Archie Griffin American football player

Archie Griffin Archie Griffin

Archie Griffin (born August 21, 1954 in Columbus, Ohio, United States) is an American football player. Griffin played college football for Ohio State University and is the only two-time winner, in 1974 and 1975, of the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best college football player. Griffin played seven seasons as a running back in the National Football League (NFL), all with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Born:

August 21, 1954, Columbus, Ohio, United States (age 70)

Awards and honors:

Heisman Trophy (1975) Heisman Trophy

Griffin grew up in Columbus, Ohio, one of eight children born to James W. Griffin, Jr. and Margaret E. Monroe-Griffin. His father, who had been a high school football player in West Virginia, supported the family by working three jobs (garbage collector, steelworker, and janitor). All six of Griffin's brothers played college football, and two went on to play in the NFL.  Griffin played with his brother Raymond for Ohio State and the Cincinnati Bengals. His sister, Krystal, ran track at the Division I level.

As a junior at Eastmoor High School (now Eastmoor Academy) in Columbus, Griffin rushed for over 1,000 yards. He then rushed for 1,787 yards and scored 29 touchdowns in his senior year, leading the team to the Columbus City League championship. Named Ohio's Player of the Year in 1971, Griffin received over 150 football scholarship offers. After initially considering Northwestern University, Griffin chose to stay in Columbus and attend Ohio State University.

Academic career

Archie Griffin Archie Griffin (#45, center) carries the ball for Ohio State University in a game against the University of Michigan, 1974.

In 1972, Griffin earned a starting spot with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Although he fumbled the ball in his only game, in his second game, against the University of North Carolina, he rushed for 239 yards, setting the school record for single-game rushing yards. That season, he rushed for 772 yards and scored three touchdowns. The following year, he broke his own single-game rushing record by rushing for 246 yards against the University of Iowa. Griffin finished the 1973 season with 1,428 yards and six touchdowns.  He then rushed for 1,620 yards his freshman year and 1,357 his senior year.

During his sophomore, junior, and senior years, Griffin led the Big Ten Conference in rushing. He was the first player to lead the Big Ten Conference in rushing for three consecutive years and the last to do so for over 40 years (until Jonathan Taylor of the University of Wisconsin matched that feat from 2017 to 2019). Excluding bowl games, Griffin rushed for 5,177 yards on 845 carries in his college career, which at the time he retired from the college game was the record. As of 2023, he ranked 16th all-time in career rushing yards. In total, he also scored 26 touchdowns.  Griffin racked up these impressive statistics despite Ohio State coach Woody Hayes often taking him out in the second half of games, choosing to rest his star when the team had a comfortable lead.

The Buckeyes went 40–5–1 with Griffin as their starting fullback. In addition to winning or sharing (with the University of Michigan) the Big Ten Conference title each year during Griffin's tenure, Ohio State appeared in four consecutive Rose Bowls, in which Griffin rushed for a total of 412 yards. However, the Buckeyes won only one of those games, in January 1974, when they defeated the University of Southern California 42–21, in a game in which Griffin rushed for 149 yards.

Professional career

Griffin was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft with the 24th overall pick. Although his professional career was not as stellar as his college career, he played seven seasons in the NFL, all for the Bengals. During that time, he rushed for 2,808 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,607 yards and scored six touchdowns as a receiver. His best seasons statistically were 1976, when he rushed for 625 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground, and 1979, when he rushed for 688 yards and had an additional 417 receiving yards.

The Bengals only made it to the Super Bowl once during Griffin's career, in 1981. However, Griffin was plagued by injuries and had only one carry, which resulted in a four-yard gain. He also fumbled the ball on a kickoff return late in the first half.

After his career with the Bengals, Griffin briefly played for the Jacksonville Bulls in the United States Football League.

Personal life

After a failed first marriage, Griffin married Bonita Davis in 1987. They have three sons (one from his first marriage). Two of them played football for Ohio State.

After his football career ended, Griffin worked as a special assistant to the university's athletic director and in 1994 became an assistant athletic director, eventually working for the athletic department for 19 years.  He also served as president of the Ohio State University Alumni Association for 11 years. Additionally, his post-football career includes stints on the boards of Motorists Mutual Insurance Company, Abercrombie & Fitch, the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame, among other companies and organizations.