Thirty former Ohio State football players have joined legal action in the Richard Strauss abuse case, each alleging the late team doctor sexually abused them during their time at the university.
The 30 Buckeyes are the first football players to come forward publicly. The group includes three prominent members of Ohio State’s 1980 Rose Bowl team — Al Washington Sr., Ray Ellis and Keith Ferguson — who are seeking accountability from the university.
Washington ranks eighth all-time at Ohio State with 345 tackles and went on to play eight professional seasons in the NFL and CFL. Ellis played seven NFL seasons as a defensive back with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, while Ferguson spent 10 years as a defensive end for the San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions.
In a press release distributed Thursday, Washington Sr. said he did not initially come forward because of the shame associated with male-on-male sexual abuse. He also feared potential retaliation toward his family, as his son, Al Washington Jr., was serving as an assistant coach at Ohio State when lawsuits related to Strauss began to emerge.
Washington Sr. said he was ultimately moved to speak out after watching the HBO documentary Surviving Ohio State and issued a statement Thursday on behalf of the plaintiffs.
“We stand together in solidarity as former teammates and Buckeyes who love our university and the legacy of Coach Woody Hayes. Coach Hayes always preached to us to ‘Pay Forward.’ Using our voices to pay forward in this situation is not easy, but we believe it is necessary to protect future athletes and to ensure accountability for what happened to us,” he said. “We are committed to seeing this through — not only for ourselves, but for every survivor who has carried this burden in silence. We also feel a responsibility to defend the integrity of the program and Coach Hayes, who taught us about accountability, discipline and doing what is right.”
