Orlando Pace - College Career

College Career

Pace attended the Ohio State University, where he played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team from 1993 to 1996. He was only the second true freshman ever to start on opening day for the Buckeyes football team. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American, and won the Outland Trophy in 1996 for the best college football interior lineman. He won the Lombardi Award for the best college lineman or linebacker in 1995 and 1996, becoming the only two-time winner of that award. He is one of only twelve players to have won both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award. He and Dave Rimington are the only three-time winners in the Outland/Lombardi category. He was a finalist for the 1996 Heisman Trophy, finishing fourth in the voting, the highest finish for a lineman (offense or defense) since Hugh Green finished second in 1980. Pace also lined up at defensive tackle during some goal line situations during his junior year at Ohio State.

He was so dominant that the term pancake block—referring to when an offensive lineman knocks a defender on their back—gained popularity at Ohio State due to his play, although several other college teams have been using the term since the 1980s, most notably Nebraska. In fact, the Ohio State Athletic Department distributed Orlando Pace pancake magnets as a promotion for his Heisman Trophy run. Pace did not allow a sack in his last two years at Ohio State. He was a Business major.

In 1999, Pace was selected as a starting offensive tackle by Sports Illustrated in their "NCAA Football All-Century Team". The other starting offensive tackle on that list was Bill Fralic. The second and third team offensive tackles were Ron Yary, George Connor, Dan Dierdorf and Bob Gain. Pace was one of five Ohio State Buckeye's on Sport Illustrated's All-Century Team 85-man roster; the others being Jim Parker, Archie Griffin, Chris Spielman and Jack Tatum.

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