There are 81 days that separate us from Ohio State's march to Blacksburg. To help pass the time until the Buckeyes put the Sandman to sleep I will countdown Ohio State's top 100 players according to the rubric* listed at the bottom of this article.
Calvin Murray's 86-yard pass reception against Washington State in 1979 was the longest in Ohio State's history. That was until Kenny Guiton hooked up with Devin Smith against Cal in 2013.
NO. 81 CALVIN MURRAY, RB (1977-80)
Born: 1958 (Middle Township, NJ)
OHIO STATE CAREER
- The Buckeyes went 36-11-1 with Murray on the team.
- Won 2 Big Ten Titles.
HONORS
- 1980 Team MVP
- 1980 Captain
- 1980 All-Big Ten
NFL DRAFT
Round 4 to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 110th pick of the 1981 draft.
Calvin Murray has worked with close to 20 non-profit groups, such as: American Cancer Society, D.A.R.E, Red Cross, Special Olympics and United Negro College Fund.
CALVIN MURRAY'S BIOGRAPHY PER torahacademy.org:
Calvin Murray’s successful college football career as running back for The Ohio State University had its origins in Woodbine, New Jersey and hit a high point in 1980 when, as team co-captain, he made First Team All-Big Ten and was OSU’s MVP. He was the Big Ten Rushing Champ, playing in the Sugar, Gator, Rose, Fiesta and Japan Bowls, and ranked twentieth on the All-Time Rushing list at OSU. A fourth-round draft pick for the Philadelphia Eagles, Calvin spent time in the USFL with the Arizona Wranglers and Denver Gold before returning to the NFL to finish out his pro career with the Chicago Bears. Calvin still holds* the longest touchdown pass reception for running backs of 86 yards at OSU.
[…]
Previously Murray was a high school and elementary football coach. He is active with youth and enjoys giving motivational speeches for area schools, youth groups, businesses, and other organizations.
Employed with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio in a program called the Educational Partnership for Academic Student Success (also known as Ed PASS.), Calvin (Yosef) is married to Jeri (Emunah), and they have six children: Calvin Jr., Brandon, Andrew, Corey, Isaiah, and Hannah; plus three grandchildren: Elijah, Judah and Eliana.
*Devin Smith and Kenny Guiton broke it in 2013 against Cal:
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | |
| BIG TEN MVP | |
| TEAM MVP | 5 |
| ALL-AMERICAN | |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | |
| LETTER | 1 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
For more information on Murray and other players who wore No. 43:
Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide and torahacademy.org
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | 8 |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | 8 |
| BIG TEN MVP | 6 |
| TEAM MVP | 5 |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | 4 |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | 3 |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | 1 |
| LETTER | 0.25 PER YEAR |
