Former Ohio State All-American OL Ken Fritz, infamous for restraining Woody Hayes vs. Clemson, dead at 66

Former Ohio State All-American offensive lineman Ken Fritz passed away at the age of 66, according to Ironton Football.

“Deeply saddened to learn the passing of Former Ironton Great and (HoF) Ken Fritz,” the tweet from Ironton Football read. “Ken was a star for Ironton High and later signed. @OhioStateFB where he went on to become a consensus 1979 All-American with the Buckeyes. Ken was then drafted in the 10th round by the Steelers.”

Fritz did not play a full season with the Steelers, but was an All-American with the Buckeyes in 1979, his final year of college football.

Fritz graduated from Ironton HS (Ohio) and lettered three times in football. In 1975, he earned several honors, including the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League Co-Player of the Year and Associated Press Ohio Class AA Lineman of the Year.

He played under the legendary Woody Hayes while with Ohio State. During his final season, Fritz played under head coach Earle Bruce, making All-Big Ten in 1978 and ’79.

Famously, Fritz had to restrain Hayes on the sideline after the coach punched Charlie Bauman of Clemson in the Gator Bowl. It was caught on television replay.

Fritz aided Ohio State to a perfect 11-0 regular season and Rose Bowl berth in 1979.

When the draft extended past seven rounds in those days, he was the No. 277 overall selection by Pittsburgh.

Ohio State shows growth in the offseason

While there’s no official total, Ohio State’s spending has been heavy in the transfer portal. The team has added six players in the transfer portal, boasting the No. 15 transfer class, according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

Ohio State’s incoming group is headlined by former Alabama safety Caleb Downs. In the 2023 campaign, Downs was the SEC Freshman of the Year and the SEC Newcomer of the Year.

The standout DB also earned first-team All-SEC honors. He became the first Alabama freshman to lead the team in tackles in program history with 107. Downs isn’t the only Alabama player who is heading to Columbus.

Former Alabama commit Julian Sayin transferred to Ohio State two days after Downs. Unlike Downs, Sayin never played a snap for Alabama. Nonetheless, he boasted rare potential. The 6-foot-2 prospect was the No. 1 overall QB in the 2024 cycle, according to On3 Industry Rankings.