We're counting down the days to kickoff with “99 Warriors,” the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes by jersey number, as voted by the staff of Eleven Warriors.
No. 47 Chic Harley
Ohio State football lore is full of greats, icons and legends, but there is none more legendary than Chic Harley.
Chic Harley
1916-17 & 1919
b. Sept. 15, 1894 (Chicago, IL)
d. April 21, 1974 (Columbus, Ohio)
- Consensus First Team All-American (1916, 1917, 1919)
- Conference Champion (1916, 1917)
- Defeated Michigan (1919)
Though he stood just 5-9 and weighed no more than 150 lbs., Harley was one of the most dominant players of his time. Bob Hooey of the Ohio State Journal described his running style as "a cross between music and cannon fire" and a former teammate once claimed Harley was so good, "Red Grange couldn't carry Chic's headgear."
Harley was one of the top high school football players in the country. Growing up in Columbus playing for East High School where he was so dominant, his games regularly drew larger crowds than neighboring Buckeye games.
Though he had offers to play for legendary programs Notre Dame and Michigan, Harley elected to stay home and play for the small, local school of Ohio State.
After spending his first season on the freshman team, Harley led the Buckeyes to their first-ever undefeated and tieless season and conference title in 1916. He helped lead Ohio State past powerhouses Illinois and Wisconsin-Madison, scoring every point in both games. After the season, he was named a consensus first-team All-American – Ohio State's first in program history.
In 1917, Harley once again led the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and a conference title and was once again named a consensus All-American, but he stepped away from football to enlist in the army as a fighter pilot during World War I.
Harley returned for his final season in 1919 and had perhaps his greatest accomplishment: beating Michigan, nearly single-handedly. Harley led the Buckeyes to their first-ever victory over the Wolverines, scoring on a 50-yard touchdown run and intercepting four passes, which remains an Ohio State record to this day.
After the game, legendary Michigan coach Fielding Yost was granted special permission to congratulate the Buckeye locker room. After addressing the team, Yost turned to Harley and said, "And you, Mr. Harley, I believe are one of the finest little machines I have ever seen.”
Harley finished his career as a three-time consensus first-team All-American, led Ohio State to two conference titles and lost just one game in his career – his last, a loss for which he took full responsibility.
Photo: Ohio State University Archives
