In 17 days Ohio State will play Oregon State to start the 2018 season. Below, you will find a list of the 46 players who have worn No. 17 since 1932.

Today's featured players are Damon Wetzel, Earle Bruce and Chris Sanders.

*Wore another number at Ohio State
Did not earn a varsity letter while wearing No. 17

Damon Wetzel, FB (1932-34)
Born: 1910 (Roseville, Ohio)
Died: 1985 (El Paso, TX)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 18-3-3 with Wetzel on the team.
1934 outscored opponents 267-34.
1934 only loss was 13-14 at Illinois.
1934 Defeated That Team 34-0.

Wetzel's last season with Ohio State per the Chicago Tribune:

Ohio State went through last season (1934) with the loss of only one game. That was to Illinois, 14 to 13. Those who attended the game may remember that Wetzel had much to do with the powerful last period attack which just failed to tie the Illini.

At the start of the game, Wetzel was sent in at center instead of in his customary place in the back field. At the beginning of the last quarter, with Illinois leading 14 to 0, he was placed at full back. By the time the period was 2 and a half minutes old, he had smashed over for a touchdown. Two minutes later Heekin scored another for the Buckeyes, but as one of the attempts for point after touchdown failed, the Illini still led, 14 to 13, and that was the nearest the Buckeyes came to victory.

Damon Wetzel was featured in an article titled “Halas Will Root for Wetzel, but Not on Thursday Night” by the Chicago Tribune in 1935:

Damon Wetzel, one of the hardest line smashers in the history of Ohio State university football, gave spectators many thrills during his career as a college player. But he's not finished yet. He'll be back Thursday night for a crack at a line that's tougher than any he's ever hit before. The Football fans who gather at Soldier's field that evening will see him in action as a full back for the college All-Stars in their battle with the Chicago Bears.

Wetzel was the first head coach of the Cleveland Rams in 1936.

Earle Bruce, FB (1950-51) Head Coach (1979-87)
Born: 1931 (Pittsburgh, PA)
Died: 2018 (Columbus)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 10-6-2 with Bruce on the team.
The Buckeyes were 81-26-1 with Bruce as head coach.

Honors
2000 Inducted into the Iowa State Hall of Fame.
2002 Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
2004 Inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Earle Bruce's Ohio State playing career per Wikipedia:

Bruce was recruited as a full back at the Ohio State University by head coach Wes Fesler. He played on the OSU freshman team in 1950, but before he could join the varsity team in 1951 he suffered a torn meniscus, ending his football career. Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes asked Bruce to join the coaching staff, which he did until his graduation in 1953.

Bruce's Ohio State coaching career per ohiostatebuckeyes.com:

Earle Bruce... was an assistant to Woody Hayes from 1966-72, became OSU head coach in 1979. His first season was defined by an 8-0 conference record that earned the Buckeyes their first outright Big Ten title in four seasons. Ohio State entered the 1979 Rose Bowl ranked No. 1, but fell short of a national title 17-16 to USC; Bruce was named Big Ten and national coach of the year.

A 31-28 win over Navy in the 1981 Liberty Bowl was the first of three consecutive bowl victories, (47-17 over BYU, 1982 Holiday Bowl; 28-23 Pitt, 1983 Fiesta Bowl). The Buckeyes went back to the Rose Bowl in 1984. The fourth Big Ten title the Buckeyes achieved under the fiery Bruce was in 1986,  when Ohio State finished the season with a Cotton Bowl victory.

He left Ohio State after the 1987 season with an 81-26-1 record, including a 5-3 mark in bowl games. Bruce, who was also head coach at Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Colorado State and in Arena Football, is a member of the College Football (2002), Ohio State (2004) and Iowa State (2000) halls of fame.

Bruce's win/loss records as a college and high school coach:

Bruce accumulated a collegiate coaching record of 154–90–2 with five different universities. Preceding that, Bruce was one of the most successful high school football coaches in Ohio history, accumulating a record of 82–12–3 in 10 seasons of head coaching positions with three Ohio high schools. He led four different college teams to bowl games, where he had a 7–5 record.

Bruce played under Wes Fesler and coached under Woody Hayes at Ohio State.

Below is a list of Bruce's former assistants who became NCAA Division I FBS or NFL head coaches:

• Gary Blackney, Bowling Green
• Joe Bugel, Phoenix Cardinals and Oakland Raiders
• Dom Capers, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans
• Pete Carroll, NY Jets, New England Patriots, USC and Seattle Seahawks
• Mark Dantonio, Cincinnati and Michigan State
• Mike DeBord, Central Michigan
• Karl Dorrell, UCLA
• Skip Holtz, UCONN, East Carolina, USF, Louisiana Tech
• Glen Mason, Kent State, Kansas and Minnesota
• Urban Meyer, Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State
• Nick Saban, Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, Miami Dolphins and Alabama
• Jim Tressel, Youngstown State and Ohio State

Bo Pelini was a former player of Bruce who became a Division I head coach.

Chris Sanders, WR (1991-94)
Born: 1972 (Denver, CO)
High School: Montbello (Denver)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 35-12-1 with Sanders on the team.
1993 Big Ten Title.
1993 Defeated BYU 28-21 to win the Holiday Bowl.
1992-94 on the track and field team.
1992 Set a school record 26' 9.75” indoor long jump.

Honors
1994 Named the Ohio State Athlete of the Year.

Sanders' senior bio per The Ohio State Team Guide:

6-1, 175...from Denver, Colorado...The incumbent at flanker who is a two-year starter...combines outstanding leaping ability with great speed...will have to ward off challenges from several players because of OSU's outstanding corps of receivers, but appears primed for a fine senior season.

Also runs track at Ohio State, and helped the Buckeyes win Big Ten outdoor titles in 1992 and '93 and the indoor crown in 1993...has won five Big Ten titles and has earned All-American honors in 11 events, including a fourth place in the 1994 indoor high jump and fourth place in the '94 outdoor 200.

Was Athlete of the Meet at the 1994 Big Ten outdoor meet, winning the 200 and 4x100 relay and placing second in the long jump and 100...set a school record in the indoor long jump in 1992 with a leap of 26' 9 3/4".

First team all-state as a senior, catching 30 passes for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns...also had 11 interceptions as a senior...helped Montbello to consecutive runner-up finishes in the state playoffs...won state track crowns in the 100 and 200 meters, as well as the long jump, as a senior.

Nickname is "tippy toes" because his heels never touch the ground when he walks or runs.

Chris Sanders' Ohio State career per web.montgomerybell.com:

Chris graduated from Ohio State University in 1995 where he participated both track and football.  He was an 11 time All American in track in field.  One of his most memorable accomplishments was breaking Jesse Owens indoor long jump record of 26' 9 1/2". 

He was also a member of the Ohio State football team from 1990-1995 and became a third round draft pick of the Houston Oilers.  He played receiver with the Oilers/Titans from 1995-2002. Prior to this year, he had been working in the track and football teams at CPA for the past 2 years.  Chris and his wife, Casey have two children.

Bobby Hoying connecting with Chris Sanders for Hoying's fifth TD pass of the game. Posted by tippy811 who I believe is Chris Sanders.

Bobby Hoying connecting with Chris Sanders for Hoying's fifth TD pass of the game. This was posted on YouTube by tippy811. I believe tippy might be Chris Sanders.

*Wore No. 4 when drafted.

100 days until The Game.