For the third time in just two years, an Ohio State player has earned unanimous All-American honors.
Fifth-year senior center Billy Price became the latest Buckeye to earn that recognition on Wednesday, when he was named as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, giving him first-team accolades by all five voting bodies that determine unanimous and consensus All-Americans: the AFCA, the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
Price becomes the second straight Ohio State center to earn unanimous All-American honors, following in the footsteps of Pat Elflein, who was a unanimous All-American last season. Ohio State safety Malik Hooker was also a unanimous All-American last year.
In a season in which he broke Ohio State's school record for consecutive starts, Price has accumulated a long list of accolades, receiving the Rimington Trophy as college football's best center while also being named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, in addition to becoming a unanimous All-American.
Price is the 29th different player in Ohio State history to earn unanimous All-American honors. In total, Ohio State has had 33 unanimous All-American seasons, with Hopalong Cassady, Bob Ferguson, Archie Griffin and Orlando Pace each earning the honor twice. (Correction: This story previously stated that Price was the 30th unanimous All-American in Ohio State history.)
| Year | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | BILLY PRICE | CENTER |
| 2016 | PAT ELFLEIN | CENTER |
| 2016 | MALIK HOOKER | SAFETY |
| 2014 | JOEY BOSA | DEFENSIVE END |
| 2007 | JAMES LAURINAITIS | LINEBACKER |
| 2006 | TROY SMITH | QUARTERBACK |
| 2005 | A.J. HAWK | LINEBACKER |
| 2004 | MIKE NUGENT | KICKER |
| 2002 | MIKE DOSS | SAFETY |
| 1998 | ANTOINE WINFIELD | CORNERBACK |
| 1996 | ORLANDO PACE | OFFENSIVE TACKLE |
| 1995 | EDDIE GEORGE | RUNNING BACK |
| 1995 | ORLANDO PACE | OFFENSIVE TACKLE |
| 1987 | CHRIS SPIELMAN | LINEBACKER |
| 1987 | TOM TUPA | PUNTER |
| 1984 | KEITH BYARS | RUNNING BACK |
| 1977 | CHRIS WARD | OFFENSIVE TACKLE |
| 1975 | ARCHIE GRIFFIN | RUNNING BACK |
| 1974 | ARCHIE GRIFFIN | RUNNING BACK |
| 1973 | JOHN HICKS | GUARD |
| 1973 | RANDY GRADISHAR | LINEBACKER |
| 1970 | JACK TATUM | SAFETY |
| 1970 | JIM STILLWAGON | NOSE TACKLE |
| 1968 | DAVE FOLEY | OFFENSIVE TACKLE |
| 1961 | BOB FERGUSON | FULLBACK |
| 1960 | BOB FERGUSON | FULLBACK |
| 1956 | JIM PARKER | GUARD |
| 1955 | HOWARD "HOPALONG" CASSADY | HALFBACK |
| 1954 | HOWARD "HOPALONG" CASSADY | HALFBACK |
| 1950 | VIC JANOWICZ | HALFBACK |
| 1945 | WARREN AMLING | GUARD |
| 1944 | LES HORVATH | QUARTERBACK/HALFBACK |
| 1930 | WES FESLER | END |
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Denzel Ward were also named first-team All-Americans by the AFCA on Wednesday, making Ward a consensus All-American, with first-team selections from the AFCA, AP and Sporting News. Bosa and his older brother Joey – who was a unanimous All-American in 2014 – became the fourth pair of brothers to both earn first-team All-American honors at Ohio State, joining Archie and Ray Griffin, Jack and Dean Dugger and Lynn and Jim Houston.
