Buckeye players who have claimed the Heisman Trophy

Eddie George (1995)

At the start of the 1995 football season, Eddie George was, at best, a longshot contender for the Heisman Trophy. By season's end, however, he was a runaway choice, easily outdistancing runnerup Tommy Frazier of Nebraska and third place finisher Troy Davis of Iowa State for college football's most coveted award.

In becoming Ohio State's sixth Heisman recipient, George etched his name into the OSU records books 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.

The 6-3, 227-pound George wound the 1995 campaign leading the country in scoring with an average of 12.1 points per game. He also finished fourth in all-purpose running (185.4) and fifth in rushing (152.1).

A native of Philadelphia, George carried the ball 328 times in 1995, an average of 5.9 yards per try. He also set a school record for receptions by a running back with 47 catches.

George burst onto the national scene by rushing for 219 yards against Washington, the first of 12 straight 100-yard games for the big tailback. When he stunned Notre Dame with 207 yards, the national press started talking "Heisman." His record setting showing against Illinois was the icing on the cake.

George's other honors in 1996 included the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Big Ten MVP. He also was a team co-captain.

George, who attended Fork Union Military Academy, played only sparingly his first two years at Ohio State. Given the chance to start, he rushed for 1,442 yards as a junior and wound up his career as the second leading rusher in Ohio State history with 3,889 yards.

Selected by the then - Houston Oilers in the first round of the NFL Draft, he was the 1996 NFL Rookie of the Year.