Rounding out the offensive side of this team is a position group that fares much better than the previous one. Seven different former Ohio State players have at least 6,000 career receiving yards in the pros.

Wide Receiver

Professional football’s history is laden with tremendous buckeyes receiving on the outside. Perhaps even enough that it would help alleviate the Texas-sized quarterback problems this hypothetical team would experience...

First Team

Cris Carter (1987-1989 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins)

All that Carter managed to do in his sixteen seasons was haul in numbers for career receptions and touchdowns that are both top five all time (1,101 receptions and 130 touchdowns). Over 13,000 career receiving yards is nothing to scoff at either.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame certainly enjoyed his accomplishments, naming him to their all-1990s first team and inducting him into Canton in 2013. Most famous for his time in Minnesota, he is the team’s all time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. It practically goes without saying he’s in their ring of honor.

Carter dominated throughout his career, with eight seasons over 1,000 yards and three seasons leading the entire NFL in touchdown receptions, including a total of 17 in 1995 that is the fifth most ever in a season. He reached eight consecutive pro bowls and was twice named first-team all pro.

Minnesota enjoyed decent success in his time, reaching four straight NFC title games from 1998-2001 but winning none of them.

Carter has a good track record off the field too, winning the 1999 Walter Payton Man of the Year award and spreading knowledge onto a younger generation following his playing days:

Before the show @criscarter80 shows a young fan how to be a better WR, then something really special happens. pic.twitter.com/04rPLI779a
— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) February 1, 2017

Paul Warfield (1964-1969, 1976-1977 Cleveland Browns, 1970-1974 Miami Dolphins)

Warfield, for all the under usage he experienced in the Woody Hayes offense, was an incredible pro receiver. His speed, fluid movement, jumping capabilities, and overall athleticism made him one of the best in his era. Even President Nixon agrees.

While Warfield was making his eight pro bowls, his teams were enjoying on-the-field successes as he became leading receiver on three different championship teams in 1964, 1972, and 1973. 1972 may have been the greatest of those, as he caught 29 passes for 606 yards and 3 touchdowns (team leader in the first two of those categories) for the only ever Super Bowl-winning undefeated team, the Miami Dolphins.

Inducted into Canton in his first year of eligibility, at the time of his retirement Paul ranked third all-time in touchdown receptions with 85 and sixth all-time in receiving yards with 8,565. The Pro Football Hall of Fame named him second-team all-1970s.

Second Team

Joey Galloway (1995-1999 Seattle Seahawks, 2000-2003 Dallas Cowboys, 2004-2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2009 New England Patriots, 2010 Washington Redskins)

While the team Joey Galloway played for during his career never remained consistent, something else did: his production. Out of the ten seasons where he saw time in at least eleven games, Galloway had a minimum of 900 receiving yards in eight of them.

Another thing that remained consistent: his speed. Galloway was an absolute burner. NFL Films even places him as the eighth fastest player of all time, and Seattle journalist Clare Farnsworth called it an “injustice” to put him that low. Clocked at the second quickest 40 time in NFL history (4.18), Joey also managed to display the scorch marks left by his swiftness on the field in a laundry list of different methods. In his all-rookie 1995 season he reversed field on a reverse and outran a horde of Jacksonville Jaguar defensive backs for an 86 yard touchdown run, the longest in the NFL that year. Returning punts for most of the teams he was with, he ran five back for touchdowns and was the league’s only player with multiple PR scores in 1998.

At his retirement, Galloway finished his pro career with 701 receptions for 10,950 yards and 77 touchdowns, the latter a number in the top 30 all time for the pros. He was on four different playoff teams, none of which won a postseason game.

Terry Glenn (1996-2001 New England Patriots, 2002 Green Bay Packers, 2003-2007 Dallas Cowboys)

It’s interesting to see that two buckeye receivers known for being fast that played in the NFL during the same era make up the second team on this list. Glenn was red white and blue hot in his rookie year with the Patriots, enough so to give the buckeyes a second straight year with a receiver on the NFL’s all-rookie team. 90 receptions (a rookie record at the time) and 1,132 yards worth of heat, in fact, as the Patriots reached Super Bowl XXXI. He cooled off a bit the next couple of seasons before reaching his only pro bowl in 1999 after a second 1,100-yard performance.

Proverbial wheels came off the proverbial wagon for a year in 2001 however. After numerous off the field issues Glenn was suspended for most of the season by Bill Belichick and as a result did not receive a ring when the Patriots won their first Super Bowl later that year. Green Bay picked him up for one season before he wound up with the Cowboys, and Glenn was able to return to prominence. He would record back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2005 and 2006 before retiring after playing just one game in 2007 due to arthroscopic knee surgery.

Glenn still finished with over 8,000 career receiving yards in a highly productive tenure. And before that suspension in 2001 he managed to catch a formidable young quarterback’s first ever touchdown throw (first clip in video).

My apologies... couldn't find a video that would embed with all the stupid youtube copyright rules and what-not.

Tight End

Ohio State has one NFL legend at this position, and not much else. Perhaps Heuerman or others can change that in the near future.

First Team

Dante “Gluefingers” Lavelli (1946-1956 Cleveland Browns)

Cleveland Browns players continue to be prevalent throughout these lists, and Otto Graham’s favorite set of phalanges to stick a ball to slot in here. The two were centerpieces of squads that won four titles in the AAFC and three more of the NFL variety. Lavelli had 11 receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the 1950 NFL Championship game.

Lavelli was given plenty of titles throughout his history as a player. Browns announcer Bob Neal gave him his most famous “Gluefingers” moniker for his ridiculous hands, while a Steelers scouting report dubbed him “Mr. Clutch” for his timely catches. His quality of play landed him thrice a “pro bowler” next to his name (probably would have more of those if not for the fact that there was no pro bowl for him to play in until 1950), and finally he was branded “Hall of Famer” in 1975.

When he finished playing, Dante Lavelli was third in the history of professional football in both receptions (386) and receiving yards (6,488). His 62 career touchdown grabs at the time ranked him only behind the Packers legend Don Hutson.

Second Team

Bob Shaw (1945-1946, 1949 Cleveland Rams, 1950 Chicago Cardinals)

Shaw’s hardly impressive (even by 1940s standards) stat line is second best in Ohio State pro tight end history for three reasons. Lack of choices is obviously number one. But the other two are positive things.

Firstly, Shaw is one of just three players in the history of pro football to catch five touchdowns in a game. He accomplished the feat on October 2nd, 1950 against the Baltimore Colts to become the first ever player to do so.

And in 1949 Clark Shaughnessey, at the time head coach of the Cleveland Rams, decided to invent a new position at the end of an offensive line that would have a greater role in the passing game, and he called the new spot “tight end”. The first player he put at this position was Bob Shaw.

Honorable Mentions

Santonio Holmes (2006-2009 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2010-2013 New York Jets, 2014 Chicago Bears) - Wide Receiver

Ohio State’s only Super Bowl MVP had 131 yards on nine catches and one game winning, toe-dragging, Cardinal-crushing touchdown. On his career, Holmes caught the ball 389 times for over 6,000 career yards. In 2009 he was seventh in the NFL with 1,248 receiving yards, and in 2011 he was a team captain for the New York Jets.

Jeff Graham (1991-1993 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1994-1995 Chicago Bears, 1996-1997 New York Jets, 1998 Philadelphia Eagles, 1999-2001 San Diego Chargers) - Wide Receiver

In 160 career games, Graham managed to tally 542 receptions for 8,172 yards and 30 touchdowns. He had a 1,300-yard season in 1995.

Rickey Dudley (1996-2000 Oakland Raiders, 2001 Cleveland Browns, 2002-2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers) - Tight End

The only Ohio State tight end besides Lavelli with at least 1,500 career receiving yards, Dudley has a Super Bowl ring from the 2002 Tampa Bay team.

Special Mention

Ben Hartsock (2004-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-2007 Tennessee Titans, 2008 Atlanta Falcons, 2009-2010 New York Jets, 2011-2013 Carolina Panthers) - Tight End

I wouldn’t be a true Unioto alumni if I didn’t mention the only NFL player ever to come from the high school. Hartsock played in 131 NFL games, specializing as a blocker.