If Ohio State was to construct a Buckeye-inspired Mount Rushmore on its Columbus campus, only one question would be asked.

Would Archie Griffin sport the short hair he has now or the classic afro he had while becoming the nation’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner?

His relationship with OSU has spanned decades, first as a player and student, then assistant athletic director and now the president and CEO of OSU’s Alumni Association.

The beloved Archie is without much doubt the player of the 1970s, but could even be the greatest player to ever suit up in Scarlet and Gray, said Jack Park, author of The Official Ohio State Football Encyclopedia.

“There is no doubt about it,” Park said. “He is the player, of all the great players to ever play at Ohio State, his impact on the program is probably the greatest. In my opinion, it is the greatest.”

While people remember Griffin for his football career at OSU, many don’t recall that his time in Columbus started with a moment that was less than Heisman worthy.

When called into his first game as a freshman on Sept. 16, 1972, the overzealous Griffin botched his first carry and fumbled the ball back to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

“To get in that game was truly an honor,” Griffin said. “It was in the fourth quarter, a couple minutes left to go in the game. I was a little bit too excited and I wasn’t paying enough attention to the fundamentals. You are always taught, even from a young age, to look the ball into your hands on a toss or pass and I was focusing my eyes on the giant hole I was going to run through. So when the ball was pitched to me, I had my eyes on the hole, I missed it and fumbled. I got taken out of the game and felt like I had blown my big chance.”

He would not get the chance to make up for his mistake for another two weeks.
In practice, Griffin was the fifth-team running back, so the chance he would touch the field against North Carolina was unlikely.

Luckily for Griffin, coach Woody Hayes was frustrated with the Buckeyes’ seven-point deficit and called the freshman’s name to try and make a difference.

“I was so shocked,” Griffin said. “Coach Hayes grabbed me by the shoulder pads and told me to go in and I went running onto the field and my teammates were calling me back. I was so excited, I had forgotten my helmet. I couldn’t believe he had meant for me to go into the game, but when I got myself together, the lord really blessed me. He gave me holes to run through and I ended with 239 yards.”

At the time, 239 yards was the OSU record for most yards in a game and it was set by a 5-foot-9-inch, 180-pound freshman who had previously fumbled and forgotten his helmet.

Griffin called the game a “miracle” in his life and said he remembered praying the night before.

As the fans in attendance gave him a standing ovation, it was the springboard moment for one of college football’s most illustrious careers.

The running back from Eastmoor High School would go on to win every major award possible in college football, including two Heisman trophies, two Big Ten Player of the Years, as well as start in four consecutive Rose Bowls.

In his career, which spanned from 1972 to 1975, Griffin had a streak of 31 consecutive games in which he rushed for more than 100 yards. Park said that was made possible by his teammates, who were willing to work hard for Griffin because he was so team-oriented, one of his greatest qualities.

Although Griffin attributed his success to more of a “right place, right time” theory, Park said Griffin had a special blend of all the right things, both mentally and in terms of talent, to be the kind of player OSU fans might never see again.

“I think it’s his character,” Park said. “He is a man of tremendous character and integrity. To me, Archie hasn’t changed a bit. He is still the same modest guy I met some 30-plus years ago. That is part of his character and part of his modesty. He always kept his head on straight and I don’t think that was ever a problem for him.”

Players who perform up to the level Griffin did, especially so early in their careers, tend to have unreasonable expectations put on their shoulders. Griffin, however, never felt those expectations because no one expected more from No. 45 than he did of himself.

“I probably put more pressure on myself than anybody else,” Griffin said. “Coach used to have this saying, ‘You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse, you are never at the same level.’ I truly believe that. I believe it in a lot of situations to be true.”

Griffin said Hayes has had an impact on his life that has gone further than just football. His “pay-it-forward” mentality was something that Griffin took to heart and has tried to convey in his own life since having that instilled in him from Hayes more than 30 years ago.

“I think it left a lasting impression with a lot of us,” Griffin said about how much Hayes cared about people. “It certainly did with me. As I look around and see some of the former players, guys who played before and even after me, I see guys who are involved, giving back to their communities. I think Woody planted that seed in our minds.”

“Whether you play football or work on a job, leaders are important. There is a saying, ‘They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,’ and Woody taught us to care about people,” Griffin said.

Along with Hayes, Griffin is one of the most iconic figures in Ohio State history. He has become a symbol of triumph, hard work and perseverance to fans and alumni alike, Park said.

“I don’t know that there is a way to calculate the value that Archie Griffin has brought to the Ohio State University,” Park said. “I don’t think there have been many people who have done as much as he has at that place. He is just very, very valuable to the university.”

It’s clear that he is beloved by the university, its alumni, fans and students, but more importantly it seems that the feeling is mutual.

“I’m honored that I am still working here at The Ohio State University,” Griffin said. “That in itself is a wonderful thing. When you consider the fact that I was born at University Hospital, played my college football here in Ohio Stadium and most of the days of my working life have been spent here at The Ohio State University, where I spent 19 years in athletics and the over six years I have now spent here (with the Alumni Association).”

“Ohio State is a huge part of my life and I am very thankful to Ohio State, and I like to believe it has been a great relationship,” Griffin said. “I love this university and I try to show that in many ways. It’s been great and I am thankful I have had the opportunity. It’s been a blessing.”