By: Susie Wargin (9News.com) —
KUSA - In the early 70’s, Archie Griffin did something nobody else has ever done; win back-to-back Heisman Trophies. This Saturday, Archie will be sharing that honor with Tim Tebow if the Florida quarterback wins his 2nd straight Heisman.
Archie joined Susie Wargin for the latest 6:20 Sidebar to talk about his thoughts on the Heisman and the memories this time of year brings around for him. To see the interview, visit the video link to the right of this article.

These days, Archie is the President and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association and a strong supporter of excellence at the high school level. Being the ambassador for the Wendy’s High School Heisman (WHSH) program, Archie will award those trophies this week in New York to two of 12 national finalists, selected from a pool of nearly 34,000 applicants.

To find out more about the Heisman Trophy, click here.
To find out more about the Wendy’s High School Heisman, click here.

Archie Griffin, member of the College National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the Ohio State University Sports Hall of Fame, and the Columbus Public Schools Hall of Fame, has won virtually all the top honors any single athlete could win in college football.

Griffin is the only two-time winner of the prestigious Heisman Trophy, symbolic of “The Outstanding College Football Player of the Country.” He was a three time All-American in 1973, 74 and 75. He was named “Most Valuable Football Player in the Big Ten” for two straight years, thereby becoming only the second athlete in history to accomplish this feat. Both United Press International and the Sporting News named Archie “College Football Player of the Year.”

Griffin broke nearly all the Ohio State rushing records. He set national marks and Big Ten marks, both for a single season and for a career. He also holds another rare distinction, he was named Captain of the 1974 Ohio State football team and his teammates renamed him Captain of the 1975 Buckeyes.

In 1975, Griffin was a recipient of the NCAA’s Top Five Award. This award is the top honor an undergraduate can receive and is based on a combination of athletic skill, academic accomplishment, leadership and character. Graduating a quarter early, Griffin earned his college degree in Industrial Relations.

In 1976, he was a first round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals; served as
co-captain and played with that franchise for eight years. As a professional, Archie continued his illustrious football career by ranking among the top NFL rushers with a 4.1 yards per carry average. He also commanded respect throughout the league as a very adept pass receiver.

Archie Griffin returned to his alma mater in March of 1984. He later accepted the position of Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics in June of 1985. In July of 1987, he was named Assistant Director of Athletics and in April of 1994, named Associate Director of Athletics. January 1, 2004, he accepted the position of President and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association.

In October of 1999 his jersey, #45, was retired in front of a record crowd in Ohio Stadium. He was the very first Buckeye to receive this honor.



This entry was posted on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 7:12 pm.
Categories: FOOTBALL.

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