Narrowing down top five Silver Bullets in Buckeyes history
The summer offseason is in full swing, and Lettermen Row is trying to survive it with our annual Position Week breakdowns. By the time all nine units at Ohio State have been covered, training camp and media days will nearly have arrived — and the return of football in the Horseshoe will be just around the corner. Let’s roll right along by turning the attention to the linebackers for the Buckeyes.
COLUMBUS — The history of the linebacker position at Ohio State is legendary.
The position is identifiable simply by a nickname — the Silver Bullets. From the 1990s to mid-2000s, the Buckeyes were churning out the top linebackers in college football. Ohio State has produced 27 linebackers since the 1990 NFL Draft.
The Buckeyes just had three linebackers drafted in April and another one scooped up as an undrafted free agent. Now Ohio State is currently reloading its linebacker room, hoping Al Washington can continue developing talent at an elite level.
While Washington focuses on the current linebacker room, Lettermen Row is looking back the top five Silver Bullets in Buckeyes history.
Ryan Shazier was a first-team All-Big Ten selection before leaving Ohio State. (David Dermer/Getty Images)
Ryan Shazier, 2011 to 2013
Ryan Shazier was supposed to play for Urban Meyer at Florida. But the four-star linebacker changed his commitment to Ohio State after Meyer resigned. Ultimately, the two were able to team up when Meyer took the job in Columbus. Shazier saw action in every game as a true freshman, including 15 tackles in his first start against Penn State. He started every game as a sophomore and yet again he delivered against the Nittany Lions. Shazier recorded eight tackles, two sacks a key interception in the third quarter. The next week against Wisconsin he made a game-saving tackle on a goal-line stand. Shazier’s 16-solo tackle game against Indiana in 2013 rank as the most in a single game in Ohio State history. A mix of elite athleticism and game-changing ability helped him finish the 2013 season as a first-team All-Big Ten selection as his 143 tackles led the conference.
Andy Katzenmoyer, 1996 to 1998
The first true freshman linebacker ever to start for Ohio State was raised in Westerville and was the national defensive player of the year coming out of high school. Andy Katzenmoyer was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in his rookie season, he finished the year second on the team with 85 tackles and tallied a team-high 23 tackles for loss with 12 sacks. His notoriety as one of college football’s most complete, hard-hitting linebackers was just starting, however, as he recorded 97 more tackles, including 13 for loss, the next year. A consensus All-American in 1997, he become only the second sophomore to ever win the Butkus Award. Katzenmoyer’s final season culminated with Ohio State putting together the nation’s top-ranked run defense and second-ranked unit in total defense. His 50 career tackles for loss ranked fifth all-time, and his 197 solo tackles place him seventh. The linebacker also had two interception returns for touchdowns in his career, which ties him for the second most in Ohio State history.
James Laurinaitis, 2005 to 2008
The most decorated linebacker in Ohio State history, Laurinaitis played for Ohio State from 2005 to 2008 and was a two-time captain. The three-time All-American won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s most outstanding defensive player as a sophomore, took home the Butkus Award as America’s top linebacker as a junior and became Ohio State’s first winner of both the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award as a senior. He led the Buckeyes to two national championship games and four-consecutive Big Ten titles, too. He is the only two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in Ohio State history, and he led the Buckeyes in total tackles for three-consecutive seasons. In his four years in Columbus, the Ohio State defense never ranked lower than No. 15. Laurinaitis’ 375 total tackles rank seventh in Buckeyes history.
A.J. Hawk immediately contributed as a freshman, helping Ohio State win the 2002 national title. (Jamie Mullen/Getty Images)
A.J. Hawk, 2002 to 2005
In A.J. Hawk’s four-year career at Ohio State, he played in 51 games and started 38 of them. In his freshman year, he helped contributed to the Buckeyes’ 2002 national championship. He led the Buckeyes in total tackles the next three seasons and was the unquestioned leader of Ohio State’s defense. Hawk won two Big Ten titles in his career and went 3-1 in games against Michigan. He was part of one of the most memorable Silver Bullet units in Ohio State history, lining up at linebacker with Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel. A co-captain for the 2005 season, Hawk was outstanding against Texas when the Longhorns visited the Horseshoe that fall. The inside linebacker finished the game with 12 tackles, including two quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and an interception. Hawk and Ohio State traveled out to the desert to take on Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl where he recorded 12 tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss, enough to be named MVP for the game. His 2005 season earned him unanimous All-American status as on the Lombardi Award and was the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Chris Spielman, 1985 to 1987
Ohio State’s all-time leader in solo tackles didn’t reach the top of the history books without a legendary work ethic. Chris Spielman was known for his intensity and competitiveness during his time in Columbus — and perhaps more for the way he went about attacking life on the gridiron rather than his accomplishments on it. Two sprained ankles held him back from making an impact his freshman season, but he was still a starter as a sophomore. Spielman bursted onto the scene in 1986 as a junior tallying 205 total stops, including an Ohio State record 105 solo tackles. The Massillon native capped off his All-American season with 29 total tackles against Michigan, tied for the most in Ohio State history. As a senior he was an All-American again, winning the Lombardi Award, given to the player who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL’s coach Vince Lombardi. Spielman finished his time in Columbus ranked third in total tackles with 546 and his 263 assisted tackles place him third all-time.
