Three Buckeyes on college football Hall ballot

Three former Ohio State players — including tailback Keith Byars, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1984 — are on the 2019 ballot released Monday for the College Football Hall of Fame administered by the National Football Foundation.

There are 100 former NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players listed. Joining Byars from Ohio State are tackle Chris Ward and fullback Jim Otis, the latter of whom has been listed several times before.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.26 million people have played college football and only 997 players have been inducted,” NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in the press release. “The hall’s requirement of being a first-team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible.

“Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and those actually elected to the class will be part of a momentous year as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football in 2019.”

Also on the ballot for the first time are quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Vince Young. Palmer won the Heisman for Southern California in 2002. Young finished second in the Heisman voting in 2005 for Texas, but put on one of the great performances in college football history, leading the Longhorns past USC in the BCS title Rose Bowl game.

Among the other players making their first appearance in the FBS hall ballot are Syracuse receiver Marvin Harrison, Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, a two-time Heisman finalist.

Former Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman winner and a longtime hall of fame member, is the chairman of the FBS honors court that will select the class after votes from the more than 12,000 NFF members and hall of fame members are tabulated. Former Marshall coach Jack Lengyel chairs the same committee for the divisional candidates, players and coaches from schools below the FBS level.

The latest class of about 15 player and coaches will be announced Jan. 7, the day of the College Football Playoff national championship.

Here are the bios of the Ohio State candidates, which accompanied the release:

• Byars, tailback: Unanimous firstteam All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1984; led nation in rushing (1,764), all-purpose yards (2,441) and scoring (144) in ’84; named Big Ten MVP in ’84 and was two-time all-Big Ten selection; fifth alltime at OSU with 4,369 career all-purpose yards, including 3,200 rushing yards.

• Otis, fullback: Consensus first-team All-American in 1969; member of the 1968 national championship team; first team All-Big Ten in ’69 and led the Buckeyes to two conference titles; led the team in rushing three times.

• Ward, offensive tackle: Two-time firstteam All-American (consensus 1976, unanimous ’77); threetime first-team all-Big Ten; helped Buckeyes to at least a share of four conference titles.