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Archie Griffin

College Success Follows High School Success

Because he was such an ambitious student, Griffin wanted to attend Northwestern University. The coach of Ohio State at the time, however—Woody Hayes—kept the young phenom in his hometown, charming Archie into playing for Ohio State.

Hayes put the 5'8" tall, 180 pound freshman into the team's starting lineup in only the second game of the season—as a running back. In a game against North Carolina, Archie broke the all-time Ohio State rushing record, gaining 239 yards and scoring a touchdown.

In his sophomore year—one filled with many outstanding achievements—Griffin began what was and still is a remarkable record of consecutive 100-yard performances, as well as leading his team to a lopsided victory over the eighth ranked University of Southern California Trojans. During the 1973 season, Griffin broke his own single game rushing record, amassing an awesome 246 yards in a performance against Iowa in a late-season contest. The Buckeyes finished the season 10-0-1, in second place in the final rankings.

Chronology

1954	Born August 21 to James Griffin and Margaret Monroe Griffin in Columbus, Ohio
1968	Enters Columbus' Eastmoor High School
1972	Leads his high school team to Columbus City Championship in his junior year
1972	Earns starting running back position with Ohio State as a freshman
1974	Wins first Heisman Trophy
1975	Awarded second Heisman Trophy
1975	Receives NCAA's Top Five Award, top honor an undergraduate can receive
1976	Graduates a quarter early from Ohio State with degree in industrial relations
1976	Drafted in first round by Cincinnati Bengals
1981	Plays on Cincinnati's Super Bowl team
1983	Retires from Bengals, fourth all-time leading rusher for the team, fifth all-time leading receiver
1983	Attempts sporting shoe business with his brother, but it fails
1984	Returns to his alma mater to work as assistant athletic director
1985	Accepts appointment to position of Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics at Ohio State
1987	Named Assistant Director of Athletics at Ohio State University
1994	Receives promotion to the Associate Director of Athletics, overseeing 18 sports at Ohio State University
1999	Honored in ceremony in Ohio Stadium where his jersey, #45, is retired. First Buckeye to receive this honor

When Griffin entered his junior year at Ohio State, many fans wondered what more they could possibly see out of their star. In his junior season, Griffin gained 1620 yards and earned the most votes in the 1974 Heisman Trophy competition. The very next year, he came back and gained 1357 yards, again winning the Heisman and becoming the first (and most likely only) player to ever win two Heisman Trophy Awards.

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsFootballArchie Griffin Biography - Growing Up, College Success Follows High School Success, Chronology, The Pros, College Was Where It Was At - SELECTED WRITINGS BY GRIFFIN: