Who Is the Greatest Buckeye "Athlete"?

[cincibuck]

Originally Posted by MolGenBuckeye

This poll was for the "Athlete" position in football, someone who excels in multiple slots. No one is slighting the other Buckeye athletes.

OK, I accepted that. But Is till see a lot of names here that cannot hold a candle to the performances of Jim Parker, both as a Buckeye, and especially as a pro. I see backs who should not be compared to Howard "Hopalong" Cassidy or Bob Ferguson... or even Tom Matte. Records are skewed by the fact that the team now plays three to four more games a year, goes to a bowl almost every year and you can start as a freshman. (It is also skewed by the fact that many of the great athletes of today play only to or three years before going pro, but to a lesser degree IMHO).

[LordJeffBuck]

OK, I accepted that. But Is till see a lot of names here that cannot hold a candle to the performances of Jim Parker, both as a Buckeye, and especially as a pro. I see backs who should not be compared to Howard "Hopalong" Cassidy or Bob Ferguson... or even Tom Matte. Records are skewed by the fact that the team now plays three to four more games a year, goes to a bowl almost every year and you can start as a freshman. (It is also skewed by the fact that many of the great athletes of today play only to or three years before going pro, but to a lesser degree IMHO).

Cinci - as I was the one who created the "Greatest Buckeye Ever" polls, I am in the best position to explain the "Athlete" designation. That category was designed for players who were great Buckeyes, yet did not "fit" into any traditional position (i.e., running back, wide receiver, cornerback, etc.). Hopalong Cassady was a selection in the tailback poll, Bob Ferguson was in the fullback poll, and Jim Parker in the offensive guard poll (Parker made the team; the other two did not). Although most of the selections in the Athlete poll may not have been as stellar as the players you named, they were recognized for their versatility.

BTW, if you follow recruiting, high school players without a definite position are put into the "athlete" category in both the Rivals and Scout data bases; I used the same principle in the GBE polls.

Here is a link to the final poll results:

Greatest Buckeyes Ever

[LordJeffBuck]

Bump...

[jwinslow]

gamble would be my choice, but his decline at the end of 03 makes it hard to vote for him

[tedginn05]

My dad works at a family owned(my family) scuba diving shop in columbus/dublin. Art Baschnagel teaches/instructs scuba diving there. He is the brother of Brian Baschnagel. Never met Brian, but i have met his brother Art. I'll have to ask about his brother next time i see him, never really asked before. Have to ask him about when Woody was recruiting his brother and most likely what it was like meeting Woody.

[Taosman]

Warfield, a great multi-sport athlete. Class act. Legend.
Wonder how many people are holding a grudge against Gamble? Would that be a subject for a poll?