Greg Oden, Braxton Miller highlight 2024 Ohio State athletics Hall of Fame class
The Ohio State University has announced its official list of 2024 inductees to the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, headlined by Greg Oden and Braxton Miller, as well as retiring athletic director Gene Smith.
Oden was a star on the basketball court, an All-American big man for the Buckeyes who went on to be drafted No. 1 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers one selection ahead of Kevin Durant.
Meanwhile, Miller was one of several quarterbacks on the national-title-winning 2014 roster and was the team’s starter in the two seasons prior. However, after that season, he switched to play as a gadget back during his final season and caught on in the NFL for a few seasons as a wide receiver.
Take a look at the full list of inductees going into the hall of fame alongside Miller and Oden, per the Ohio State Athletics website:
“This fall, 14 outstanding Buckeyes will be enshrined in the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. The Class of 2024 includes Christy Blough (men’s volleyball), Chase Buchanan (men’s tennis), Tiffany Cameron (women’s soccer), Michael Hartfield (men’s track and field), Jeff Logan (football), Marisa Main (women’s volleyball), Brian Mannino (baseball), Braxton Miller (football), Kathy Monard (women’s cross country/track), Greg Oden (men’s basketball), Tony Russo (men’s lacrosse), Kyle Snyder (wrestling), Gene Smith (administrator) and Matt Wilhelm (football).”
When it comes to Smith, the article page had a blurb of info to share on the longtime Ohio State AD:
“Smith’s tenure as AD at Ohio State started in April 2005 and is the third-longest among the school’s eight athletics directors.
“Under Smith, Ohio State has finished as the No. 1 athletics program in the Big Ten Conference in the Learfield Director’s Cup standing eight times. Ohio State teams have won 117 Big Ten championships and 35 national championships.
“Smith’s philosophy of developing the ‘total student-athlete’ has resulted in academic achievements concurrent with athletic success, including all 36 teams posting at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average for 2023-24, 811 Ohio State Scholar-Athletes and 489 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.
“Recent construction projects completed under Smith include the Schumaker Olympic Sport Complex, Covelli Arena and Jennings Wrestling Facility, Ty Tucker Tennis Center at Auer Tennis Complex, Field Hockey Stadium and Lacrosse Stadium. In addition, the Eugene D. Smith Leadership Institute (EDSLI) was created, funded by $15 million in private support, to provide leadership, character and career development for all Ohio State student-athletes to best prepare them for life after graduation. “