Jim Stillwagon – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jim Stillwagon
1970 Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy Winner
Jim Stillwagon made college football history in 1970 by becoming the first player to win the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award in the same year.
Stillwagon, a three-year starter at middle guard for the Buckeyes between 1968 and 1970, was a unanimous All-American as a junior and senior.
During “Wagon’s” three seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes compiled a 27-2 record, won three Big Ten championships, played in two Rose Bowls and won a pair of national championships.
With Stillwagon clogging the middle, the Ohio State defense simply shut down opposing offenses. In 1969, the Buckeyes gave up just 93 total points. In 1970, only two opponents scored more than 13 points and five were held to under 10 points.
Tough, strong, aggressive, intelligent, relentless. All are adjectives that can be used to describe Stillwagon. He was quite simply the best defensive lineman in college football in 1970. No one was surprised when he walked off with the Outland and Lombardi awards. The surprise would have come if someone else had been chosen.
After graduation, Stillwagon was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. He chose instead to play in the Canadian Football League and was one of the premier defensive linemen in that league before retiring.
Stillwagon, a member of the College Football and Ohio State halls of fame, is president of Stillwagon Enterprises in Columbus.
