Who Is the Greatest Buckeye Punter?

[LordJeffBuck]

Welcome to the sixteenth installment of the "Greatest Buckeyes Ever" poll - this one allows you to vote for the best Buckeye punter. Every Saturday, we will post a poll on "Who's the Greatest Buckeye" at each of the positions. The last poll, head coach, will open on the day of THE GAME, and close on December 30th. By New Years Day, we will have the Buckeye Planet All-Time Buckeye Team.

All players selected for the poll will be from the "modern era", which we have more-or-less arbitrarily determined to have begun with the hiring of Woody Hayes in 1951. However, there will be special polls for the current Buckeyes and older Buckeye stars, where you will be allowed to choose amongst such greats as Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Chic Harley, etc.

Please vote on each poll, if you can. Also, please note that each poll will allow you to vote at least twice, as we would like to compile a first and second team. If you vote for "other", please let us know your selection(s) by setting forth the name(s) in a post.

Polls will be posted as follows:

1. Quarterback (CLOSED - Rex Kern is the first team QB, with Craig Krenzel as the second team selection)
2. Tailback (CLOSED - no surprise: Archie is first team, Eddie is second)
3. Athlete (CLOSED - Paul Warfield and Chris Gamble are first team; Cie Grant and Brian Bashnagel are second)
4. Fullback (CLOSED - Pete Johnson first team and Jim Otis second team)
5. Wide Receiver (CLOSED - Cris Carter and David Boston first team, Michael Jenkins and Joey Galloway second team)
6. Tight End (CLOSED - John Frank first team, Rickey Dudley second team)
7. Offensive Tackle (CLOSED - Orlando Pace, John Hicks, and Korey Stringer first team; Jim Davidson and Chris Ward second team)
8. Offensive Guard (CLOSED - Jim Lachey and Jim Parker first team; Rob Murphy and Ken Fritz second team)
9. Offensive Center (CLOSED - LeCharles Bentley first team, Jeff Uhlenhake second team)
10. Defensive Tackle (CLOSED - Dan Wilkinson and Jim Stillwagon first team; Tim Anderson and Jim Marshall second team)
11. Defensive End (OPEN - Mike Vrabel and Will Smith lead)
12. Linebacker (OPEN - Chris Spielman leads, with Randy Gradishar, Andy Katzenmoyer, Tom Cousineau, and Pepper Johnson also showing well)
13. Safety (OPEN - Jack Tatum and Michael Doss lead)
14. Cornerback (OPEN - Shawn Springs and Antoine Winfield lead)
15. Kicker (OPEN - Vlade Janakievski and Dan Stultz, with a populist uprising for Mike Nugent)
16. Punter (OPEN)
17. Current Buckeyes
18. "Old Time" Buckeyes
19. Head Coach

So, please vote now for your All-Time Greatest Buckeye Punter; please make TWO selections.

Note: Tom Skladany ('74-'76) was one of the Buckeyes' seven three-time All-Americans; Tom Tupa ('87) and Andy Groom ('02) also made the All-American team. Tom Orosz ('78), Brent Bartholomew ('97), and B.J. Sander ('03) were all Big Ten selections.

Thanks for your participation.

 

[buckzip]

Skladany. Because he did it a few years.

Groom was 2, and BJ 1

 

[BuckBackHome]

I'm going with Groom. Two reasons. 1. He was instrumental on a NC team. 2. He was a walk-on who never gave up in the face of adversity (also known as Cooper never giving walk-ons a shot over scholarship players).

 

[buckeyebri]

Skladany hands down. I'm pretty surprised that Tupa is getting such a high vote. I would consider him more of a QB than a punter at OSU.

 

[Jaxbuck]

It sure as hell isn't Kyle Turano.

 

[BuckBackHome]

It sure as hell isn't Kyle Turano.

Is it me or does he just have a very odd kicking motion? It looks like he never follows through.

 

[buckeyebri]

I never see any hang time on his punts, they all seem flat.

 

[ArtilleryBuck]

Groom was a pure weapon

 

[CrabMan]

I think 3 time All-American says it all....Skladany.


edit: If you can add my second vote, I'll take Groom, too.

 

[BB73]

Skladany and Groom.

 

[smith403]

I think 3 time All-American says it all....Skladany.


edit: If you can add my second vote, I'll take Groom, too.

Remember when he kicked it 60 yards (straight up, early in his career). He didn't want to face the "old man" but Woody found him. Hayes said "Thomas we didn't recruit you to pass the ball...to block...to catch the ball! "Thomas we recruited you to kick the ball...up and down the field, Thomas! Up and down the field!" Skladany said the next time he punted it went 60 yards "up and down the field"

 

[bucknut11]

Skladany was way before my time, but I'll vote for him based on the reccomendations I'm seeing here. Gotta pick Groom too since he helped win a NC.