Ollie Cline
Encyclopedia
Oliver M. "Ollie" Cline (December 31, 1925 - May 12, 2001) was a college
and professional
American football
player in the 1940s and '50s. He was nicknamed the Blond Bomber.
and linebacker
for the Ohio State
Buckeyes
, lettering in 1944, 1945 and 1947. In 1944, his blocking helped Les Horvath
become the school's first Heisman Trophy
winner and the Buckeyes won the 1944 Big Ten Championship with an undefeated, 9-0 record. The following year he became the Buckeyes primary running back, setting school records in rushing. His collegiate career was interrupted by military service in 1946, but he returned to lead the Buckeyes in rushing again in 1947.
's Most Valuable Player
and was a FWAA
All-America
selection.
Cline rushed for 229 yards on November 10, 1945 against the University of Pittsburgh
. This performance set n Ohio State single-game rushing record that stood for 27 years before being broken by Archie Griffin
in 1972.
Cline was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
in 2000 and was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team
as a fullback that same year.
in 1948, but chose to play instead for the Cleveland Browns
. Browns head coach
Paul Brown
had originally recruited Cline to Ohio State. The Browns finished undefeated that year. Cline then spent a year with the Buffalo Bills
, but spent the majority of his professional career with the Detroit Lions
. In 1953, he helped the Lions win the NFL championship over the Browns.
. He had a long career as an educator at various positions throughout the state, and was named Dean of Men at Urbana University
. He was active in every community in which he lived. Fredericktown, Ohio
recognized Cline with "Ollie Cline Day" on January 20, 2001.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and professional
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the 1940s and '50s. He was nicknamed the Blond Bomber.
College career
Cline was a fullbackFullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, lettering in 1944, 1945 and 1947. In 1944, his blocking helped Les Horvath
Les Horvath
Leslie "Les" Horvath was the 1944 Heisman Trophy winner, who played quarterback and halfback for the Ohio State University.- Early life :He was born in South Bend, Indiana, and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area....
become the school's first Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner and the Buckeyes won the 1944 Big Ten Championship with an undefeated, 9-0 record. The following year he became the Buckeyes primary running back, setting school records in rushing. His collegiate career was interrupted by military service in 1946, but he returned to lead the Buckeyes in rushing again in 1947.
MVP season
In 1945, Cline rushed for 936 yards, which was at the time a school record, surpassing Horvath's total from the previous year by a dozen yards. He was named the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
's Most Valuable Player
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
and was a FWAA
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
selection.
Cline rushed for 229 yards on November 10, 1945 against the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. This performance set n Ohio State single-game rushing record that stood for 27 years before being broken by Archie Griffin
Archie Griffin
Archie Mason Griffin is a former American football running back. Griffin played seven seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He is college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner...
in 1972.
Cline was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
The Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame is the athletic hall of fame for The Ohio State University. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have contributed to the honor and fame of the University in the field of athletics....
in 2000 and was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team
Ohio State Football All-Century Team
The Ohio State Football All-Century Team was chosen in early 2000 by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. It was selected to honor the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes football players of the 20th century...
as a fullback that same year.
Professional career
Ollie was drafted by the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1948, but chose to play instead for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Browns head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
had originally recruited Cline to Ohio State. The Browns finished undefeated that year. Cline then spent a year with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but spent the majority of his professional career with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. In 1953, he helped the Lions win the NFL championship over the Browns.
Retirement
After his playing career ended, Cline received a masters degree in education from Wittenberg UniversityWittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
. He had a long career as an educator at various positions throughout the state, and was named Dean of Men at Urbana University
Urbana University
Urbana University is a private university specializing in liberal arts education. Urbana is located in Urbana, Ohio, approximately one hour west of Columbus and one hour northeast of Dayton.-History:...
. He was active in every community in which he lived. Fredericktown, Ohio
Fredericktown, Ohio
Fredericktown is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,428 at the 2000 census.-History:Long before white settlers entered the area, Adena and Hopewell Indians inhabited the area of Fredericktown. Early settlers found three mounds and earthworks located on nearby hilltops...
recognized Cline with "Ollie Cline Day" on January 20, 2001.