*Carlos Hyde photo property of theozone.net, Eddie George photo property of menofthescarletandgray.com
Carlos Hyde is one of the best running backs we have ever had. He is 6-0/230; a little bigger than the average back in college. He is not the fastest, but Hyde is one of those players who can grind out a game for you. He did that for us last year, famously against Northwestern, but pretty much against every team he played. Watch these highlights to see what I mean. He was the go-to guy for a short touchdown when we needed it and for big plays.
He reminds me a lot of Eddie George, our 1995 Heisman winner who was of similar size (6-3/240). They were both big running backs who could just keep drives alive. Carlos is a little shorter and a little faster than Eddie, but they filled the same role for us. They would always fall forward to grab an extra yard or two, always seem to get us that first down, always keep the clock running, and just carry the offense when we needed it. Big running backs like this are a great asset to any team and they hearken back to the old days of football when it was more of a test of strength on the ground. Hopefully, Carlos will find as much success in the NFL, and in life, as Eddie has.
Eddie George was from Philadelphia and played for us from 1992 - 1995. He played under head coach John Cooper and with a ridiculous number of incredible teammates like Robert Smith, Dan Wilkinson, Korey Stringer, Orlando Pace, Shawn Springs and Mike Vrabel. He rushed for over 4,000 yards, was an All-American and won the Heisman Trophy as a senior in 1995. His number is retired at OSU and he is the most recent Buckeye to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
George was drafted in the first round by the Houston Oilers in 1996, before they moved to Tennessee and became the Titans. He became a staple of their offense, just like he had been in college. His best season came in 1999, when he helped lead the Titans to Superbowl XXXIV, a game they lost to the Rams. That was the season that included the Titans' "Music City Miracle" and the dramatic end of the Superbowl in which the Titans were one yard short of tying the game in the last play. George played his last season (2004) with the Dallas Cowboys. All in all, he rushed for over 10,000 yards in nine seasons in the NFL.
Since leaving football, he has remained active in the Nashville area, running a landscaping architecture business and performing as a Shakespearean actor. He has also worked as a football analyst and as Assistant VP for Business Development back at OSU. George had a difficult transition back to normal life after the NFL, battling depression and family problems. Having gone through the struggle himself, he is working on building a course at Ohio State that teaches business skills and life skills for athletes.
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