There is a fairly exclusive club in the Ohio State football world, and a former coach was just invited in. Between B Deck and C Deck in Ohio Stadium, there are just nine names enshrined in the Ohio State Ring of Honor. That number will become 10 in the very near future.
Former Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel will join a very select group in Ohio State history as his name will be added to the list of OSU legends. The announcement came earlier today when Tress thought he was headed to the locker room for an interview with Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork. To his surprise, the former coach walked into a room full of former players, coaches, and his wife, Ellen.
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Currently serving as Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor, Tressel has never been short on words, always having something motivational and inspirational to share with an audience. However, on this day, the former man in charge seemed speechless as he stood in awe, taking it all in with a sense of humility. It is a four-minute watch you won’t regret giving your time to, courtesy of the Ohio State football social media X (formerly Twitter) account.
It is a well-deserved honor for the man who gave so much to the program. In 10 seasons with the Buckeyes, Tress won six Big Ten Championships, won the 2002 BCS National Championship, and played in two other national title games. However, maybe the most important thing he did in Scarlet and Gray was turn the rivalry around against Michigan.
The Wolverines dominated The Game for most of the 1990’s. But Tressel made a guarantee at his introduction to Buckeye Nation on a January night in front of a packed Value City Arena. Not a guarantee that Ohio State would beat Michigan, but that fans would be proud of their team in 310 days when the Buckeyes went to Ann Arbor later that year. He knew the importance of this rivalry, and he won fans over right there. He kept his promise, not only that year when his team upset the Wolverines, but for all 10 years, losing only once to the Maize and Blue.
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Tressell will become only the third coach in the Ring of Honor, joining Paul Brown and Woody Hayes. He’ll also join six Heisman winners, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Howard “Hopalong” Cassidy, Archie Griffin, Eddie George, and Troy Smith, along with Chic Harley, a three-time All-American. A ceremony marking the honor and the official unveiling will take place at Ohio State’s season opener on September 5.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State Football adds coaching legend to Ring of Honor
