McDuffie an all-time multi-sport area great

Who is the best multi-sport athlete to ever come through The News-Herald area?

That question can be — and likely has been — debated countless times over the years.

Undoubtedly, and rightfully so, the conversation generally begins with Robert Smith (Euclid) and Desmond Howard (St. Joseph).

But in that same late-1980s era, there was another name that very much deserves to be in that debate as the best multi-sport athlete to come through The NewsHerald area.

Hawken’s Otis James (O.J.) McDuffie.

During a three-year career at Hawken, McDuffie:

• Led the Hawks to a 35-3 record in football, was named the Associated Press’ A-AA player of the year and set a school record for all-purpose yards (7,302).

• Led Hawken to a regional final in basketball.

• Starred on a baseball team to the point that the Los Angeles Dodgers nearly made him their firstround draft pick as a senior in high school, and

• Won a 1988 state championship in the long jump despite the fact that his track season didn’t start until just before the district track meet (because he was busy playing baseball).

Oh yes, O.J. McDuffie was special.

For that reason, the multi-sport athlete who went on to star for Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions and then went on for a nine-year career with the Miami Dolphins will be inducted into The News-Herald’s Athletic Hall of Fame on June 16, at halftime of the News-Herald Senior Bowl.

“It was obviously very special in terms of just a lifetime experience,” said Cliff Walton, who coached McDuffie in high school and who continues to coach the Hawks. “That was a pretty special time for us. He was just an incredible talent.”

McDuffie is unable to attend, because he lives in Miami, but the award will be accepted in his honor by Walton.

McDuffie wasn’t originally from the Gates Mills area, Walton said. He and his mother moved from Marion, just north of Columbus, to Warrensville Heights because of her banking job.

But after a year at Warrensville, McDuffie’s mother wanted more for her son.

“She felt he needed to be pushed more academically,” Walton said. “His mom, who passed away a few years ago, was incredibly significant in his life, wanted him to be pushed. We are very thankful she chose Hawken.”

Hawken had always had very good academics and athletics.

With McDuffie in uniform, the athletic programs took off even further.

In McDuffie’s sophomore year, Hawken went 10-0 in football, but didn’t have enough playoff points to get into the playoffs.

As a junior, Hawken went 10-0 again, qualified for the playoffs for the first time in school history, and lost 10-8 in the third round of the postseason to Castalia Margaretta.

McDuffie ran for a NewsHerald best 1,470 yards (9.3 yards per carry) that year.

Then as a senior, Hawken lost in the state final to Columbus Academy. McDuffie ran for 1,330 yards that

year, trailing only Howard (1,499) and Smith (1,432) in The News-Herald ranks.

He also caught 33 passes for 472 yards and picked off six passes on defense.

“Very, very unique player,” said Marcus Teague, a classmate and teammate of McDuffie’s who now lives in Georgia. “With him and Coach Walton, we never felt we were out of a game. Whatever we needed to win, they had the answers. O.J. just made everyone around him better.”

And made every eyepopping play.

“I remember one time we were playing Wellsville, a bunch of big boys from down on the Ohio River,” Teague said. “They punted and O.J. didn’t pick it up. It took a Wellsville roll all the way down to the 2. Everyone quit blocking because no one thought he’d pick it up. But he picked it up and went 98 yards for the touchdown.

“He was just that talented.”

But it wasn’t only in football.

In basketball, he led Hawken to the regional championship game in his senior season.

In the spring, McDuffie starred on the baseball team, at least until May when he would start his track season.

In 1988, McDuffie’s leap of 23-2½ won the Class AA long jump state title.

“If I remember correctly, the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to draft him in the first round, and he told them not to because he was

going to college,” Teague said. “And still, he ran track part time and won a state championship. With track — the high jump and the long jump — that was just raw talent.”

After graduating from Hawken, McDuffie went on to play football at Penn State. He even played baseball his freshman year with the Nittany Lions before focusing only on football his final three years.

The Miami Dolphins made McDuffie their firstround draft pick in 1993 (No. 25 overall). From 19932000, McDuffie caught 415 passes for 5,074 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Dolphins.

He also returned punts and kicks.

He was inducted into the Miami Dolphins’ Walk of Fame in 2013 and into Hawken’s hall of fame in 2015.

The News-Herald High School Sports Hall of Fame induction will be his third.

More than three decades have passed since McDuffie starred in four varsity sports at Hawken, but his legend lives on.

Is he the best multi-sport athlete to come through The News-Herald area?

That can be debated forever.

But there’s no doubt that Otis James McDuffie is certainly in the conversation.

“He had a great career with Paterno at Penn State, a great career with the Miami Dolphins, and a great career with us,” Walton said. “Wow, what a talent. He was special indeed.”