Post-OSU Update: Orlando Pace was the first pick in the 1997 NFL Draft, selected by the Saint Louis Rams. Pace played 13 years in the NFL, won a Super Bowl and made seven Pro Bowl and three All-Pro teams. He was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2016.

Major: Business (1995-96), Unknown (1994)

Weight: 320 (1995-96), Unknown (1994)

1996: Won consensus All-America honors for the second straight year and made football history by becoming the first player to win two consecutive Lombardi Awards … also won the Outland Trophy and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting … winner of the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football as the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player … other honors included being chosen as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year … also the Football News National Offensive Player of the Year … selected by his teammates as the Buckeyes’ MVP … finished the year with 80 pancake blocks … attracted national attention early in the year with his devastating downfield blocking … did not allow a sack for the second consecutive year … was THE dominant lineman in college football … left after his junior year and was the first player taken in the NFL draft.

1996 Media Guide: A 1996 Heisman Trophy candidate, even though that prestigious bronze statue has gone to just one lineman over the years and has never been won by an interior lineman … is undeniably one of the best players in college football … in his third year as a starter on the left side coming off a brilliant sophomore campaign in which he won the Lombardi Award, finished second in the Outland Trophy voting and received consensus All-America recognition … Was also named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year … virtually put on a clinic every week … did not allow a sack all year long and had 10 pancake blocks against Illinois … blends size, speed, agility and intelligence with an incredible work ethic … almost always the “go-to” guy in crucial short-yardage situations … chosen by the OSU coaching staff as Offensive Lineman of the Week seven times last year … also plays on the Buckeyes’ goal-line, short-yardage and field-goal block units (he blocked a field-goal attempt at Wisconsin last year) … has been a starter since the first day of fall practice his freshman year and has started 26 consecutive games the past two seusons … Will take his place in history as one of the finest offensive linemen ever to play for the Buckeyes, and could be the best ever.

1995 Media Guide: Last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year … moved into the starting lineup on the first day of fall camp and started all 13 games for the Buckeyes … the first OSU freshman ever to do so … played brilliantly at one of the most difficult positions in all of football … has the potential to be Ohio State’s next great offensive lineman … possesses unbelievable agility and quickness for a player of his size … also played some defense last year, seeing action on the defensive line in goal-line and short-yardage situations … logged 322 minutes last year, the second highest total on the offense.

1994 Media Guide: Regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in the nation, and earned first team All-America honors from USA Today (on defense) Parade, Blue Chip Illustrated, Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report and SuperPrep magazine … has outstanding size, strength and quickness … a dominant force on the offensive line, and recorded 80 total tackles with six quarterback sacks, two fumbles caused and two fumble recoveries on defense … a first team all-Ohio selection as a senior after winning second team honors as a junior … earned player of the year honors in the Erie Shore Conference … also started on his high school’s basketball team and played in the Ohio All-Star Game … high school coach was Larry Cook.