In 4 days Ohio State will play Oregon State in the 2018 season opener. There have been 24 players to wear the No. 4 since 1933.

Today's featured players are Kirk Herbstreit, Will Allen, Santonio Holmes, Kurt Coleman and Curtis Samuel.

Players Who Wore No. 4 At Ohio State

PLAYER	WORN	B1G MVP	TEAM MVP	AA	CAPT.	1R NFL	ALL B1G	AC AA	NFL DRAFT	AC B1G	LETTER
Jack Smith	1933-34										1933-34
Paul Birkholt	1936
James Strausbaugh	1938-40								1941		1938-40
Elliot Rice	1970-71
Randal Keith*	1972-73										1973
Louis Williott	1974-75										1974-75
Jeffery Ferrelli	1976										1976
Norman Burrows	1978-80										1978-80
Kelvin Bell	1981-83										1981-83
Emmett Keith-Jones*	1984
Wes Siegenthaler*	1987-88
Kirk Herbstreit	1989-92		1993		1993						1990-92
Keith Wilkerson	1993										1993
Josh Jackson*	1995-96									1995, 1996	1995-96
Ken-Yon Rambo	1997-00				2000				2001		1997-00
Chris Vance	2001-02										2001-02
Will Allen*	2003			2003			2003		2004		2003
Santonio Holmes*	2003-05					2006	2005				2003-05
Ray Small*	2006-07										2007
Kurt Coleman	2006-09		2009	2009	2009		2009		2010	2009	2006-09
Jaamal Berry	2009-11										2010
CJ Barnett*	2010-13				2013					2010, 2012	2010-13
Curtis Samuel	2014-16			2016			2016		2017		2014-16
Jordan Fuller	2016-18									2017	2016-17

*Wore another number at Ohio State
Did not earn a varsity letter while wearing No. 4

Kirk Herbstreit, QB (1989-1992)
Born: 1969 (Centerville, Ohio)
High School: Centerville

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 31-15-2 with Herbstreit on the team.
Lost all four bowl games.
Went 2-12-2 against ranked teams with Herbstreit on the team.
No. 6 Iowa (1990) and No. 8 Syracuse (1992) were the only ranked team the Buckeyes defeated.
Went 0-3-1 against That Team.

Honors
1992 Team MVP.
1992 Team Captain.

Herbstreit's senior season per The Ohio State Team Guide:

6-2, 212...from Centerville, Ohio....Nailed down the No. 1 spot in the spring and will be the starter in the fall...chosen as a co-captain following spring ball...appeared in all 12 games last year with starts against Washington State and Syracuse.

A long-time Ohio State fan who grew up dreaming of someday starting for the Buckeyes...an exciting athlete who has demonstrated a knack for scrambling out of trouble and turning apparent losses into big gainers...very popular with the other players and a natural leader.

OSU's sixth-leading rusher last year with 153 yards on 31 carries, an average of 4.9 yards per carry...spectacular 32-yard TD run against Wisconsin last year was surpassed only by an even more spectacular 72-yard scoring jaunt at Minnesota...also the Buckeyes' holder for field goals and extra points.

Led Centerville to a 10-0 record as a junior and was the Ohio Player of the Year as a senior...threw for 1,298 yards and 10 touchdowns and ran for 576 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior...also an outstanding high school baseball player. 

The first player to commit to Ohio State after John Cooper was named head coach...his father, Jim, played for (1958-60) and coached at (1961-62) Ohio State.

At one time, Herbstreit held the Ohio State record for pass completions in the rivalry game against Michigan. He completed 28 passes for 271 yards in a 13-13 tie against Michigan in 1992.

Herbsteit's broadcasting career per Wikipedia:

Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, and Lee Corso sit alongside Herbstreit on the ESPN College GameDay set, discussing the day's college football games, and analyzing highlights and players. Every Saturday, College GameDay goes to colleges all around the United States to preview the school's upcoming football game. Herbstreit serves as an analyst for ABC Sports' college football prime time series alongside play-by-play man Chris Fowler.

Herbstreit previously worked Thursday night games for ESPN as a color commentator, and he is currently in the booth for Saturday night college football games on ABC. On the day of the 2007 SEC championship game, Herbstreit incorrectly reported on ESPN's College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr as the head coach at the University of Michigan.

Will Allen,  (2000-2003)
Born: 1982 (Dayton, Ohio)
High School: Huber Heights (Wayne, Ohio)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 40-11 with Allen on the team.
2002 National Champion.
2002 Big Ten Title.
Defeated No. 1 Miami 31-24 in 2OT to win the 2003 Fiesta Bowl National Championship Game.
Defeated No. 8 Kansas State 35-28 to win the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
2012 B1G Leaders Title.
Went 2-2 against That Team.

Honors 2003 All-American.
2003 All-Big Ten.

Allen's senior bio per the Ohio State Team Guide:

6-2, 190...from Dayton, Ohio...Three-year letterman who should get his first opportunity to start this year...was the Buckeyes' third safety and nickel back last year...a hard hitter and intelligent player...has improved each year and appears ready to step in as the replacement for three-time All-American Mike Doss at safety.

Has always played well and had several exceptional games in 2002, including the Michigan and Miami games...salted away the Michigan game by intercepting a pass at the 2-yard line on the final play of the game to preserve Ohio State's 14-9 victory and a perfect season...had five tackles and a fourth-quarter fumble recovery against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

Has played in 37 of 38 games the past three years and is the Buckeyes' most experienced back in terms of games played.

Helped lead Huber Heights Wayne to the Division I state runner-up spot as a senior...was a classmate of current OSU receiver  John Hollins...also played baseball (pitched and caught) and ran track (100 and 200).

Allen's play in his last two games as Buckeye per The Ohio State Team Guide:

Allen is perhaps best remembered among college football fans for two plays made during the 2002 BCS national championship season.

The first occurred during the 2002 Ohio State-Michigan game, intercepting a pass from Michigan quarterback John Navarre during the closing seconds to preserve the 14-9 victory and an undefeated regular season.

The second play was only one game later in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the national championship. In the second half, Allen tackled Miami running back Willis McGahee and delivered a shoulder blow to his left knee. McGahee had to be helped off the field; he suffered ligament damage and was forced to miss his whole rookie year in the NFL.

Santonio Holmes, WR (2002-2005)
Born: 1984
High School: Glades Central (Belle Glade, FL)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 43-8 with Holmes on the team.
2002 National Champion.
2002 Big Ten Title.
2005 Big Ten Title.
Defeated No. 1 Miami 31-24 in 2OT to win the 2003 Fiesta Bowl National Championship Game.
Defeated No. 8 Kansas State 35-28 to win the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
Defeated No. 5 Notre Dame 34-20 to win the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.
Went 3-1 against That Team. 

Honors
2005 All-Big Ten.

Holmes' senior bio per The Ohio State Team Guide:

5-11, 190...from Belle Grade, FL...Will be in his second year as a fulltime starter and is one of the most dangerous receivers in the Big Ten...excels at separating from a defender and is difficult to cover because of his combination of speed, quickness and precise routes.

Teams with Ted Ginn to give the Buckeyes one of the top receiving tandems in college football...should be a leading candidate for postseason honors in 2005, including the Biletnikoff Award.

Had a stellar year in 2004, leading the Buckeyes in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown catches...has caught passes in 18 consecutive games and has 87 career receptions for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns...had 10 receptions against both Marshall and Northwestern last year, joining David Boston as the only Ohio State receiver to reach double figures in catches twice in the same season (Boston did it three times in 1998).

Has scored three touchdowns in his two games against Michigan.

Was a three-year starter, helping Glades Central to state titles his sophomore and junior years and a 12-1 record his senior year...had 33 receptions for 970 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior...was the MVP of the Outback Steakhouse All-Star Game with five receptions for 121 yards and a TD...Also played in the California-Florida All-Star game.

Three-sport star, who also played basketball and ran track...the track team won the state title his junior year and the basketball team was runner-up his senior season...his 4x400 meter relay team won the state title his junior and senior years.

More on Holmes from the Ohio State Team Guide:

A Buckeye standout from 2003-05, Santonio Holmes again put Ohio State into the NFL
spotlight with his exploits in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa.

A 2006 first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Belle Glade, Fla., native
made his biggest contribution to the Black and Gold on February 1, 2009, when he snagged
nine catches for 131 yards, the biggest with 36 seconds left for the game-winning score in
football’s biggest game.

With four receptions on the Steelers’ last drive, Holmes went to the right corner of the
endzone, scraping his toes to haul in the six-yard toss from Ben Roethlisberger.

That amazing catch gave the Steelers a 27-23 lead in their sixth Super Bowl victory and gave Santonio the
MVP trophy, only the sixth receiver and the first Buckeye ever to receive that recognition.

Kurt Coleman, S (2006-2009)
High School: Northmont (Dayton, Ohio)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 44-8 with Coleman on the team.
2006 Big Ten Title.
2007 Big Ten Title.
2008 Big Ten Title.
2009 Big Ten Title.
2017 Big Ten Title.
Defeated No. 7 Oregon 26-17 to win the 2010 Sugar Bowl.
Went 4-0 against That Team, outscoring them 119-59.

Honors
2009 Team MVP.
2009 Captain.
2009 All-American.
2009 All-Big Ten.

Coleman's senior bio per The Ohio State Team Guide:

5-11, 195...from Dayton, Ohio...Third-year starter at strong safety...hard hitter and sure tackler...goes all-out all the time...a leader of the Ohio State defense...one of the fiercest competitors in the OSU weight room...2009 Lott Trophy watch list.

Collected 19 solo tackles and 73 assists as a senior in high school to go along with seven pass break-ups and three interceptions...caught 22 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown...returned 15 punts for 261 yards (2 TD) and 11 kickoffs for 266 yards (1 TD)...two-time first team all-Ohio...all-Midwest Team...17 pass break-ups and 10 interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns.

Coleman contemplates walking away from the game after injuring a fellow teammate:

At a spring practice during his freshman year, Coleman tackled wide receiver Tyson Gentry. Gentry became paralyzed.

Coleman almost quit the football team before Gentry forgave him during a hospital visit.

In 2009, Coleman made 68 tackles, five interceptions and three forced fumbles. He earned first-team All-American honors by Sporting News and first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Curtis Samuel, H-Back (2014-2016)
High School: Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, NY)

Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 37-4 with Samuel on the team.
2014 National Champion
2014 Big Ten Title.
2014 Big Ten East Title.
2015 Big Ten East Title.
2016 Big Ten East Title.
Defeated No. 1 Alabama 42-35 to win the 2015 Sugar Bowl.
Defeated No. 2 Oregon 42-20 to win the 2015 CFP National Championship.
Defeated No. 8 Notre Dame 44-28 to win the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
Went 3-0 against That Team.

Honors
2016 All-American.
2016 All-Big Ten.

Samuel's junior season bio per the Ohio State Team Guide:

5-11, 197...from Brooklyn, NY...Alongside quarterback J.T. Barrett and fellow H-back Dontre Wilson, junior H-Back Curtis Samuel is one of the most experienced offensive weapons on the Buckeye roster with 27 games played, 33 receptions for 384 yards, and 525 rushing yards, a total that is tops among all Buckeyes not named Barrett...he also has the second most plays on offense (excluding Barrett).

Samuel is truly a terrific talent, and one capable of making a big play every time he touches the football...he has nine plays from scrimmage over 20 yards (four rushing and five receiving). Also has an impressive career average of 6.9 yards per carry to go along with 11.9 yards per reception.

He came to Ohio State a consensus four-star prospect by all four recruiting services and he was among the top 100 players in the nation. Samuel rushed for 1,461 yards, averaged 15.8 yards per rush and scored 17 touchdowns in 2013 and helped his 10-2 Dutchmen team to a second appearance in the Public School Athletic League city title game.

Named New York's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior...rushed for 446 yards and scored six touchdowns in 2013 city league playoffs...invited to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl...helped Erasmus to an undefeated season and a first-ever PSAL title. State runner-up in the 55-meter dash in 2013.

No. 4 In The NFL Draft

NAME	YEAR	ROUND	PICK	POSITION	TEAM
JIMMY STRAUSBAUGH	1941	20	186	RB	PACKERS
KEN-YON RAMBO	2001	7	229	WR	RAIDERS
WILL ALLEN	2004	4	111	S	BUCCANEERS
SANTONIO HOLMES	2006	1	25	WR	STEELERS
KURT COLEMAN	2010	7	244	FS	EAGLES
CURTIS SAMUEL	2017	2	40	WR	PANTHERS

 

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87 days until The Game.