Three Best Ohio State Buckeyes Players to Never Win Super Bowl Title

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had great players over the years, but not all have gone on to win the Super Bowl in the NFL.

Ohio State's Troy Smith is all smiles after finding out that the Buckeyes will face Florida in the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 3, 2006. | Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba became the latest former Ohio State Buckeye to win a Super Bowl, as the Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13 this past Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. While at least 20 ex-Buckeyes have won a Super Bowl over the past 23 NFL championship games, some of the greatest Buckeyes to step foot in Columbus can't say the same.

This impending list, unfortunately, highlights those who were unstoppable at the college level but could never get over the hump at the next level.

Having said that, some of the players mentioned below had respectable NFL careers, but unlike Smith-Njigba, a Lombardi Trophy alluded them.

1. Archie Griffin – RB (1972-1975)

One of the most beloved Buckeye legends ever, former two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin never reached the NFL's mountaintop after winning a plethora of awards in college, including consecutive Heisman Trophy honors in his last two years in Columbus. Griffin was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1976, only rushing for 2,808 yards over the course of six years before finishing his career with the Jacksonville Bulls of the now-defunct USFL in 1985.

2. Chris Spielman – LB (1984-1987)

Former four-time Pro Bowl linebacker selection Chris Spielman bounced around the NFL to three different teams (but only playing on two of them). Spielman enjoyed a stellar career with the Buckeyes, finishing as a three-time All-American, before spending the bulk of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions from 1988 to 1995, with stops in Buffalo and Cleveland (practice squad) shortly thereafter. Today, Spielman is back in Detroit, serving as a Special Assistant to the owner and CEO since 2021.

3. Troy Smith – QB (2002-2006)

Although former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith put up legendary numbers in Columbus which resulted in a BCS national title (2002) and a Heisman Trophy win in 2006, Smith never saw his stellar Big Ten college career translate to the NFL. Smith only lasted three NFL seasons, failing to reach the Super Bowl with the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. He would then bounce around the UFL and Canadian Football League between 2011-2014, though his brief stint with the Steelers came in 2012 before being released mid-June.

Nonetheless, though, not every Buckeyes star pans out at the next level as these three players demonstrated. But, that doesn't mean they won't be remembered by Buckeye fans for years to come.