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2018 Countdown thread

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99 WARRIORS: NO. 99 BILL WILLIS KICKS OFF OUR LIST OF THE GREATEST BUCKEYES BY JERSEY NUMBER

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We're counting down the days to kickoff with “99 Warriors,” the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes by jersey number, as voted on by the staff of Eleven Warriors.

NO. 99 BILL WILLIS
DT BILL WILLIS
1942–1944
b. October 5, 1921 (Columbus, OH)
  • National Champion (1942)
  • All-American (1943, 1944)
  • Number retired at Ohio State
At 6-2, 215 lbs., Willis was small for a lineman and was initially expected to focus on track as a sprinter. Still, head coach Paul Brown chose Willis for his squad and he became a three-year starter and a dominant force in the trenches, helping the Buckeyes win their first-ever national championship in 1942.

Willis was named an All-American in 1943 and 1944, becoming the program's first African American to earn that honor, and had his number retired by Ohio State in 2007. He went on to become the first African-American starter in professional football, playing for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1953, where he won an NFL championship.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...e-tackle-pioneer-bill-willis-kicks-off-series
 
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99 WARRIORS: NO. 98, ALL-AMERICAN LINEBACKER AND TWO-TIME CAPTAIN THOMAS “PEPPER” JOHNSON


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NO. 98 THOMAS “PEPPER” JOHNSON

Pepper Johnson is one of the hardest hitting linebackers in Buckeye history. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Pepper committed to Earle Bruce's program and quickly went to work.

A four-year Letterman and two-year starter, Johnson was the only the fourth Buckeye in history to become a two-time captain.

Johnson, along with Chris Spielman, formed one of the most tenacious linebacker tandems in university history. The team named Pepper the defensive MVP during his junior and senior seasons, in which he was also named All-Big Ten and All-American. He went on to win two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.

1982–1985
b. July 29, 1964 (Detroit, MI)

  • Captain (1984, '85)
  • UPI All-American (1985)
  • Sporting News All-American First Team (1985)

Full article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2018/05/93349/99-warriors-pepper-johnson-98


Absolutely one of my all time favorites

EDIT: I found some of my other Pepper Johnson pics

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Ah, Bill Willis - there was a little bar on High Street, near 9th I believe, that had a huge photo of Willis in his four point stance and staring right into the lens of the camera. Fierce is the best word I can think of. The bar was gone by 1967 and I wish I'd been able to buy that photo.

Glad to see this thread back on duty.
 
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Jaxbuck said:
99 WARRIORS: NO. 96, ALL-AMERICAN, CAPTAIN AND NATIONAL CHAMPION WILLIAM HACKETT

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G WILLIAM HACKETT
1942–1945
b. Dec. 9, 1923



    • National Champion (1942)
    • First team All-American (1944)
    • Team Captain (1945)
Full article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...captain-and-national-champion-william-hackett

I have this one of him from somewhere

View attachment 17901
Click to expand...
Hey, Nike, here’s an idea = make a REAL throwback with this jersey, scarlet helmets and scarlet pants.
 
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99 WARRIORS: NO. 95, OHIO STATE RECORD HOLDER AND NATIONAL CHAMPION CAMERON JOHNSTON

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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. 95 CAMERON JOHNSTON
P CAMERON JOHNSTON
2013–2016
b. Feb. 24, 1992
  • B1G Punter of the Year (2016)
  • Ray Guy Finalist (2016)
  • National Champion (2014)
It may not be the flashiest position, but Cameron Johnston was one of the best punters in Buckeye history.

The Australian was one of the best at pinning opponents deep, owning Ohio State records for punts downed inside the 20 in a career (109) and a season (31 in 2015). He also holds a school record for the best single-game punting average (57 yards against Illinois in 2014) and his career average of 44.9 yards per punt is second in Ohio State history.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...holder-and-national-champion-cameron-johnston
 
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Jaxbuck said:
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99 WARRIORS: NO. 94, SILVER BULLET AND TWO-TIME BIG TEN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR MIKE VRABEL

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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. 94 MIKE VRABEL
DL MIKE VRABEL
1993–1996
b. Aug. 4, 1975 (Akron, OH)
  • B1G Defensive Lineman of the Year (1995 & 96)
  • All-American (1995)
  • Consensus All-American (1996)
  • All-Century Team (2000)
  • Hall of Fame (2012)
Mike Vrabel is one of the greatest defensive linemen in college football history.

Vrabel earned back-to-back All-American honors and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. He was the second lineman in conference history to earn the award two times. He totaled 36 sacks and 66 tackles for a loss in those two seasons.

Vrabel twice set the single season record for sacks and tackles for loss. He still holds the career record for sacks (36) and single season and career TFLs (26 in '95 and '96). He ranks third all-time in the Big Ten in sacks and sixth in TFLs.

Vrabel went on to win three Super Bowls as an All-Pro with the New England Patriots. He graduated in 2004 and served as an assistant coach under Luke Fickell and Urban Meyer before jumping to the NFL. He is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...riors-no-94-silver-bullet-captain-mike-vrabel
 
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99 WARRIORS: NO. 93, ALL-AMERICAN AND NATIONAL CHAMPION DEFENSIVE END WILL SMITH

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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. 93 WILL SMITH
Ohio State's first great defensive end of the 21st century, Will Smith accomplished just about everything a young man dreams of when he becomes a Buckeye.

DE WILL SMITH
2000-2003
b. July 4, 1981 (Queens, N.Y.)

  • National Champion (2002)
  • First-Team All-American (2003)
  • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2003)
  • Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year (2003)
  • Team Captain (2003)
In 2002, Smith was among the defensive stars of Ohio State's national championship team. In 2003, Smith was a first-team All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. In 2004, Smith was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the NFL draft.

A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Buckeyes, Smith finished his Ohio State career with 167 total tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss and 23 sacks.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...nd-national-champion-defensive-end-will-smith
 
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99 WARRIORS: NO. 92, ALL-BIG TEN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN AND NATIONAL CHAMPION ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON

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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. 92 ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON
Ohio State's defensive line under Urban Meyer has been one of the strengths of his program since coming to Columbus in 2012, and the next man on our list was a big reason why.

DL ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON
2012-2015
b. Nov. 24, 1994 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • National Champion (2014)
  • Second-Team All-Big Ten (2015)
  • Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2014)
Adolphus Washington signed to play for Ohio State as part of Meyer's first recruiting class in 2012 and made an immediate impact. He recorded three sacks as a freshman, good for third on the team. His forced fumble against Michigan in the season finale helped capture a perfect regular season for the Buckeyes.

Washington earned five starts as a true sophomore in 2013, tallying 36 total tackles and a pair of sacks as Ohio State finished 12-2 on the year.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...man-and-national-champion-adolphus-washington
 
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