One of the most successful Cornerbacks in Ohio State history, Antoine Winfield was an All-American who won both the Jim Thorpe Award and the Jack Tatum Trophy in 1998, which propelled him to a First Round Pick where he landed in nearby Buffalo.

The Bills used him as the third Corner as a rookie, but he became a starter and showcased elite tackling and man-to-man coverage over the next four seasons.  Winfield started as a Bill, but he became a star in Minnesota purple.  He signed with the Vikings in 2004, where his versatility shone through.

Winfield was a Viking from 2004 to 2012, where he had 21 of his 27 Interceptions.  He also had a three-year run of Pro Bowls (2008-10), which included a Second-Team All-Pro in 2008. He had always been a physical player, but in the late 2000s, he finally got his due.

Winfield retired after the 2012 Season with 1,054 Tackles and an imprint on everyone he delivered them to.

Eddie George broke out as an upper-end Running Back immediately as the former Ohio State Buckeye won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in the last year of the Houston Oilers' existence (1996).  That year, he rushed for 1,368 Yards, but that wasn't just the beginning; it was a pattern.

George relocated with the team to Tennessee, and the now-named Titans inherited a star rusher.  From 1997 to 2000, George was a Pro Bowl Selection, and the lowest yardage total he had on the ground was 1,294.  His best year was in 2000, when he had a career-high 1,509 Rushing Yards, led the NFL in Touches (453), and, for the first and only time, was a First Team All-Pro.

While this was the end of George's Pro Bowl years, he still had plenty of production in him, as he would accrue two more 1,000-rushing-yard seasons.  He would retire with 10,441 Rushing Yards with 78 total Touchdowns.

It is not a stretch by any means to state that Nick Mangold was the greatest New York Jets center ever.  We could easily go a step further and state that he is one of the best offensive linemen in franchise history.

From Ohio State, Mangold started immediately at quarterback as a rookie, and he would start and play 164 Games, all for the Jets.  Mangold made his first of seven Pro Bowls in 2008, and he was also named to two First Team All-Pro rosters (2009 & 2010).  Mangold will likely receive consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he might be a bubble candidate.

One of the main roles of an Offensive Lineman is to create holes for Running Backs.  The Cleveland Browns of the 1960s had some of the best runners, and Dick Schafrath was a big reason they had so much opportunity to run. 

Stepping in from Ohio State, Dick Schafrath maintained the high level coaches expected at that position.  He protected the weak side brilliantly but used his powerful, albeit undersized frame to create holes for Cleveland backs.  In fact, on eight occasions, Cleveland Browns’ Running Backs won the rushing title with Schafrath anchoring the left side.

As a four-time First Team All-Pro, it is a little curious that he hasn’t received a look from the Hall, but with the great post-football life that he led, he doesn’t need the accolade to make his existence complete.

Does longevity mean more than greatness?  We ask this question about Jim Marshall, who had a solid 20-year career but made the Pro Bowl only twice.

Jim Marshall was truly the model of consistency.  For nineteen of his twenty-year career, he patrolled the Minnesota Vikings defense in a time period that seemed to last forever.  Marshall set longevity records by setting the consecutive starts record for a Defensive End and the most Fumbles recovered.  Although he wasn't dominant, he was very good, and the NFL doesn’t allow a player to last twenty years just for charitable reasons.  Marshall recovered 30 fumbles over his career, which is also a record for Defensive Ends.

Again, Jim Marshall was a great player for Minnesota, but without a dominating period, it is difficult to see how Marshall can get into the Hall of Fame.  With only one year as a finalist, it seems that the Hall committee thinks the same, especially considering he was not on the Centennial Slate Finalists in 2020.  Nevertheless, when fans talk about Hall of Fame snubs among Defensive Ends, the voices for Jim Marshall extend well beyond the borders of Minnesota.

Playing all but one season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Michael Redd came out of Ohio State with a sweet shot and huge potential. Despite being a late pick in the NBA Draft, Redd would be a prolific scorer for Milwaukee until a severe ACL injury rendered him into a shell of his former self. Redd retired with a Points per Game Average of 19.0 with a PER of 19.7 which while decent, may not be Hall of Fame material; especially since he only made one Post Season NBA All-Star Team.