President and Athletics Director Ross Bjork, Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, and Griffin himself.
Griffin is a cherished Buckeye whose post-career efforts, contributions, and achievements have greatly benefited his alma mater, community, and various organizations, including a scholarship fund established in his name to support Ohio State sports programs.
It’s easy to understand why Coach Woody Hayes praised Griffin, who went unbeaten (3-0-1) against Michigan, saying, “He’s a better young man than he is a football player, and he’s the best football player I’ve ever seen.”
In the fall of 1974, Griffin won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top college football player, rushing for a school-record 1,695 yards that season and helping lead Ohio State to its third of what would become a record six consecutive Big Ten championships.
Griffin solidified his legendary status in college football during his senior year in 1975, as little did anyone know, the 1974 Heisman Trophy was just the first of his two wins.
He graduated in 1976 with a degree in industrial relations and spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He later served as Assistant Athletics Director at Ohio State and was President of the Ohio State Alumni Association from 2004 to 2015. In 1976, he received the NCAA Top V Award, the organization’s highest honor for excellence in athletics, academics, and leadership. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame in 1986, as well as the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2006, he was named one of the NCAA’s “100 Most Influential Student-Athletes,” and in 2011, he became the first recipient of the Big Ten Conference’s Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award. He was recognized as the Rose Bowl’s All-Century Player in 2013. The MVP award for the Big Ten Conference Championship Game is named after him alongside Illinois legend Red Grange.
Griffin, who joins other Ohio State icons like Jesse Owens and Woody Hayes with statues on campus, is the school’s all-time leading rusher with 5,589 yards. His jersey number “45” was retired by the Department of Athletics on October 30, 1999.
Leave a Reply