With temps in the 90s in Columbus over the next week, one number in that range has brought the heat for OSU.
The heat is on this weekend in Columbus, as well as throughout a good portion of the country. High temperatures today and for the first few days of this week are forecast to hit the mid-to-upper 90s in Ohio’s capital city, which will threaten to break daily all-time highs in the region. With it being such a hot start to summer, we hope you’ll be enjoying this somewhere that has air conditioning, or by the pool.
With there being under two months until Ohio State’s football team reunites for preseason camp, we are trying to find some creative ways to pass the time until camp begins. Theme weeks here at LGHL have helped to put some different spins on what we have to look forward to this season. There are also plenty of interesting angles we have tried to come up with to look back at some past Buckeye teams and players. In the end, we are just trying to have some fun with writing during the offseason, and we hope you are enjoying what we are putting out there.
Since temperatures here in Columbus are forecasted to be in the 90s for the next week, I figured I could look at some of the best Ohio State football players to wear a number in the 90s. After looking through some of the Buckeyes who have worn two-digit numbers that start with 9, I realized that number 97 is loaded with talent, as there are at least four quality players who have gone on to play in the NFL. Had offensive lineman Jeff Uhlenhake not changed his number from 97 to 68 following his freshman season, this list would have been longer!
Even though 97 might not be the most historic uniform number in program history, there is an argument that it could be one of the most underrated because of the collection of talent it has provided over the years. Last year, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. wore 97, so if you are looking for a breakout candidate this year, Jackson would be an excellent pick.
Kenny Peterson
After coming to Ohio State from Canton McKinley as part of the 1998 recruiting class of the Buckeyes. Following a redshirt season in 1998, Peterson started to see action the next season, appearing in seven games. 2000 saw Peterson start to make some noise on the field, finishing the season with 3 sacks and 7 TFLs. The first start in the scarlet and gray for Peterson wouldn’t come until the 2001 season, where he would start two games. As a redshirt junior, Peterson matched his sack total from 2000 and had six tackles for loss.
The breakout season for Peterson would come as a senior, when he would start 13 of 14 games. The defensive tackle closed out his Ohio State career with 9.5 TFLs, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. The season was a magical one for Peterson and the Buckeyes, as Ohio State would go on to win the national championship, and Peterson was named second-team All-Big Ten. Peterson was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, spending three years with the team before being released just before the start of the 2006 season. After his time in Green Bay, Peterson would move on to Denver, where he would appear in 42 games over four years, starting 15 of those contests.
Cameron Heyward
When Cameron Heyward arrived at Ohio State, most people knew him as the son of former NFL fullback Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. By the time Heyward left Ohio State, he had been one of the most consistent defensive linemen to ever play at the school. In each of his four seasons with the Buckeyes, Heyward would play in all 13 games on Ohio State’s schedule. The only season Heyward didn’t reach at least 10 tackles for loss in a season came in 2008, and for his career, he would finish with 15.5 sacks. In 2009, Heyward was named second team All-Big Ten, and followed that honor up by making first team All-Big Ten as a senior.
After he was born in Pittsburgh, it was fitting that Heyward was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unlike at Ohio State, where he was able to make an instant impact, Heyward wouldn’t start a game for the Steelers until the 2013 season. Over his first six seasons in the NFL, Heyward’s highest sack total came in 2014 when he recorded 7.5 sacks.
Heyward’s real breakout season in the NFL came in 2017 when he finished with 12 sacks. After failing to reach eight sacks in his first six seasons in the league, Heyward has hit that mark in six of the last eight seasons for the Steelers. After being named to the Pro Bowl in 2017 for the first time, Heyward has been recognized six more times since for his on-field performance. The former Buckeye is also making positive contributions off the field, as in 2023, he was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Joey Bosa
Joey Bosa burst onto the scene at Ohio State as a freshman, finishing his first season in Columbus starting 10 of 14 games and recording 7.5 sacks. The four-star recruit from Florida was named first team Freshman All-American, as well as a first team Freshman All-Big Ten. Since Bosa’s father, as well as a number of other family members, played in the NFL, big things were expected from the defensive end. After just one season at Ohio State, it was looking like Bosa was the next big thing at defensive end.
Bosa’s sophomore season is where he really broke out, finishing with 13.5 sacks as Ohio State would go on to win the first four-team College Football Playoff. Not only was Bosa named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, but he would earn Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015, along with being named an All-American as a sophomore and a junior.
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The 2015 season for Bosa and Ohio State was a really odd one. Bosa was suspended for the first game of the season for an undisclosed reason. The Buckeyes would only lose one game but were left out of the College Football Playoff, leaving them to close out their season in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. Bosa’s college career came to a bit of a premature ending when he was ejected early in the game against the Fighting Irish, finishing with 26 sacks and 51 tackles for loss over three seasons as a Buckeye.
Bosa was selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers with the third overall pick. It didn’t take Bosa long to make an impact at the professional level, finishing his rookie season with 10.5 sacks on his way to earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. In every season Bosa has played at least 10 games in he has finished with at least 10 sacks. The problem is that he has only been able to play at least 10 games in three of his nine seasons in the NFL. During the offseason, Bosa signed a free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills.
Nick Bosa
After Joey Bosa left Ohio State for the NFL, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes were able to plug his younger brother in on the defensive line. Much like Joey, Nick was able to step in right away and make an impact, finishing his freshman season in 2016 with 5 sacks. 2017 was where Bosa would have his best season as a Buckeye, recording 16 TFLs and 8.5 sacks in a season where he was named Big Ten Defensive Line of the Year, as well as earning a spot on the All-America first team.
Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
Unfortunately, Bosa’s junior season was cut short when he underwent core muscle surgery after just three games. Even though he played just a quarter of the regular season in 2018, Bosa had 4 sacks and 6 TFLs in non-conference play. Following the season, Bosa would declare for the NFL Draft and was selected with the second overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers.
Since turning pro, Bosa has been one of the most dominant defensive ends in the game. As a rookie, Bosa registered 16 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and an interception on his way to being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. After appearing in just two games in 2020 because of injury, Bosa recorded at least 10 sacks in the next three seasons, with his best year coming in 2022 when he finished with 18.5 sacks, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Now, Bosa and the 49ers will focus on trying to return to the playoffs after missing out on the postseason in 2024.