In 1970, Stillwagon won the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy; he was the first to win both in the same year.

Jim Stillwagon #68 and Jack Tatum #32 stuff Wolverine QB Don Moorehead #27 in 1970 game. (Picture is facing the south endzone - notice the small bleachers.)

Stillwagon led the 1970 Buckeye defense with an amazing effort against TTUN. Both teams were undefeated and we fans were anticipating this ‘revenge’ match from the moment the 1969 (upset) game ended. Our opponents entered the contest averaging 275 rushing yards/game. They were held to just 37 net yards on 30 carries! Their longest run that day was 5 yards. Stillwagon led the team in tackles; his stat line that game was: 12 tackles (7 solo, 5 assists, 2 TFL). Oh yes, another minor detail: he also played hurt (if my memory serves me correctly, it was one or both shoulders).

Brush with greatness: In 1970 I was a freshman at OSU. Stillwagon was in my music appreciation class. After class one day, I was exiting right behind him. He wasn’t taller than me (6’) but he had the widest shoulders I had ever seen. When he walked through the door, I remember thinking, “With shoulders like his, no wonder he can clog the middle. Who could get around him?”

Family story: My brother was a manager for the Buckeye football team from 1977-1981. Thanksgiving preceded the big game at that time. Our family celebrated the holiday in the Newark area at my grandparents’ house. Naturally, my brother had to go back to Columbus for practice to be held in the stadium. I remember that my dad, grandfather and I tagged along and my brother got us into a practice (which was more like a run through). Of course, security was especially tight that week but we were allowed to watch. We stood observing from the visitor’s sideline. Near the end of practice, the team was gathering at mid-field and we decided to walk over and join the huddle. Hayes had Jim Stillwagon alongside him and Woody introduced Jim to the team expounding on his exploits during the 1970 game in particular. Then Woody asked Jim to speak about that victory. Wearing a nice leather coat, Stillwagon started his soft-spoken response something like, “Well we had a good team and good coaching and we were well prepared, etc.” All of the sudden “whap!” Slapping him on his chest, Woody interrupts saying, “What the hell is all this non-sense crap! You lined up against the guy in front of you and you beat the hell out him!” Woody went on to make his point that each player needed to defeat the man he was facing at his position to win the game. Stillwagon never did finish his comments.