Ohio State To Retire No. 22 and No. 27 – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 12, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State director of Athletics Andy Geiger announced today that Les Horvath and Eddie George will become the fourth and fifth Ohio State football players to have their numbers officially retired. Horvath’s No. 22 will be retired during halftime ceremonies of the Oct.6 Northwestern game, while George’s No. 27 will be retired during halftime ceremonies of the Nov. 10 Purdue game.
“It’s kind of ironic that we are retiring our first and most recent Heisman Trophy winners in the same season,” Geiger said. “We are extremely proud to add these two numbers to our retired list. Les Horvath and Eddie George are two of the greatest college football players in Ohio State history and more than deserving of this honor.”
In 1944, Les Horvath made Ohio State history by becoming the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner. That season, Horvath led the Buckeyes to a perfect 9-0 record and the Big Ten Championship. He led the conference with 669 yards rushing and 953-yards in total offense. Horvath played quarterback and halfback on offense and safety on defense. He also was named the Big Ten’s most valuable player.
Ironically, Horvath almost didn’t play in 1944. After helping lead the 1942 Buckeyes to a 9-1 record and the school’s first national championship, Horvath entered dental school at OSU an did not play in 1943. After being approached by head coach Carroll Widoes prior to the 1944 season, the 23-year hold Horvath, who had an extra year of eligibility because of wartime rules, agreed to return to the gridiron. He is the only Heisman winner who did not play the previous season.
Horvath finished his OSU career with 2,055 yards of total offense and went on to play professional football with the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. Following his career, he returned to Los Angeles and practiced dentistry.
A native of Parma, Ohio, Horvath died in November of 1995. He is a member of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame and the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Eddie George took the college football world by storm in 1995. At the start of the season, he was, at best, a longshot contender for the Heisman Trophy. By season’s end, he was the runaway choice. George etched his name into the OSU records book by rushing for a school-record 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns. Included in that yardage total were three 200-yard games, one of which was an Ohio State record 314 yards against Illinois on Nov. 11, 1995. George carried the ball 328 times for an average of 5.9 yards per try. He also set a school record for receptions by a running back with 47 catches. George also led the country in scoring with an average of 12.1 points per game.
In 1995, George burst onto the national scene by rushing for 219 yards against Washington, the first of 12-consecutive 100-yard games for the big tailback. When he stunned Notre Dame with 207 yards, the national press started talking “Heisman.” His record-setting performance against Illinois was icing on the cake.
George’s other honors in 1995 included the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award and Big Ten MVP. He was also a team co-captain.
George finished his OSU career as the second leading rusher in school history with 3,668 yards.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., George earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture in June.
George currently plays for the Tennessee Titans. He was named the 1996 NFL Rookie of the Year and has been selected to four-consecutive pro bowls. Last season, he became the only running back in league history to carry the ball at least 300 times in each of his first five seasons.
