Hall of Fame
Position: Offensive Tackle
Years: 1974-77
Place of Birth: Dayton, OH
Date of Birth: December 16, 1955
Jersey Number: 79
Height: 6-4
Weight: 272
High School: Patterson (Dayton, OH)
Playing at 6-foot-4 and 272-pounds, Chris Ward cleared a path for the Ohio State offense, producing thousand-yard rushers in each of his four years on the line while helping Archie Griffin become the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in history. The Dayton, Ohio, native now becomes the 28th Ohio State player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 1976 and unanimous laurels in 1977, Ward played for Ohio State and Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes during an impressive run that produced a 39-8 record, including a 29-3 mark in the Big Ten Conference with four Big Ten championships. The team's performance earned berths in four January bowl games, including two appearances in the Rose Bowl (1975, 1976), a slot in the 1978 Sugar Bowl and a 27-10 win in the 1977 Orange Bowl over Colorado. The Buckeyes finished with final rankings of No. 3, No. 4, No. 4 and No. 11, respectively during his time in Columbus. The team ranked in the Top 10 during all but three weeks of his career, including a 14-week run at No. 1.
His blocking allowed future Hall of Famer Archie Griffin to rush for 1,695 yards in 1974 and 1,450 yards in 1975, becoming the first and only person to win the Heisman Trophy twice. The following two seasons, he opened holes for tailbacks Jeff Logan, who gained 1,248 yards in 1976, and Ron Springs, who led the Big Ten in rushing in 1977 with 1,166 yards.
The Buckeyes claimed four consecutive Big Ten titles during the period as co-champs in 1974, 1976, and 1977 with an outright crown in 1975. A three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, Ward helped OSU lead the Big Ten in rushing in 1974 and 1977 and in scoring in 1974, 1975 and 1977. The 1977 team captain, Ward was a three-year starter, who started in 36-consecutive games and culminated his college career by playing in the 1978 Hula Bowl.
Ward also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-America honors and Academic All-Big Ten laurels in 1975. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989. The fourth overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Ward played a total of eight seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Saints, Dolphins and 49ers.
Residing in Los Angeles, Ward is a real estate agent, a life insurance agent, a mortgage loan officer, as well as a financial consultant. An ordained minister, he launched Ward International, a secular after-school program that targets youth in underserved communities to become successful members of society while teaching them bible ethics. He is also the president of Pro Players North America, an organization of professional athletes and entertainers who are committed to changing the lives of young people. He is also the son-in-law of the late Jim Brown, the 1995 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Syracuse.
