To date, we have covered quarterbacks, linebackers, centers/guards, defensive ends, wide receivers, offensive tackles, cornerbacks and tight ends in the Four Kings series. This week, we put the spotlight on the safeties.
To help you out, we've listed 17 of Ohio State’s most accomplished safeties with a description of their storied careers.
Note: The stats shown are based on the end-of-season stats for each player.
Arnie Chonko (1962-64)
An All-Big Ten honoree in 1964, Chonko was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1982 and was named to the Ohio State All-Century Team.
Against Indiana in 1964, Chonko became the second Buckeye to have three interceptions in a single game. He is also tied for fifth for interceptions in a season with seven in 1964.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | 17 | 212 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Mike Sensibaugh (1968-70)
Was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree and was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1997. Sensibaugh was also named to the Ohio State All-Century Team.
Sensibaugh is the Ohio State career leader in interceptions with 22 and is tied for the single-season record for interceptions with nine picks in 1969.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Sensibaugh in the eighth round of the 1971 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | 22 | 248 | 0 | NA | NA | NA |
Jack Tatum (1968-70)
Tatum was a two-time All-American and was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree. He was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1981 and was named to the Ohio State All-Century Team. The Raiders selected Tatum with the 19th overall pick of the 1971 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | 3 | 6 | 0 | NA | NA | NA |
Tim Fox (1972-75)
An All-American and All-Big Ten honoree in 1975, Fox was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1998 and was named to the Ohio State All-Century Team.
At the end of his career, Fox was tied with Neal Colzie and Larry Zelina for the most punt return touchdowns in an Ohio State career with two. Today he's tied for fourth in program history. The New England Patriots selected Fox with the 21st overall pick of the 1976 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 | 6 | 45 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Ray Griffin (1974-77)
As a senior, Griffin was an All-American and All-Big Ten honoree. He combined with Nick Buonamici for a 95-yard interception return against Indiana in 1976, which was Ohio State's longest interception return for a touchdown at the time; Buonamici made the interception and returned the ball 22 yards before lateralling to Griffin who went 73 yards for the score.
Griffin was named to Ohio State's All-Century Team and the Cincinnati Bengals took him in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 156 | 4 | 146 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
Roger Harper (1990-92)
Haper was an All-Big Ten player during his last season in Columbus and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157 | 7 | 59 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
Chico Nelson (1990-93)
Nelson was an All-Big Ten honoree and team captain in 1993.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 199 | 7 | 109 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
Damon Moore (1994-98)
Moore was an All-American in 1998 and a two-time All-Big Ten honoree. Against Iowa in 1996, he became the last Buckeye to tie the school record with three interceptions in a game. Moore is tied for second in school history with two interceptions returned for a touchdown and tied for ninth with 12 career interceptions.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Moore in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 264 | 12 | 177 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 2 |
Mike Doss (1999-02)
A three-time All-American (unanimous in 2002) and three-time All-Big Ten honoree, the captain helped the Buckeyes win the 2002 national championship. Doss has the school record for most tackles by a defensive back (331).
The Indianapolis Colts selected Doss in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 331 | 8 | 184 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 7 |
Donnie Nickey (1999-02)
Nickey was a captain of the 2002 national championship team and was selected in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 258 | 5 | 91 | 9 | 2 | 3 |
Will Allen (2000-03)
Allen was an All-American and All-Big Ten honoree during his last season with the Buckeyes. His 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against San Diego State in 2003 is tied with two other players for the school record.
Allen was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 136 | 5 | 139 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
Nate Salley (2002-05)
An All-Big Ten honoree in 2005, Salley was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 181 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
Donte Whitner (2003-05)
Whitner earned All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2005 and was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the eighth overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 164 | 5 | 62 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
Kurt Coleman (2006-09)
An All-Big Ten player during his final season with Ohio State, Coleman's 129 interception return yards in 2009 ranks fourth in Buckeye history for a season and his 89 interception return yards against Wisconsin in 2009 is fifth in school history for a single game.
Coleman was selected by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 219 | 9 | 147 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
Vonn Bell (2013-15)
A starter on the 2014 national championship team, Bell earned All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2015 and was selected by New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 175 | 9 | 49 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 2 |
Malik Hooker (2014-16)
A unanimous All-American in 2016, Hooker also earned All-Big Ten honors during his final season as a Buckeyes. He is the only player in school history with three interception returns for a touchdown.
Hooker was selected with the 15th overall pick by the Colts in the 2017 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 7 | 181 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Jordan Fuller (2016-19)
Fuller earned All-Big Ten honors in 2019 and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
| Tackles | Interceptions | INT Yards | INT TD | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 224 | 5 | 81 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
