Von Miller and Cleveland Browns non-QB draft misses
February 8, 2016Hue Jackson meets Paxton Lynch, refers to him as “a nice kid”
February 8, 2016Former Ohio State star left tackle Orlando Pace has been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pace will be enshrined with the 2016 class, the NFL announced Saturday night during its NFL Honors event in San Francisco. Now 40 years old, Pace is the eighth former Buckeye to be elected into the Hall of Fame and just the third Ohio State player to be selected into both the college and pro football Halls of Fame.
A member of the Buckeyes offensive line during the mid-1990’s, Pace was a first-team All-American in 1995 and 1996 and first-team All-Big Ten in 1995 and 1996. He finished among the top four vote-getters for the Heisman Trophy in 1996 (unheard of for an offensive lineman), became the first sophomore to win the Lombardi Award in 1995, and became the first player to win the award twice after repeating the feat in 1996. Pace was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1994 and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1995 and 1996.
He started all 38 games as a Buckeye before foregoing his senior year to enter the draft. He made the “pancake block” famous because he knocked opposing players to the ground more than 80 times during his junior campaign. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
After his incredible college career in Columbus, Pace was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the first overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. While starring with the Rams for all but one season during his 13-year career (he spent his final season in Chicago), he played in 169 games (165 starts), including a streak of starting 154 consecutive starts. During his 12 seasons in St. Louis, the left tackle was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was named an All-Pro three times. He was Super Bowl Champion in 1999 and a member of the 2000s All-Decade team.
In the Rams’ Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans in 1999, Pace faced off against former Buckeye great and Titans star running back Eddie George. The 6-foot-7, 325-pound lineman also played in Super Bowl 36, but his Rams came up short against the New England Patriots. He was the anchor of an offensive line that led a Rams’ offense that was considered “the greatest show on turf,” starring quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, and wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. That very unit had the NFL MVP for three consecutive seasons: Warner in 1999 and 2000, and Faulk in 2001.
Quarterback Brett Favre, head coach Tony Dungy, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, quarterback Ken Stabler, owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., guard Dick Stanfel, and linebacker and defensive end Kevin Greene are the other members of the eight-player Hall of Fame class of 2016.
41 Comments
Pictured: Michigan Wolverines preparing to backpeddle into two decades of obscurity.
Solid class this year.
Michigan actually won that game. I was there. 🙂
That guy was pretty darn good.
He did not suck.
Ugh..I know. Fortunately (for the Bucks), it the was the beginning of the end of a dark period.
Poor Cooper couldn’t win to save his life vs. TSUN.
I missed the third quarter. The ex-wife got cold and wanted to go watch it at a bar. :/
http://i.imgur.com/qqM53L4.gif
Pace probably had 50+ pounds on Carr in that pic. lol
“The ex-wife got cold…” I heard they all do:) But onward and upward we go!
Umm, Michigan split a national championship in 1997. The OSU “dark period” against Michigan didn’t really end until 2001. Michigan’s “obscurity” didn’t start until 2008.
But, at least we can agree that Pace was a damn fine player.
I have a ton of family from Sandusky. When I was a high school junior, my high school basketball team was playing in a four-team Christmas tournament at Sandusky. Since we were in town visiting family, we went to the game where Wooster (my HS) played Sandusky. Pace was a senior on that team. My God, I had never seen a man that size as a high schooler who was that freakishly athletic. I realize now 20 years later that guys that size that can move like that are more frequent, but I remember seeing him play basketball and being dumbfounded at how he moved.
Yeah I realize they split a title in 1997…thus the “beginning of the end of a dark period” phrase and “preparing to backpeddle” phrase.
So UM is 3-12 vs. Ohio State since 2001 or 5-13 since 1998. Not sure it matters, so whatever floats your boat on defining the new era.
Look, I have to face the fact that Michigan–until this past season, and even that left plenty of distance to cover to catch up–hasn’t been relevant since 2007. But, Michigan beat OSU in 95, 96, 97, 99, and 2000. So, a picture from 1996 of a player who went 1-2 against UM doesn’t signify any kind of changing of the guard. Because, if three out of the next four after he left (or, a full recruiting cycle) don’t still count as part of the “dark period” for OSU, then I don’t know what does.
All I was really trying to say is that, yes, while Michigan hasn’t been on OSU’s level head to head for 15 years (and was almost completely irrelevant from 2008-2014), that has nothing to do with Orlando Pace or the quip made about the picture in this article.
It was just a pretty light “quip” about the final period of Michigan’s hay days on an Ohio State forum (yes WFNY is an OSU friendly forum). I have no intention of splitting hairs over defining when TSUN slid into the dumps or otherwise battling. It was a little joke…that’s all. So if there was offense taken, then I think it’s misplaced.
Secondly, as a Browns fan, I understand the frustration. 1946 (or 48?) to 1997 was a long wait, but 2046 may indeed be the year again, and then you can rub it in! Too soon?!
Kept reading expecting to see the part about him getting hit in the eye by the flag and death caused by diabetes.
Wrong Orlando. RIP.
But congrats, other Orlando!
So, you were a General, eh?
Yep.
Not offense, really. It was just that it was a joke that had no basis in the context of Orlando Pace or the actual picture. As a Columbus resident who is a UM fan, I expect to take my lumps early and often. I just expect them to be fact-based lumps. 🙂
It was mostly “defensiveness” on my part, because there is a decent swath of OSU fans (not pointing to anyone specifically here, as this community/forum is actually full of very smart people and fans) who are so, how do I put it lightly, mouth-breathingly dumb about their hatred for Michigan that it can boggle the mind at times. (Think: people trashing cars on campus with Michigan license plates after a football game without ever once stopping to think that maybe that person *actually* attends OSU and is an OSU fan.) That group of fans is the O’Doyles from Billy Madison when it comes to Michigan.
Many times my first reaction tends to be the defensive one, especially when a quick examination of the context doesn’t really support the “sick burn” I’ve just been given.
Fair enough, and I didn’t realize it was that much of a war zone…that’s nuts dude. I live in SoCal and we have a ton of Mich State friends. Really great people, and great sports even when they spoiled OSU runs the last couple years. I got introduced to one of their friends as a “He’s from UM,” and made the very stupid cheap joke of “Oh, sorry man.” What followed was a “Well, you know who’s not sorry?! Society…from all of the Michigan grads who….blah blah.” The defensive outburst was hysterical. Anyway, there’s tension everywhere…I don’t take it personally. Then again, I don’t have to deal with vandalism and hate crimes.
Well, history shows that tides turn. And someday, our run of fun may be over. And if your coach keeps climbing trees and pushing his way into sleepovers at young boys’ houses, those kinds of stunts may indeed yield the recruiting talent to make this a tough rivalry again. But, sleepovers, though….?
Before or after Mark & Marcie Alberts?
Oh, you played football. What were you best known for?
You know, the usual. Making a term about flattening an opponent into submission part of the common lexicon. Little things like that one.
if only the Browns would have gotten their hands on him, then it is unknown the depths of torture he would have had to endure.
C’mon, you know you want to play charades with Harbaugh.
The car thing is a true story, though not something that happens repeatedly (though it has happened in the past). Like I said, it’s one portion of the fanbase, not all of it. Most of my interactions with friends and acquaintances who know/learn I’m a UM fan are good natured and harmless.
Mark was four or five years ahead of me. Marcie was two. Mason (younger brother) was in my grade.
You just know there’s an inner-city kid that’s saving a spot in his home for when Coach drops by, hoping he’ll have that sleepover opportunity. For weeks he’s been wondering, “Where’s Coach Harbaugh? I thought he wanted me to come to Ann Arbor.”
Guess what, friend, he ain’t coming. Coach only sleeps over at, ahem, “affluent” homes.
Ha, no way dude…he’s a scary man (and truly I think a sociopath). One time recruit/ND commit Liam Eichenberg said, “He is an extremely weird guy. He couldn’t really hold a conversation.”
Other than the stunts and gimmicks, I seriously wonder how he’s landing kids? Promising to take them to his Neverland Ranch in Ann Arbor?
I went to Wright State and we went to the game at Akron and he lit us up.
As long as he doesn’t punch anybody on the sidelines…I don’t care if he wears a pink bunny suit.
Just win baby.
Hey, you’re talking about St. Woody…how dare you!
btw, it’s kind of troubling for these traitorous Ohioans working for Michigan schools…Dantonio and Harbaugh (although it’s only Toledo). Maybe we can disavow our Ohio connection with Crazy Jimmy.
My dad may have said it best: Most HOF guys get there making a name for themselves. Pace did it making one for his opponents.
Really enjoyed his talents here in St. Louis. Congratulations Mr. Pace!
“Other than the stunts and gimmicks, I seriously wonder how he’s landing kids?”
Well, he *did* also build the Stanford program into what David Shaw has been managing for the last five years, and he coached in the NFL and took a crap team immediately to the NFC Championship/Super Bowl. He can walk into a living room and point to any number of NFL players at that kid’s specific position that he coached and helped to develop.
But, if people are content to only read the national media narrative about Harbaugh, all the better. You can’t really argue with his career resume and the results of turning Brady Hoke’s trash pile into a 10-win team in one season.
That kid was one of the most deadly high school shooters I ever saw. I can still remember one of my years in HS going to our rivalry game against Orrville (which was always played at the College of Wooster field house), and at the halftime “3 point shot raffle” the person with the winning ticket gave it to Mark and agreed to split the money. Our entire side of the bleachers went nuts with glee/laughter when Mark walked out to the center to get the ball. He just walked up to the top of the key and drained it without even really lining it up.
Pound for pound, though, Marcie was the best of all three of them. She actually had a cup of coffee in the WNBA for Cleveland back in the day. I always felt bad for her because her junior and senior years in HS the team missed out on state championships by: a) running directly into Katie Smith’s team in the regional final her junior year (who Marcie then played with at OSU), and b) Marcie wrecking her knee in the playoffs her senior year. That second team still got to the finals and lost to Pickerington. If she could have played, that would have been a hell of a game.
“one of the most deadly high school shooters”
Turns out, this did not mean what I thought it meant. Whew!
No that’s not my question at all. I’m not disagreeing at all with the results…he built a good program of talent at Stanford and seems to be doing to the same at UM. My question was, given that he’s such a weirdo, I wonder how he’s doing it so well?
I suspect it’s quite that UM sells itself with history and the education; he has good recruiters under him doing the leg work (as all HCs do); and that these are impressionable young kids who get swayed by wild enthusiasm and antics. Harbaugh’s act clearly wore thin in the NFL over time, but with a constant influx of young kids, his schtick works.
I recall when St. Ignatius was trying to figure out a way to get him to commute his sr. year.
“My question was, given that he’s such a weirdo, I wonder how he’s doing it so well?”
That’s a fair question. You do answer a bit of it yourself with Michigan’s tradition (that stadium, that helmet, most wins, yadda yadda) and for some kids the academics are a big sell. I think my answer also still stands, though.
At the end of the day, though, big-time prospects that aren’t going to schools that write them checks (like, rhymes with Schm’Ole SchMiss) really only want results: winning, and to know how they can best get to the NFL. Weirdo or not, Harbaugh has that cache. He can go in and say, “Me and my coaches can use you like [x] in our system, and oh hey look at these NFL guys that we did the same thing with”. That resonates.
I have followed Michigan’s recruiting heavily for the past few years, and for each story about “he’s a weird dude” there are probably 10-15 kids Tweeting/saying that they LOVE him because he’s competitive, he’s a winner with a strong resume, he’s got a strong staff assembled with a lot of NFL experience, and he’s a football junkie, etc. etc. The other stuff about tree climbing and what-have-you is just window dressing. That’s what I meant by, if people want to underestimate him simply as a kook, they do so at their own peril.
Besides, to me, someone like Urban Meyer dabbing with his players is just as corny as climbing a tree. It all smacks of 50-somethings trying to relate to teenagers, which is laughable on its face no matter who is doing it.
Whoops. Didn’t really proof-read that.