Two years ago, we scoured the country for Ohio State's best players by state. This year, we take a deeper look into our great state and the best players from each county in Ohio. This four-part series breaks up the state into four segments and identifies the best players from Central, Eastern/Northeast, Western/Northwest and Southern Ohio.
In the third edition of this series, we highlight the 22 counties in Western and Northwestern Ohio that have produced 349 players on an official Ohio State roster. Let's take a closer look at the best Ohio State players from this area and dive into some other facts about Northwest Ohio's finest players and schools.
Every county in Western/Northwest Ohio highlighted above has produced at least one Ohio State football player.
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Founded: 1831 Location: NW Seat: Lima |
Allen (35 Players)
Best Player: CB William White
Located in Northwest Ohio, Allen County has had players from six high schools on an Ohio State roster. Lima Senior High School's William White is the most notable of the 35 players from Allen County.
White started at cornerback in Columbus for four straight seasons. He was a captain for the Buckeyes and earned All-Big Ten honors in 1987. White played 11 seasons with the Detroit Lions. He was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2016 and passed away in 2022.
The Allen County high schools to appear on an Ohio State roster: Bluffton, Delphos Jefferson, Lima Central Catholic, Lima Senior, Lima South and Spencerville. (Note: Bluffton is in both Allen and Hancock County; Delphos is in both Allen and Van Wert County; Bluffton and Delphos Jefferson are being included in Allen County for this series.)
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Founded: 1848 Location: NW Seat: Wapakoneta |
Auglaize (10 Players)
Best Player: FB/LB Galen Cisco
A two-sport athlete from St. Marys, Cisco earned All-Big Ten honors and was captain of the national champion 1957 Buckeyes. He racked up 667 career rushing yards as a fullback, and he had five fumble recoveries and four interceptions as a linebacker. In the 26-6 win over Illinois in 1956, Cisco finished the game with a career-high 98 yards rushing.
Following his college career, Cisco was drafted by the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher and played nine seasons with four different teams, finishing with a 25-26 career record. His namesake played baseball for the Buckeyes, and his son, Jeff, played for Ohio State's football team.
Minster, St. Marys and Wapakoneta are the Auglaize County high schools officially listed on Buckeye rosters.
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Founded: 1817 Location: Western Seat: Greenville |
Darke (4 Players)
Best Player: HB/QB/K Myers Clark
Clark was on the roster for three seasons between 1924 and 1926 and was known for his reliable foot in making extra points. Unfortunately, it is a failed extra point against Michigan in 1926 that he is most remembered for. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Tears were streaming down the cheeks of Myers (Algy) Clark of Gettysburg, O., Buckeye quarterback, when today's great gridiron struggle between Ohio and Michigan ended and the scarlet and gray clad warriors were downheartedly stumbling off the field, for his failure to kick a goal after a touchdown that had given Michigan the victory, 17 to 16.
With a tie on that November day, Ohio State would have won the Big Ten title. Later in the fourth quarter, Clark had an opportunity to win the game with a field goal from the 15-yard line, but his attempt was short and low.
The first player from Darke County to play for the Buckeyes was QB John Tillman in 1902 and the last was tackle James Reese of Greenville in 1942.
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Founded: 1845 Location: NW Seat: Defiance |
Defiance (6 Players)
Best Player: OL Thomas Rath
Thomas Rath gets the nod for Defiance County's best player because he was listed on an Ohio State roster three times. The other five players from the county only made the roster once or twice.
Kicker Matt Haver was from Hicksville High School and was the last Buckeye from Defiance County. Rath and the other four players were from the city of Defiance and were on an Ohio State roster between 1925 and 1951, but the high school they attended was not listed.
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Founded: 1838 Location: Northern Seat: Sandusky |
Erie (31 Players)
Best Player: OT Orlando Pace
Orlando Pace is regarded as the best offensive lineman in Ohio State's history and some say he was the best player in school history. The Sandusky graduate was the first player in college football history to win the Lombardi Award as a sophomore. As a junior, Pace became the first player to win the Lombardi Award in back-to-back seasons.
The Big Ten named Pace the conference's Offensive Player of the Year in 1996, and he was also awarded the Chicago Tribune's Silver Football for being the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. The St. Louis Rams selected Pace with the first overall selection of the 1997 NFL draft and he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Today, the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year award is named after Dave Rimington and Pace.
Schools representing Erie County on Ohio State's official rosters are Perkins, Sandusky and St. Mary Central Catholic. Between 1922 and 1967, players from Huron, Kelleys Island, Milan and Sandusky were Buckeyes, but their high schools were not listed.
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Founded: 1850 Location: NW Seat: Wauseon |
Fulton (3 Players)
Best Player: OL George Tolford
George Tolford was a tackle for the Buckeyes and earned three varsity letters between 1959 and 1961. He was selected by the Redskins in the 1961 NFL Draft.
Cornelius Ackerman was the first Fulton County football player on an Ohio State roster. He was listed as an end on the 1925-27 rosters and his hometown was Wauseon. Dave Purdy was a quarterback on the 1972-74 teams, and he finished his career with eight completions for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
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Founded: 1828 Location: NW Seat: Findlay |
Hancock (19 Players)
Best Player: K Josh Huston
Josh Huston is the only player from Hancock County to be honored as an All-Big Ten player with Ohio State. During his senior season of 2005, Huston made 44 of his 45 extra points and 22 of his 28 field goals.
Five of Huston's 22 career field goals came against Texas in 2005. He is tied with Devin Barclay, Mike Nugent and Bob Atha for the most field goals ever made by a Buckeye in a game. Nugent is the only player to make more field goals than Huston in a single season.
While playing at Findlay High School, Ben Roethlisberger was Huston's holder.
Gene Fekete was a FB from Findlay for Ohio State's 1942 national championship team. Following a stint in the Army, Fekete played one season for the Cleveland Browns prior to spending 10 years as an assistant coach for the Buckeyes.
A total of seven Buckeyes have Findlay listed as their high school, including Luke Montgomery, Nate Riegle and Ashton Yeager on this year's team. Other Hancock County schools to put a player on an Ohio State roster are Arcadia Local, Hardin Northern and McComb.
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Founded: 1834 Location: NW Seat: Napoleon |
Henry (6 Players)
Best Player: OL Daniel Dye
The six players from Henry County were all from Napoleon, Ohio. Daniel Dye was the only player from the county to make an official Ohio State roster four times, so he gets the nod for the best player.
C.C. Reiser, a running back on the 1922 Buckeyes, was the first player from Henry County to make an official roster. Frederick Freppel, Ronnie Fefflinger, Gary Sloan and Matt Russell were the other players from Napoleon to be listed on a roster. All of the players in this paragraph each made a roster once, with Russell being a backup kicker on the 2002 national championship team.
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Founded: 1815 Location: Northern Seat: Norwalk |
Huron (12 Players)
Best Player: OL Tom Waugh
An All-Big Ten center for Ohio State in 1979, Tom Waugh from Norwalk was also a captain as a senior. During his time with the team, the Buckeyes won three Big Ten titles and were one point away from winning the 1979 national championship.
Joe Whisler of Willard, Ohio, was a fullback for Ohio State during the 1940s and returned to a game against Northwestern in 1946 after being knocked out to win the game. He was honored as the team MVP at the end of his senior season in 1948.
Guard Stanley Plesko, from Norwalk, was the first player from Huron County to be on an Ohio State official roster.
Bellevue and Wakeman join Norwalk and Willard as Huron County towns that have produced Buckeyes. (Note: Bellevue is in Erie, Huron, Seneca and Sandusky counties, but will be listed in Huron County for this series.)
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Founded: 1835 Location: NW Seat: Toledo |
Lucas (110 Players)
Best Player: OG Jim Parker
Ohio State's first Outland Trophy winner and a two-time All-American and All-Big Ten honoree, Jim Parker was described by Woody Hayes as "everything an offensive lineman should be." Behind Parker's blocking during his first year as a starter in 1954, Hayes won his first national championship with the Buckeyes. In 1955, Parker cleared the way for Howard Cassady to win the Heisman Trophy.
Parker grew up in Macon, Georgia, and moved to Ohio just before his senior year of high school. He attended Toledo's Scott High School for one year before enrolling at Ohio State. The first full-time offensive lineman to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Parker is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. An eight-time NFL All-Pro, Parker was the Colts' first-round draft pick of the 1957 NFL Draft and won two Super Bowls during his pro career.
Other notable players from Lucas County are offensive tackles Rufus Mayes and Jack Mewhort and wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher. Carter Lowe, an offensive tackle from Whitmer High School, is entering his second season on the team.
Curtice, Holland, Maumee, Oregon, Sylvania, Toledo and Waterville are the towns/cities that have produced the Buckeyes from 17 different Lucas County high schools. (Note: Curtice is in Allen, Ottawa and Lucas counties, but will be listed in Lucas County for this series.)
| COUNTY | PLAYERS | TOP PLAYERS |
|---|---|---|
| Lucas | 110 | Rufus Mayes, Jack Mewhort, Jim Parker, Dane Sanzenbacher |
| Allen | 35 | William White |
| Erie | 31 | Orlando Pace |
| Miami | 30 | Bob Ferguson, Jim Otis |
| Sandusky | 20 | Bob Brudzinski, Bob Shaw |
| Hancock | 19 | Josh Huston |
| Mercer | 13 | Bobby Hoying, Jim Lachey |
| Huron | 12 | Tom Waugh, Joe Whisler |
| Seneca | 12 | Alan Kline, Damon Moore, Gaylord Stinchcomb |
| Auglaize | 10 | Galen Cisco |
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Founded: 1824 Location: Western Seat: Celina |
Mercer (13 Players)
Best Player: OL Jim Lachey
A consensus All-American and All-Big Ten honoree in 1984, Jim Lachey was the 12th overall pick of the 1985 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He finished his pro career with the Washington Redskins and won Super Bowl XXVI as a member of “the Hogs.” Lachey was named to the Pro Bowl three times.
Today, the St. Henry graduate calls Ohio State football games with Paul Keels as the color analyst.
Jim Otis was a consensus All-American and All-Big Ten fullback in 1969 and led the Buckeyes in rushing in 1967, 1968 and 1969. The Celina High School alum was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 1970 NFL Draft and played with the Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals over a nine-year career.
Like Lachey, Bobby Hoying is also a graduate of St. Henry High School. He won a state football championship and two state basketball championships for the Redskins.
In 1995, Hoying completed 211 passes for 3,269 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Buckeyes. At the time, those stats were Ohio State records for a season. Hoying also finished his career with then school records of 498 completions and 57 touchdown passes. The Philadelphia Eagles selected the All-Big Ten quarterback in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft.
Celina, Coldwater and St. Henry High Schools have all produced Buckeyes for Mercer County.
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Founded: 1807 Location: Western Seat: Troy |
Miami (30 Players)
Best Player: FB Bob Ferguson
Bob Ferguson of Troy, Ohio, led Ohio State in rushing for three straight seasons and averaged over 104 rushing yards per game in 1961. The Maxwell Award winner was also a two-time unanimous All-American and two-time All-Big Ten honoree.
Ferguson was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also named to the Ohio State All-Century team. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the fifth overall pick of the 1962 NFL Draft.
Two defensive linemen from Piqua are also notable Buckeyes from Miami County. DT Quinn Pitcock was an All-American, captain and All-Big Ten player during his time in Columbus and DE Matt Finkes was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree. Pitcock was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft, and Finkes went to the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 1997 draft.
Paul Barklow, a center from Piqua, was on the 1924 Ohio State roster and was the first Buckeye from Miami County. Linebacker Ben Schmiesing (2019-20) was the last. Covington, Piqua and Troy are the Miami County High Schools to produce Ohio State players.
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Founded: 1840 Location: NW Seat: Port Clinton |
Ottawa (5 Players)
Best Player: OL Ben St. John
Danbury, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton and Elmore are the hometowns of the five Buckeyes from Ottawa County. Ben St. John (2010-13) was the last player from the county and attended Woodmore High School. He gets the nod as the best player as he is the only Buckeye from Ottawa County to make an official Ohio State roster four times. Robert Ahrens (1928), Emil Slovak (1943), Rollo Sidell (1952) and Grant Dziak (2009) each made the fall roster for only one season. (Note: Elmore is located in both Ottawa and Sandusky counties, but will be listed as being in Ottawa County for this series.)
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Founded: 1839 Location: NW Seat: Paulding |
Paulding (2 Players)
Best Player: OL/TE Joe Robinson
Joe Robinson earned four varsity letters during his time with Ohio State and played both offensive tackle and tight end, with most of his playing time being on the offensive line. Between 1975-78, the Paulding High School alum played in 35 games for the Buckeyes and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1979 NFL Draft and played six games for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in 1983.
Bryan Gray of Antwerp High School was a defensive lineman on Ohio State's roster for the 2006 through 2008 seasons. He was credited with two tackles and a tackle for loss against Kent State in 2007.
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Founded: 1834 Location: NW Seat: Ottawa |
Putnam (2 Players)
Best Player: OL Gavin Cupp
Gavin Cupp was a three-star lineman from Leipsic High School who was in Columbus from 2016 through 2020. He played in 21 games during his Ohio State career, mostly on special teams as a blocker for the extra point unit.
Kicker Jeff Compton of Ottawa-Glandorf High School was a Buckeye from 1984-86, but he never attempted an extra point or field goal.
Bob Brudzinski (59) celebrates a game-winning field goal with Dan Marino Don Strock (10) over the Jets in 1982 (Manny Rubio – Imagn Images).
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Founded: 1812 Location: NW Seat: Fremont |
Sandusky (20 Players)
Best Player: DE Bob Brudzinski
Bob Brudzinski was an All-American and two-time defensive end for Ohio State. The future "Killer B" with the Miami Dolphins was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the 1977 NFL draft. With the Buckeyes, the Fremont Ross High School alum recorded 214 tackles and four interceptions. In the NFL, he played in Super Bowl XIX with the Dolphins and finished his career with 22.5 sacks, nine interceptions and a touchdown.
At Fremont Ross High School, Bob Shaw won the state title in shot put and discus and was also an All-Ohioan in football and basketball. With the Buckeyes, he was a national champion, All-American and All-Big Ten player in 1942. Shaw also played basketball and track at Ohio State and helped the track team earn its first conference title in 1942.
Following his collegiate career, Shaw earned a Bronze Star with the 104th Infantry Division in World War II. After his service in the war, Shaw was selected by the Cleveland Rams in the 1944 NFL Draft. The Rams won the NFL Championship during Shaw's rookie year and he led the NFL in touchdown receptions (12) with the Chicago Cardinals in 1950. That season, he also became the first player to catch five touchdown passes in an NFL game.
Shaw began his coaching career as the end coach for the Baltimore Colts in 1957 and ended his coaching career 30 years later as Otterbein's head coach in 1987.
The high schools from Sandusky County that produced Buckeyes are Clyde, Fremont Ross, Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic, Gibsonburg and Woodmore, with the 20 players coming from the towns Clyde, Fremont, Gibsonburg and Woodville. (Note: Jeff Gottron of Fremont is included in the 20 players from Sandusky County, but he attended high school at Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Cuyahoga County.)
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Founded: 1824 Location: NW Seat: Tiffin |
Seneca (12 Players)
Best Player: QB/RB Gaylord Stinchcomb
Gaylord "Pete" Stinchcomb and Chic Harley gave Ohio State a formidable backfield in 1917 and 1919. Stinchcomb was an All-Big Ten player in 1917, but he missed the 1918 season after enrolling in the Navy to help the United States in World War I.
He returned to Columbus and was an All-American in the 1919 (consensus) and 1920 seasons. In 1919, Stinchcomb was also an All-Big Ten player as he and Harley helped Ohio State defeat Michigan for the first time in school history. At that point, Harley and Stinchcomb were the only Ohio State players to make multiple All-American teams.
At Ohio State, Stinchcomb also played baseball and was the 1921 NCAA champion in the broad jump. He played four seasons of professional football and was a two-time All-Pro player. In 1935, the Fostoria High School graduate came back to Columbus as coach of the running backs. The College Football Hall of Fame player also has a street named for him in Columbus. Stinchcomb Drive is near Harley Drive, St. John Court and Wilce Avenue.
Other notable players from Seneca County were Alan Kline and Damon Moore. Kline was from Tiffin and was an All-Big Ten lineman in 1991 and a captain of the 1993 Buckeyes. The Columbian High School graduate led the team in playing time (1,062 minutes) in 1991 and was Ohio State's Offensive Lineman of the Week five times.
Moore played for Fostoria High School and was an All-American and two-time All-Big Ten honoree at safety for the Buckeyes. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1999 NFL Draft.
Alton Michaels, Ernest Cartwright, Norman McElheny, George Amlin and Tony Esienhard are the other Buckeyes from Seneca County, and all of them claimed Tiffin as their hometown. (Note: Fostoria is located in Hancock, Seneca and Wood counties, but will be listed as being in Seneca County for this series.)
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Founded: 1819 Location: Western Seat: Sidney |
Shelby (5 Players)
Best Player: RB Richard Flanagan
Richard "Dick" Flanagan of Sidney, Ohio, was a running back for the 1944 team. Due to World War II, Flanagan was able to play as a freshman and made the most of his opportunity against No. 6 Great Lakes in the fourth game of the season.
The battle against the Blue Jackets, who were coached by Paul Brown and had former Ohio State players Ernie Plank and Jim Rees on the team, was being broadcast on CBS and NBC to a national audience. Flanagan put the first points of the game on the board when he scored late in the first quarter to give the Buckeyes a 6-0 lead. Great Lakes tied the contest in the third quarter, but Ohio State scored three times in the fourth to win the game, 26-6.
The first Buckeye from Shelby County was C.M. Zaenglein of Botkins, Ohio. He was a running back in 1922 and 1923. The other Ohio State players from Sidney, Ohio, were quarterback Richard Allen (1963-65), lineman Ben Pulfer (1997-99), and tight end Jordan Hoewischer (2004-05).
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Founded: 1820 Location: NW Seat: Van Wert |
Van Wert (4 Players)
Best Player: C/LB Jack Lininger
Jack Lininger played for Van Wert High School and was an All-Big Ten honoree for the Buckeyes as a senior in 1949. During his time in Columbus, Lininger played both center and linebacker and earned varsity letters in 1945, 1947, 1948 and 1949. He wasn't on the team in 1946 so he could serve with the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Detroit Lions selected Lininger in the 1949 NFL Draft and he played two seasons in Detroit as a linebacker.
The three other Buckeyes from Van Wert County were Joe Mitchell in 1927 and fullback James Young in 1954 and 1955. The last player from Van Wert County was defensive lineman Joel Penton. A freshman on Ohio State's 2002 national championship team, Penton finished his collegiate career with 45 tackles, two sacks and six tackles for loss and won the Wuerffel Trophy in 2006.
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Founded: 1824 Location: NW Seat: Bryan |
Williams (8 Players)
Best Player: FB/LB/P Stephan Dreffer
Stephan Dreffer played for Woody Hayes during the 1962, 1963 and 1964 seasons. During his Buckeye career, he played on both sides of the line and was the team's punter in 1963 and 1964. Dreffer, a three-time letterman, had 91 punts for 3,496 yards (38.4 average) as a Buckeye.
The Montpelier native also had a fumble recovery and an interception return for a touchdown as a linebacker. Dreffer's 36-yard pick-six against Iowa in 1964 came on the first offensive play of the game, and it was critical in Ohio State's 21-19 victory. He also rushed for 17 yards on 11 carries in six games over his three seasons.
Bryan, Edon and West Unity join Montpelier as the places from Williams County listed as the hometowns of Ohio State football players.
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Founded: 1820 Location: NW Seat: Bowling Green |
Wood (7 Players)
Best Player: OL/E Hillis Worstell
A Buckeye from Wood County has never earned a varsity football letter at Ohio State. Hillis Worstell of Bloomdale, Ohio, gets the nod for the County's best Buckeye because he is the only person from the county to be listed on two official Ohio State rosters.
However, there is a little mystery to his playing career because he could have been on three rosters. Hillis Worstell of Bloomdale was on the 1929 and 1930 rosters as a sophomore and junior. William Horstell of Bloomdale was a senior on the 1931 roster. Hillis was listed at 6-2.5, 180 pounds and played tackle and end. William had the same weight, but was two inches shorter. Hillis and William were likely the same person, but this has not been confirmed.
Punter Brady Young of Perrysburg High School is on the 2026 roster, and he's the first Buckeye from Wood County since 1988.
Other Wood County Buckeyes were RB Graham Place of Bowling Green (1923), RB Eugene Griffith of North Baltimore (1932), FB Ed Wablold of Perrysburg (1945) and WR John Dawson of Grand Rapids (1988).
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Founded: 1845 Location: NW Seat: Upper Sandusky |
Wyandot (5 Players)
Best Player: OL Robert Cole
Cole gets the nod for Wyandot's best Buckeye as he was on an Ohio State roster three times, the most of any Ohio State player from the county. Woody Hayes was his coach during the 1954, 1955 and 1956 seasons. Cole and Charles Spitler (1929) were from Carey, Ohio.
The other three players from Wyandot County had Upper Sandusky as their hometowns. Robert Bauer (1930), Thomas Snyder (1944, 1947) and Russell Wolfe (1946) are the other three players from Wyandot County who had Upper Sandusky as their hometowns.
