Archie Griffin (Official Thread)
The Lantern
Griffin still inspirational
By Eric Horchy
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif] Published: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 [/FONT]
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Media Credit: David Heasley
Archie Griffin speaks to students about life, education and football at the Newport Music Hall.
</td> </tr> </table></td></tr></table>Buckeye spirit abounded Monday evening at the Newport Music Hall as two-time Heisman trophy winner and Buckeye football legend Archie Griffin gave an insipiration-laden speech that focused on his time spent while at OSU.
Roughly 200 attendees, mostly current OSU greek students, listened as an upbeat and positive Griffin, the current CEO and President of the Ohio State Alumni Association, stressed the importance of leadership, good citizenship and perseverance during students\' years on campus.
"In the face of adversity, you find out if you\'re a fighter or a quitter," Griffin said. "It\'s all about getting up after you\'ve been knocked down."
The latter of the two quotes could very likely have been the title of Griffin\'s speech as he further emphasized that fact with a reminiscence of his Buckeye debut during the first game of his freshman year, 1972.
"My first goal was to make the varsity team," Griffin said, noting that it was the first year freshman were even allowed to participate on the varsity squad.
While Griffin was still on the practice squad earning his stripes, the first game of the season was at the Horseshoe against Iowa.
"When the fourth quarter came I got the call off the bench...the first play called was an 18-sweep, a pitch outside," he said. "While I was trying to make sure the hole you could drive a truck through didn\'t go anywhere, the ball hit my hands and I fumbled."
As Griffin described his feelings of frustration at that moment, he related it to how everyone - in football and in life - has to strive to persevere and accept and use the encouragement from inspirational people around them.
Griffin recieved laughs as he described the scene during the second quarter of his second game ever as a Buckeye when he, lost in the surprise and excitement of the moment, left his helmet on the sideline while earning a quick second chance from the infamously strict former OSU coaching legend Woody Hayes. Griffin went on to calmly describe the proceedings of a game which still stands in Buckeye lore as the greatest freshman Buckeye rushing performance ever, gaining 239 yards in front of over 86,000 appreciative fans.'; paragraph[1] = '"That was my most exciting moment ever while I was here at Ohio State," Griffin said, especially since, as an undersized freshman, he didn\'t believe he would ever receive another shot at performing.
Griffin went on to mention Hayes, along with his former high school football coach and junior high counselor, as the three most inspirational and influential individuals who had an impact on his life. He reminded all in attendence to utilize what they gain from those leaders in their lives today.
"Always work hard," Griffin said. "It\'s what you do with your ability that counts most."
Griffin then mentioned the motivating cliche, "It\'s not the size of the dog in the fight, it\'s the size of the fight in the dog," which is often attributed to him and his career on the football field.
As the leader of more than 400,000 graduates and alumni worldwide, Griffin noted that he now carries "a much bigger football for OSU now" as the Alumni Association\'s president since he is the coordinator of such a large contingent, a post he has manned since January.
Griffin wound down his speech by paying special mention to a philosophy his former Buckeye coach held while he was under his tutelage at OSU.
Griffin spoke to those in attendance of the importance of doing good for yourself and for others during all times in life.
"You can never pay back all the good someone has done for you throught your lifetime, but you can always, always pay forward," Griffin said.
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><table align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="10"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center">
Media Credit: David Heasley
Archie Griffin speaks to students about life, education and football at the Newport Music Hall.
</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Buckeye spirit abounded Monday evening at the Newport Music Hall as two-time Heisman trophy winner and Buckeye football legend Archie Griffin gave an insipiration-laden speech that focused on his time spent while at OSU.
Roughly 200 attendees, mostly current OSU greek students, listened as an upbeat and positive Griffin, the current CEO and President of the Ohio State Alumni Association, stressed the importance of leadership, good citizenship and perseverance during students' years on campus.
"In the face of adversity, you find out if you're a fighter or a quitter," Griffin said. "It's all about getting up after you've been knocked down."
The latter of the two quotes could very likely have been the title of Griffin's speech as he further emphasized that fact with a reminiscence of his Buckeye debut during the first game of his freshman year, 1972.
"My first goal was to make the varsity team," Griffin said, noting that it was the first year freshman were even allowed to participate on the varsity squad.
While Griffin was still on the practice squad earning his stripes, the first game of the season was at the Horseshoe against Iowa.
"When the fourth quarter came I got the call off the bench...the first play called was an 18-sweep, a pitch outside," he said. "While I was trying to make sure the hole you could drive a truck through didn't go anywhere, the ball hit my hands and I fumbled."
As Griffin described his feelings of frustration at that moment, he related it to how everyone - in football and in life - has to strive to persevere and accept and use the encouragement from inspirational people around them.
Griffin recieved laughs as he described the scene during the second quarter of his second game ever as a Buckeye when he, lost in the surprise and excitement of the moment, left his helmet on the sideline while earning a quick second chance from the infamously strict former OSU coaching legend Woody Hayes. Griffin went on to calmly describe the proceedings of a game which still stands in Buckeye lore as the greatest freshman Buckeye rushing performance ever, gaining 239 yards in front of over 86,000 appreciative fans.</td></tr></tbody></table>
"That was my most exciting moment ever while I was here at Ohio State," Griffin said, especially since, as an undersized freshman, he didn't believe he would ever receive another shot at performing.
Griffin went on to mention Hayes, along with his former high school football coach and junior high counselor, as the three most inspirational and influential individuals who had an impact on his life. He reminded all in attendence to utilize what they gain from those leaders in their lives today.
"Always work hard," Griffin said. "It's what you do with your ability that counts most."
Griffin then mentioned the motivating cliche, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog," which is often attributed to him and his career on the football field.
As the leader of more than 400,000 graduates and alumni worldwide, Griffin noted that he now carries "a much bigger football for OSU now" as the Alumni Association's president since he is the coordinator of such a large contingent, a post he has manned since January.
Griffin wound down his speech by paying special mention to a philosophy his former Buckeye coach held while he was under his tutelage at OSU.
Griffin spoke to those in attendance of the importance of doing good for yourself and for others during all times in life.
"You can never pay back all the good someone has done for you throught your lifetime, but you can always, always pay forward," Griffin said.
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