Archie Griffin honored at Ohio Stadium as statue of two-time Heisman winner is unveiled in rotunda

Intro [Music] at this time I'll ask President Carter to come up to the stage to get this dedication started well good morning everyone thank you Jerry for the introduction before I make my remarks I Ohio State President Ted Carter think it's a it's appropriate that that we take a moment and send our condolences and love to uh Johnny Good's family teammates and fans and everyone at the Columbus Blue Jackets as I'm sure all of you know uh our team star forward and his brother Matthew died tragically Thursday night we all of us Buckey are thinking about everyone affected by this tragedy today is a special day thank you everyone for being with us this morning to help honor Archie Griffin on his 50th anniversary of the first of his two Heisman Trophy uh the first one being in 1974 I'd like to welcome many of our University leaders to this statute dedication including members of our Board of Trustees seated here in the front row and our president's cabinet archy's lovely wife Bonita is leading a very large contingent of Griffin family members and friends including players from both his eastmore High School playing days and his Ohio State teammates many of whom are here today let's give them a big round of applause longtime University partner and donor in cooba Insurance a firm Archie is especially close to as a member of its board of directors is here with us today thank you for being us with us here today as well and I'd like to give a special welcome to the Statue sculptor Brian hanlin Brian where are you please uh stand up and of course I want to thank the Ohio State Department of Athletics and the Ohio State University Alumni Association who lead over 68,000 living alumni for their support to this dedication we are extremely grateful to the rosebowl Legacy foundation for donating this exact replica of the statue which they partnered with the rosebowl stadium to dedicate earlier this month these statues will forever celebrate Archie Griffin's superb performances not only here at Ohio stadium but also the Rose Bowl where he started four games one of only two players in the history of the Rose Bowl to ever do that these two college footballs are two of the most historic and revered venues yes go ahead now my job is not to necessary go over Archie Griffin's Legacy but it's certainly stored uh in your history there have been few better ambassadors for Ohio State than Archie Griffin as college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner and as president and CEO a job he did for 10 years as the Ohio State University Alumni Association Archie has always represented the best of being a buck guy is all about Ohio state is truly fortunate that Archie and the entire Griffin family continue to be pillars in this community Archie let me be the first on behalf of the Ohio State University our faculty staff our students and our over 600,000 alumni to say congratulations we are so proud that this statue is now a permanent addition to our Columbus campus to commemorate your accomplishments and your extraordinary contributions to Ohio State again thank you everyone for joining us today for this celebration and as always go Bucks thank you Mr President next we'll hear from our newest Buckeye Ross Bork thank you Jerry before I uh start my Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day remarks coach today was able to slip away from game planning and prep and he wants to come up and say a few words to honor our chief oh thanks Ross um on behalf of the entire Ohio State football program I just I stepped away for a second we can get back with the team we got a big kickoff tomorrow 3:30 to start a great season but I wanted to make sure I came over and said thank you to DAR and thank you to the family thank you for the impact that you've made on the field they've been playing college football a long time there's only one two-time hasm Trophy winner sitting right here but more importantly it's the impact you've made off the field I didn't have an opportunity to see you play I've seen the film and you look fast and you look powerful but I have seen the impact that you've made off the field and your family's made off the field and it's tremendous and it's said an unbelievable example to our play s about the impact you've made in the community the Charities it's been unbelievable and so to see the statue being unveiled today is a great representation of the Legacy that you've left and you'll continue to lead as we move forward and so thanks for both of those things and you've done it with unmatched class when I think Archie Griffin that's what I think thank you good BS Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork we're going to let Coach uh slip out head back to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center thank you coach let's uh let's keep the energy going oh all right that's what I'm talking about everybody's got their their game day voice ready so good morning and on behalf of our athletics department I'm humbled to provide remarks in honor of Archie Griffin in this historic occasion before I do so I'd be remiss if I did not thank my predecessor Jean Smith for laying uh really the foundation literally the foundation of having this statue here at Ohio stadium so let's give Jean and Sheila a round of applause we're here to celebrate someone who's one of one and I've said that to Archie he's probably tired of me saying that but really there's only one person on the planet to have achieved what he's achieved and that's uh that's period at the end of that statement this is episode two of the Archie Griffin statue so last week in Pasadena the rosebowl version of the Archie Griffin statue was unveiled it was an amazing celebration and experience and so now we have two of two so one of one and two of two here with the Columbus version when you see this statue in person it really comes to life and Brian did a great job I think that stiff arm I think you can feel that stiff arm it's so powerful and it really comes to life and so we we want to thank the rosebowl Legacy Foundation we want to thank the Tournament of Roses for last week we want to thank the stadium for all that they do for college football we also want to thank our donors we got a lot of donors over here the shottenstein and Bruce the Petersons they helped uh let's give our donor who made this possible promise so I am uh I'm 61 days on the job and yes I'm counting but I won't get into that and I'm honored to be the ninth athletic director here and so as the new senior vice president and director of Athletics I had a lot to learn about the university really those came before us to understand the the Legacy and the power of this place and I'm still learning believe me I'm still learning I don't I don't have it all figured out by any means but here's what I've learned since I became a buckeye everything is connected through the people relationships matter the culture is well defined Excellence is a core value we we Embrace Elite expectations Ohio state is a public trust we belong to the state of Ohio what I didn't have to learn was the greatness of Archie Griffin his legacy on the field and all the things he did for this great game is well documented and as a sports fan growing up and as the son of a mother who grew up in northwest Ohio I've heard about Archie all my life and so Archie again one of one I mention these things because I believe those things fit Archie Griffin so think about people Archie has never met a stranger he talks to everybody think about culture Archie defines what being a buckeye means he has a scholarship fund that doesn't benefit football student athletes it benefits other athletes in our Athletic program he's about Excellence Archie and I had lunch about a month ago and he told me a story that during the offseason in the NFL he actually went to work not not to make a little extra money I'm sure that probably helped but he went to work to build his resume for Life After football so we think about Excellence we think about public trust Archie was born here at Ohio State he's Ohio born and bread and so Archie is the people he's the culture he's the Excellence the Ohio native the definition of a buckeye so it's easy to to read the stats and the accolades and those things are nice but what I've learned is that anyone who's ever interacted with Archie they walk away not saying he's a great football player but that he's a great man and they remember absolutely and they they remember how Archie made them feel and that's I think what Legacy is all about so the Woody hay quote right Archie was a great football player but he was an even better man right and so we we understand that and that's really the essence of greatness and Legacy so as we wrap up here one more recognition late last week I I called Archie and told him about a surprise recognition as part of this 50th year of celebrating his first Heisman trophy so out here to the east of the stadium is Archie Griffin drive so there's street signs out there absolutely so the Archie Griffin Drive is an honor honorific naming of the rideway the official street name will still remain Tuttle Park but Archie Griffin Drive will forever be a part of the footprint around the stadium where he changed the game and formed his legacy as a Buckey so one of one Archie Griffin and go Buckeyes thank you so much thank you Ross I'd like I'd like to Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino now welcome roseb Legacy Foundation president Deen broso I'm going to do it because I've always wanted to oh I felt so good I played division 3 Athletics so I I didn't get to do that um on behalf of my teammates and colleagues back in America Stadium Pasadena um I want to start by thanking Ohio State and and Ross and President Carter and everybody here for being so welcoming over the years um you the team here at Ohio State and and formerly Jean Smith you know before his retirement have just been so friendly and I think um in this business in this world today working together for a common good on Common Ground is so important and because of this Buckeye Administration it's no secret to why Ohio state is the best athletic program in the country so give yourselves a round of applause today we tie two of the country's most historic venues together the rosebowl and Pasadena and Ohio stadium here in Columbus because of the athletic prowess and human Spirit more importantly of of one man Archie Griffin Archie received a statue of the Rose bow on August 17th as you all know recognizing him as the rose bow games all- Century player and one of the one of two four-time participants in the granddaddy of the mall um his ambassadorship for the rosebowl stadium in the Rose bow game is absolutely unmatched his Pasadena his statue in Pasadena was our fifth actually we led the way with Jackie Robinson as it's the only football Statue of him anywhere in the world in 2017 we have a statue of the 99 Women's World Cup Team USA Champions and Brandy Chastain UCLA football coach Terry donu and the voice of college football that's in all of our heads Keith Jackson so he is an esteemed company out there um Ross mentioned it this would not have been possible without the donors believing the vision not just in Pasadena but in what you all see behind you and I want to call out the volunteers that helped really ignite this thing from from the GetGo uh Bruce Peterson Irwin Bane Mike Brody and mallerie Donaldson who had just tremendous patience and and foresight to help drive this through so please give the donors and the volunteers and lastly thanks to Archie and Bonita and the whole Griffin family um for being so supportive of this entire process it's it's been a blast to get to know you guys and your families um all these people together tied together the spirit and the history of these two venues separated over 2,236 miles due to to to one man over here on my left so not only are you the only two-time highing winner you got two statues in two weeks at two places in two different states at the two most famous stadiums so I know you like break and records but I don't know if that one's going to get caught either um you know Pasadena has been a Victorious second home to the Buckeyes over the years we hope that continues as this college football playoff system evolves so so appropriate that we're all tied together even as the game continues to evolve there there remains a cohesiveness as to how we got here the moments the venues the players like Archie like the rose bow like the Shu like so many of you who have who have purchased tickets are watching your TV and screamed at it or or cheered at it like like I have when we look at those who built and played the game of college football the right way and continue to advocate for the protection of its ideals as it evolves there's nobody better than Archie Griffin no person better than Archie Griffin you you deserve a statue just for that alone while those two statues pasaden and Columbus celebrate his football impact I see it like most of you and like coach Hayes said he's made an even bigger impact as as a human as a citizen and there's a permanency to that that that is forever lasting as well just like his football greatness the rose Bol stadium has only ever gifted one other Statue copy to another location and that was Jackie Robinson in 2017 at the Jackie Robinson Museum in Manhattan that tells you all you need to know about Archie Griffin that today we have that second copy sitting right out here beside us so Archie thanks for being the person you are taught me a lot personally about being a dad being a husband being a better friend congratulations you deserve every bit of it not just today but this weekend go buck thank you D and now it is Archie Griffin Introduction time the list of honors and achievements and records and good deeds and autographs signed by Archie stacked up would Top This iconic Rotunda and I'm the sports information guy so I get to name just a few more Archie was honored with the NCAA top five award the highest honor the NCAA can bestow for Combined excellence in athletics academics and Leadership he is enshrined in the National Football foundation and College Football Hall of Fame he is enshrined in the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and of course the Ohio State athletics Hall of Fame he was named one of the ncaa's 100 most influential student athletes he was the first recipient of the Big 10 conference's Ford kinnick leadership award he is the Rose Bull's all Century player and Archie Griffin's name along with that of Illinois Great Red Grange Graces the Big 10 conference Championship game MVP award Archie these next moments are yours thank you thank you all so much sit down stand up andet thank you so much you know I only Archie Griffin Speech wish my mother and father were still living but I'm sure they'll be the only ones who believe all those nice things that we just said about but again thank you so much ladies and gentlemen University officials Board of Trustees members faculty staff students media my former teammates and oh yes Buckeye Nation I see you out there I see you out there in the back didn't there some of you had to work today but thank you all for for being here what an incredible day this is for me it is truly one of the great privileges of my life to be here in my hometown for this occasion I like to especially thank uh my wife Bonita for being with me today by my side as well as the other members of the Griffin family who are here why don't you all stand until they can see thank you [Music] allate I would also like to thank President Carter Athletics director Ross Bor rosebell Legacy Foundation president Deon brino for their kind words today greatly appreciate that and I also want to say thank you to en COV Insurance who played a key role in making this time a reality thank you all so very much as I stand today in the shadow of Ohio stadium thinking about what brought me here today foremost in my mind are three people who left us a long time ago by that I mean my parents James and Margaret Griffin as well as my great mentor and Coach Woody Hayes I think about all three of them every single day growing up my parents laid a foundation for my success with their strong moral values enduring spiritual faith and dedicated work ethic work hard on all you do trust in God and treat others as you want to be treated I grew up in a family with seven siblings and we learned these lessons from our parents' words but also from their actions I think about my father working three jobs to put food on our table teaching me a powerful lesson about hard work by the simple eloquence of his example I think about my mother running our small family grocery store teaching me about our community that she extended credit to neighbors who needed something to eat knowing that she might not get repaid when I came to H State and began to play for Woody Hayes the life lessons about hard work and faith and working together as part of a community for a greater good began a new what he taught us all about the importance of paying forward he would say you can never pay back those who have helped you but you can always you can always pay forward to the next generation but he also taught us so many lessons about the value and importance of teamwork how you must hold each other accountable for your responsibilities about how you must sacrifice a piece of yourself to be a part of a greater good about how you must trust other people to do their job as you do your job to help the team win as we dedicate this statue today I want everyone here to know that you're not only honoring me today but instead recognizing the teams that I played on during my 4 years years at the Ohio State University you're honoring my teammates during those four years some of who are in this crowd today and if you've played for me with me at Ohio State University during my four years I would like you all to please stand and be recognized thank you guys being here with me I wanted them to be recognized because these are the gu who 50 years ago did their jobs exceptionally well they opened the holes and carried out the play fak that allowed me to run for two Heisman Trophies I hope when people see this statue they think about the great teams we had the four years I played and not just the guy who wore number 45 who got too much credit I was just blessed as you've heard me say before I was just blessed to be in the right place at the right time with the bright people to accomplish what I did I also have some other teammates here today who did their job to help pave my way to Ohio State where are my eastmore Warriors Stand Up Guys I really love that uh you were able to be here today as well thank you for coming across all my experiences in athletics this deep and abiding notion that teamwork is at the core of how we accomplish great things in life has made me who I am now there's one last group that I has stood uh strong for me that I want to honor right now and that is the fans of Buckeye Nation you see I always felt like winning the Heisman in Ohio State meant it belonged as much to you as it did to me and I want you to really know how much I appreciate the conversations the meals and moments that we've shared I appreciate that you still remember me 50 years later 50 years is a long time so I really appreciate you remembering me that long I please understand that I was just a Sloop footed chubby little kid right here from clus Ohio who they once called tank because I was so slow running around Maryland Park when I played for the Maryland AC the first organized football team that I played for but you've shown me the greatest affection when I became number 45 and that love from Buckey everywhere has meant the absolute world to me this statue this statue will stand outside Ohio stadium for as long as they play football here and I want you to know that I love the idea that Buckeye fans might stop by to visit before a game or talk to Future generations of Buckeyes about the great teams that I played on I'm just really so honored when I think about how I can now stay connected to the fans of Ohio State forever thank you and so Buck oure Nation one final time I want them to hear you back on the near east side where I play little League football and across the freeway in Lyon where I went to lindmore Junior High School and even on the far East side of eastmore high school I want them to hear you all across the city of Columbus OH h o i thank you all so very much and God bless each and every one of you over Archie Griffin Q&A with Media here fourth row to the right we have a question from Joey Kaufman of The Columbus Dispatch congratulations thank you Jo you've had a lot of honors in your lifetime and awards what's it like to see yourself in the Roseville Tuco and soon here in in form of the statue and just what does that onor I mean well the best way to put it Joy this is the icing on top of the cake I have had a lot of awards and honors uh never thought that this would happen with this happening this is certainly the icing on top of all the great cake that I've eaten over years that's how I see this right in that in that same Ro Archie Tim May Letterman roll Tim how you doing AR I'm doing good congratulations thank you sir uh just as you look back think back in history who was that one person or those couple of people who told you you could be something special that really open your eyes to where you could go to this well that would go back to my parents I mean my parents felt uh that any of us uh uh could be anything we wanted to be if we were willing to work at and again as I mentioned my father was a great example of work and when people told him when he worked over at the Ohio malibal uh steel Casting Company uh when when he told them that he expected all eight of his kids uh to go to college you know they thought he was crazy he said you can't expect that and he told them that he did and he told all of us that he wanted us all to go to college and so he really set the example uh with his hard work but uh his faith in us and my mother's faith in us uh made us feel that we can do anything that we want to do we just got to be willing to work for it and right next door we have Stefan chashnik from cleveland.com when players you know this year years Beyond playing for Ohio State walk by your statue and get ready to take the field what do you want them to know what do you want them to think about I want them to think about team I want them to think about team because that's really uh what it's all about you know yeah I've got a statue out there but there's no way I could have done it alone I mean I had to have guys like guys sitting behind you Steve Myers All American Center blocking for me I had to have guys like John Hicks all americ running up in the high the trophy loocking for me I had the guys have guys like Doug France who's no longer with us uh blocking for me and playing tight end I mean that's where it come from I mean again you're recognizing me but I want you to know that as you look at that statue you're looking at my teammates and what we did as a group right next door P biring 24/7 Sports Arie to to have a statue of the Rose Bowl obviously is an honor but to have one outside the stadium that that you played in what what does that mean to you to have right here well this is my hometown I I was born what maybe 4 or 500 yard from here at the University Hospital I played I lived over in the Lyon area played Little League football over in that area again I played on the east side of Columbus and went to East Mo High School just think about all of your friends the people that you grew up the people you you grew up with the people you played with all being able to see that but even more important to let young people right here from Columbus vile come and see uh that statute maybe it'll make them believe that hey I can do that too and that's what's so very very important to me and one final question Dan hope 11 Warriors Argie when you think about just the last 50 years of your life what are the biggest things that you learned during your time here at Ohio State that you've carried with you and have influenced you throughout your life well i' I've had some great leadership uh during my time at Ohio State uh certainly you know planned for Coach a but uh I've worked for some uh great presence I've worked for some uh great athletic directors who who showed me uh a lot uh and I had some great Boards of directors uh uh when I was uh at the Alumni Association who really helped me along the way and and uh gave me a lot of great ideas uh that really helped uh the alumni Association grow and and do things that uh we wanted to do so all over this campus just had the opportunity to be with some really outstanding people who were good uh role models for me to follow great Archie thank you very much thank you thank you all again God bless Statue Unveiling you w [Applause]