Legends of Ohio State and NASCAR Top List of Celebrities Committed to Play in Safelite AutoGlass Celebrity Pro-Am – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
COLUMBUS, Ohio Tournament officials announced Thursday that Ohio State University legends Archie Griffin and Clark Kellogg, along with NASCAR greats Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett will highlight the field of celebrity participants for the 2008 Safelite AutoGlass Celebrity Pro-Am. A total of 26 local and nationally renowned stars of sports and entertainment will team up with two amateurs and one Nationwide Tour professional at The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course on Monday, July 21 at 1:00 P.M.
Archie Griffin is a three-time First Team All-American for Ohio State and college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. He is the All-Time Career Rushing leader at Ohio State with 5,589 yards on 924 attempts. As a four-year starter Griffin helped lead the Buckeyes to four straight Big Ten titles and is the only player to ever start in four-consecutive Rose Bowls. Between his sophomore and senior seasons, Griffin ran for 100 or more yards in 31 consecutive regular-season games, which is still an NCAA record, as is his 33 career 100-yard games. He was inducted into the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and his No. 45 jersey was officially retired October 30, 1999. Griffin was a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1975. He played eight years of professional football before returning to Columbus and joining the staff at Ohio State. Griffin is the current President/CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
Clark Kellogg averaged 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds, scored a total of 1,285 points and pulled down 872 rebounds in 86 games as a member of the Ohio State Basketball team from 1980-1982. He led the Buckeyes in both scoring and rebounding as a sophomore and junior before passing up his senior season in favor of the NBA. Kellogg was a first-round pick of the Indiana Pacers and averaged 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in five seasons before retiring due to chronic knee problems. He currently works for CBS as a studio host and color analyst for college basketball.
Rusty Wallace recorded 55 career victories and over 706 starts on NASCAR’s premier series in a racing career that spanned 25 years. He started in 697 consecutive races, which ranks second in NASCAR history. Wallace recorded at least one victory in 16 consecutive seasons from 1986-2001, the third longest streak in NASCAR history. He was the 1984 NASCAR Rookie of the Year and won the 1989 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Wallace is now the owner of RWI Racing, a NASCAR Nationwide Series team, and the lead NASCAR series analyst for ESPN and ABC.
Dale Jarrett competed in 668 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point races, 16 All-Star events and 13 Budweiser Shootout races. In his 668 regular season starts Jarrett amassed 32 wins, 163 top-5 and 260 top-10 finishes in addition to winning the 1999 NASCAR Cup Series championship. After three decades as a driver on the NASCAR circuit Jarrett is now in the broadcast booth as an analyst for ESPN and ABC.
Others joining Griffin, Kellogg, Wallace and Jarrett as celebrity participants in the Safelite AutoGlass Celebrity Pro-Am are:
Greg Bellisari – Linebacker at The Ohio State University from 1993-1996. He played two seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is currently an Orthopedic Surgery Resident at The Ohio State University.
Jared Boll – Made his NHL debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2007-2008 season and registered five goals and five assists for 10 points in 75 games during his rookie season.
Keith Byars – First-Team All-American and Big Ten Conference MVP tailback at The Ohio State University from 1982 to 1985. He played 14 NFL seasons as a fullback and tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets.
Mike Commodore – Helped the University of North Dakota capture the NCAA hockey National Championship in 1999-2000 and earned All-NCAA Tournament honors. In July of 2008 Commodore signed a five-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
John Cooper – Second winningest coach in Ohio State history. The Buckeye’s head football coach from 1988-2000 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is currently a college football television analyst for ESPN.
Greg Frey – Football and baseball standout at The Ohio State University. He was the starting quarterback from 1988 – 1990 and ranks fourth in team history in career passing yards. Frey was a two year letter winner in baseball and a member of both the football and baseball Big Ten Championship teams.
John Hicks – All-American offensive lineman and Lombardi and Outland trophy winner at The Ohio State University (1969-1973). NFC Rookie of the Year for the New York Giants.
Scott Howson – named the second General Manager in Columbus Blue Jackets history on June 15, 2007 and oversees all aspects of the club’s hockey operations.
Ike Kelley – Linebacker and Two-Time All-Big Ten for Ohio State from 1962 to 1965. Played five seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Craig Krenzel – Ohio State quarterback from 1999-2003. Led OSU to a 14-0 record and a National Championship in 2002 and is now a radio broadcaster for the team.
Greg Lashutka – Former mayor of Columbus (1992-2000) and college and professional football player for The Ohio State University and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
Jamie Little – Action sports and motorsports reporter for ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC since 1998. Since 2007 she brings the networks’ NASCAR excitement and entertainment to fans as a NASCAR pit reporter.
Jeff Logan – Ohio State football player from 1974-1977. He was part of four Big Ten Championship teams and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection in 1976 and 1977. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1978.
David Mlicki – Upper Arlington, Ohio native who enjoyed a 13 year pitching career in professional baseball. Mlicki spent ten years in the major leagues playing for the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros.
Paul O’Neill – Columbus native and five-time Major League Baseball All-Star. He won five World Series championships, one with the Cincinnati Reds (1985-1992) and four with the New York Yankees (1993-2001).
Tom Skladany – Three-time All-American punter at Ohio State and the first kicking specialist to receive a football scholarship to OSU. He was a two-time All-Pro with the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Ron Stokes – Ohio State basketball star from 1981-1985. He was voted Most Valuable Player as a senior and co-captained the squad during his junior and senior year. Stokes is now entering his seventh year as the color analyst for the Ohio State men’s basketball games.
Troy Taylor – Four-year starter for the Ohio State University men’s basketball team from 1982 to 1985. Taylor is ranked #15 on the All-time scoring list and holds the record for most teals in a game (8). Currently, Taylor teaches and coaches at Mifflin High School, where his grl’s basketball team was the 2002 State Runner-Up and made a Final Four appearance in 2008.
Jeff Uhlenhake – Four-year starter at offensive guard and center at The Ohio State University, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree and earned first team All-America honors as a senior in 1988, when he served as a Captain and was voted the team’s most valuable player. Uhlenhake was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and played ten years in the NFL, including five seasons with Miami, two with the New Orleans Saints, and three with the Washington Redskins. He is currently coaching at The Ohio State University and was voted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
