Archie Griffin electrifies college football history, standing entirely alone as the only player to capture the Heisman Trophy twice.
Football Bio
August 21, 1954 – Archie Griffin, a two-time Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State University, was born. He has been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame since 1986, and he’s the only player who won the Heisman Trophy twice, and what a great bit of yardage he had in those two seasons. [National Football Foundation]
Two outstanding seasons under head coach, at the time, Woody Hayes of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he just was not the biggest man in the world.
Actually, I heard a story from one of his teammates recently who hails from here, you know, we’ll leave his name unmentioned right now, but he told us that actually, Archie wasn’t even going to be the starter.
The starter got injured, and they were trying to find somebody to throw in there during a practice, so Coach Hayes looked around and said, ” Hey, you, Griffin, you come in here. So Griffin goes in there and does some exceptional moves on the practice field.
So they wanted to see how it translated into game time. Well, he did great there too and became a two-time Heisman Trophy winner, the only one so far in Heisman Trophy history.
Archie Griffin solidifies his legendary status not just through his unmatched trophy case, but through a standard of excellence that redefines the running back position. He continues to inspire athletes everywhere, proving that heart, talent, and making the most of an opportunity matter far more than physical size.
Verified Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- 2Γ Heisman Trophy Winner: 1974, 1975 (the only player in history to win the award twice).
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1986.
- 3Γ First-Team All-American: 1973, 1974, and 1975 (Unanimous in 1974 and 1975).
- 2Γ Big Ten Most Valuable Player: 1973, 1974.
- NCAA Rushing Record Setter: Achieved an incredible 31 consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
- Rose Bowl Pioneer: The first player in history to start in four consecutive Rose Bowls.
- Retired Number: Ohio State officially retired his jersey number 45 in 1999.
