COLUMBUS, Ohio — Archie Griffin, a former Buckeye and the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football, is being honored with his very own statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium.
Griffin was born and raised in Columbus. He signed with Ohio State after graduating from Eastmoor High and led the Buckeyes to a 40-5-1 record and four Big Ten titles between 1972 and 1975.
He then started in four consecutive Rose Bowls — the only player to do so. He was also a three-time first-team All-American and won two Heisman trophies, one in 1974 and the other in 1975.
After college graduation, Griffin was a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals. He played eight years of professional football, before returning to Columbus and joining the staff at Ohio State.
Griffin said he is humbled to have a statue in his honor at the stadium.
“… Please know that when you honor me with this recognition, you also honor the teams that I played on during my four years at The Ohio State University,” Griffin said. “I was simply in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. That’s what allowed me to enjoy the success that my teammates and I experienced. Again, I am extremely grateful to be honored in this manner.”
The new statue will be placed in the stadium’s Court of Champions. According to a release from the stadium and Legacy Foundation, a Legends Walk will also be created to highlight and educate visitors on the 19 Heisman Trophy winners who have played in the Rose Bowl Game.
A dedication and unveiling will take place in mid-August 2024 at America’s Stadium in Pasadena.
Both the Legends Walk and the statue were made possible through several donors from across the country, many of whom were from the Columbus area.
"Our family has known Archie Griffin for many years,” said Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board and chief executive officer of American Eagle Outfitters. “Not only is he one of the greatest college football players of all time, he is a great person who throughout his life has made significant and long-lasting contributions to his community and to the Ohio State University. The Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation has made a wise choice in selecting Archie to be honored with a statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium.”
Griffin’s statue marks the fifth to be placed on the stadium’s property to represent key moments and people in the venue’s history. Others who have been honored include, Jackie Robinson, the 1999 Team USA FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions, iconic broadcaster Keith Jackson and legendary UCLA head coach and all-time wins leader Terry Donahue.
Ohio State’s athletic department will also receive a full-size replica of the statue.
“On behalf of The Ohio State University and the Department of Athletics, I wish to extend our most sincere thanks and gratitude to the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation for this wonderful honor of memorializing our all-time great, Archie Griffin, with a statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium,” Gene Smith, Ohio State senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, said. “Knowing Archie, he would want a statue for all the Heisman Trophy winners along the ‘Legacy Walk.’ His accomplishments on and off the playing field are truly legendary and still one-of-a-kind 50 years later, and we are so proud and grateful that he is a Buckeye.”
