By Jarrod Ulrey, Press Pros Magazine for OHSAA.org
Well before he built a legacy as one of football’s all-time greatest players, Orlando Pace lived by a simple philosophy: Always dream big.
The historic career he produced as an offensive lineman at the prep, college, and professional levels backed up that conviction.
Pace's latest acclaim came when he was named to the 2026 OHSAA Circle of Champions class.
“I always had confidence, but I’ve been very fortunate and blessed,” Pace said. “It’s always an honor, especially the older you get, to reflect back on your career and come back to the state you started in high school basketball and football and really honed your skills.”
Pace is one of 33 offensive tackles enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his roots in athletics started on a much smaller scale in a town known mostly for being a tourist attraction.
By the time he was a senior in 1993-94 at Sandusky High School—also the home of famed amusement park Cedar Point—Pace stood 6-foot-7, 325 pounds, and was a standout in both basketball and football. He was named a Parade All-American in football as a senior.
“Growing up in a small town like Sandusky, Ohio, where Cedar Point is the biggest thing happening, all we did as kids was we loved to play sports,” Pace said. “We loved to play football, and every season we loved to play a different sport. My high school coach, Larry Cook, was so impactful in my life. Those bonds as you look back, and those coaches and players you played with, and just those friends you made, it was just a great, great time.”
Pace’s career continued to skyrocket when he got to the collegiate level.
He started as a freshman for Ohio State in 1994 and was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year and went on to become the first sophomore to win the Lombardi Award in 1995. He was Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in both 1995 and '96.
In 1996, he became the first player to win the Lombardi Award twice.
A first-team all-Big Ten and first-team All-American selection in both 1995 and ’96, Pace was voted fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1996—becoming the first offensive lineman in 24 years to finish so high. He helped Ohio State running back Eddie George rush for 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns while winning the 1995 Heisman Trophy.
Also in 1996, Pace helped Ohio State beat Arizona State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl and finish 10-1.
He earned Big Ten MVP and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1996 when he earned the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior offensive lineman.
“Playing for Sandusky was always a dream of mine as a kid, but that time at Ohio State was special,” Pace said. “One thing that stands out, just talking about college football and being at Ohio State was playing in the Rose Bowl. That was special. That time at Ohio State was special. It was almost scary, everything was going so well. I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.”
Pace, who started 38 games for the Buckeyes, became known for his ability to produce the pancake block—knocking opposing players to the ground a reported 80 times during his final collegiate season.
Pace bypassed his senior season to enter the NFL draft, where he became the first overall pick by the St. Louis Rams after they traded four draft picks to the New York Jets to move into that No. 1 spot.
That was the beginning of an illustrious professional career which spanned 13 seasons.
Pace was a five-time all-Pro selection and selected to seven Pro Bowls, playing from 1997-2008 for the Rams and in 2009 for the Chicago Bears.
With Pace anchoring its offensive line, St. Louis put together a three-year run from 1999-2001 in which it scored more than 500 points each season—also producing a league-high 6,412 yards on offense and a 13-3 record in 1999 as quarterback Kurt Warner was named Most Valuable Player. St. Louis defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999, giving the franchise its first NFL title since 1951.
After helping the Rams go 10-6 as teammate Marshall Faulk was named the NFL’s MVP in 2000, Pace helped Warner win another MVP honor in 2001 as the Rams reached Super Bowl XXXVI, losing to the New England Patriots 20-17.
Pace was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014, and then on Feb. 6, 2016, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is one of three Ohio State players to be selected to both the college and pro halls of fame.
In addition, Pace was named in 1999 to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA Football All-Century team, and in 2011 was voted into Ohio State’s Sports Hall of Fame.
“I’ve done just about everything I wanted to do in the sport of football, being in multiple hall of fames and constantly being honored at 50 years old, so it’s pretty special,” Pace said.
Pace has owned several businesses since his retirement but has been more focused of late on taking care of his family.
He and his wife, Carla, have four children: son Jalen, who recently graduated from Ohio State, daughter Kendall, who is a student at Ohio State, and sons Justin and Landon. While Jalen was a walk-on for Ohio State’s football team, Landon is a 6-3, 247-pound redshirt freshman tight end for Wyoming.
“I’m just enjoying retirement, raising my kids, watching them grow, and trying to support them in what they want to do,” Orlando said. “My oldest son, Justin, is in banking, Jalen is working in the athletics department at Ohio State, and Kendall, my daughter is in her third year at Ohio State.
“Landon is a tight end at Wyoming. I have been out there (to a game), and it’s a little different coming out of Columbus seeing 100,000 people."