Archie Griffin being honored with statue at Rose Bowl
COLUMBUS — Legendary Ohio State running back Archie Griffin is getting yet another major honor. This might be one of his biggest ever.
Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, is getting a statue at the Rose Bowl.
As one of just two players to ever start in four straight Rose Bowls, Griffin will have a statue in front of the Rose Bowl to honor the 19 Heisman Trophy winners to play in that prestigious bowl game. The Rose Bowl press release further explained the statue:
Adjacent to the Griffin statue in the Stadium’s Court of Champions, a Legends Walk will also be created to highlight and educate visitors on the 19 Heisman Trophy winners that have played in the Rose Bowl Game® up to the current day. Led by Griffin’s four appearances in Pasadena, student-athletes from schools such as UCLA, Wisconsin, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, Michigan and more will be represented in the neighboring Legends Walk.
Press release from the Rose Bowl
Griffin, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1974 and 1975, played in the Rose Bowl in every season he played at Ohio State. The Buckeyes were 1-3 in those games, but they beat USC in the 1974 Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 1974, by a final score of 42-21.
“I am humbled to have a statue in my honor at the Rose Bowl Stadium, one of the most prestigious stadiums in America. I feel blessed to have played in four Rose Bowl Games,” Griffin, who is already in the Rose Bowl and College Football Hall of Fame, said in a press release put out by the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl Game All-Century player continued, “But please know that when you honor me with this recognition, you also honor the teams that I played on during my four years at The Ohio State University. I was simply in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. That’s what allowed me to enjoy the success that my teammates and I experienced. Again, I am extremely grateful to be honored in this manner.”
Among the donors for the statue and Legends Walk, many from Columbus and surrounding areas, include the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the non-profit that supports the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the Rose Bowl’s future as a venue. Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein, who are prominent philanthropists to the Ohio State community, ‘symbolically provided the project’s closing gift to finish the effort’ according to the press release.
“Our family has known Archie Griffin for many years,” said Jay Schottenstein. “Not only is he one of the greatest college football players of all time, he is a great person who throughout his life has made significant and long-lasting contributions to his community and to the Ohio State University. The Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation has made a wise choice in selecting Archie to be honored with a statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium.”
The Archie Griffin statue and Legends Walk unveiling and dedication event will take place in mid-August 2024 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Additional information about this event will be announced at a later time.
