Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1997 Rose Bowl Game
2013 Inductee
Orlando Pace was a two-time consensus first-team All-America offensive tackle who played for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1993 to 1996. Pace won the Outland Trophy, given annually to the best interior lineman in college football, in 1996, and the Lombardi Award, given to the best lineman or linebacker, in 1995 and 1996.
Pace’s Buckeyes defeated previously unbeaten Arizona State 20–17 in the 1997 Rose Bowl Game. While offensive lineman are not typically headline news, Pace stole the show in the Rose Bowl Game by shutting down Sun Devils All-America pass rusher Derrick Rodgers. Pace didn’t allow a sack in his final two seasons at Ohio State, ending with the Rose Bowl Game.
When Sports Illustrated named its NCAA Football All-Century Team in 1999, Pace was selected as a starting tackle. He was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s. Pace was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity “O” Hall of Fame in 2011 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. He and his wife, Carla, have four children.
