College Football Hall of Fame

Orlando Pace Football Bio: Ohio State to NFL Hall of Fame

By Pigskin Dispatch November 4, 2026 2 min read

Orlando Pace dominated the trenches at every level of the sport, paving the way for record-setting offenses and earning his rightful place in football immortality.

Orlando Pace

ORLANDO PACE

Offensive tackle | St. Louis Rams | 1997 – 2008

Football Bio

November 4, 1975 – Sandusky, Ohio – Orlando Pace, a tackle from Ohio State University, was born.

Pace was twice recognized as a unanimous All-American while with the Buckeyes.

The NFF reports that Pace was the first player in history to repeat as the Lombardi Trophy winner, earning the honors as a sophomore and junior, and he also claimed the 1996 Outland Trophy.

The National Football Foundation voted to send Orlando Pace into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. [National Football Foundation]

The St. Louis Rams drafted Pace with the number one pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.

Orlando earned three first-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl selections over 13 seasons.

He earned a spot on the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s, as he was a core contributor to the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf offense that won the franchise’s first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV.

In fact, he blocked for three straight NFL MVPs with the Rams: Kurt Warner in 1999 and 2001, and Marshall Faulk in 2000.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Orlando Pace in 2016.

Pace set a new standard for the offensive tackle position, protecting MVP quarterbacks and transforming the St. Louis Rams into a historic offensive juggernaut.

Accolades and Football Accomplishments

  • Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
  • Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
  • Super Bowl XXXIV Champion.
  • 3Γ— First-team All-Pro (1999, 2001, 2003).
  • 7Γ— Pro Bowl selection (1999–2005).
  • Named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
  • First overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.
  • 2Γ— Lombardi Award Winner (1995, 1996) – the first player to win the award twice.
  • Outland Trophy Winner (1996).
  • 2Γ— Unanimous All-American (1995, 1996).
Gemini AI-created image of a 1995 Ohio State number 75 jersey to honor Orlando Pace, featuring the 1995-era Ohio State University #75 football jersey, the period-correct helmet with Buckeye decals, and a matching official game program from the season.
Gemini AI-created image of a 1995 Ohio State number 75 jersey to honor Orlando Pace.

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