OSU ON SUNDAY

Each week, Gameday+ examines Ohio State's impact on professional football with a

position-by-position analysis of the Buckeyes

who have made a mark in the NFL:

We now enter the fish-in-a-barrel

stage of these proceedings, this being perhaps the easiest best-of selection.

Our winner is a member of the

Pro Football Hall of Fame, one of five former OSU players enshrined in

Canton; an award in his name is given each year to college football's best kicker; and his nickname was The Toe. Sorry, Rich Spangler fans, it's not him.

The best

Lou Groza

College life

Part of coach Paul Brown's spectacular recruiting class of 1942, Groza, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, played only one season with the Buckeyes before he was drafted into the Army.

Path to the pros

Reports vary, but while Groza was serving in Okinawa, either he contacted Brown, or vice versa, about signing on with Brown's new professional team, the Cleveland Browns of the All-American Football Conference. Groza joined the team after being discharged in 1946 and never left Cleveland, retiring from the Browns in 1967 after 21 seasons.

Pro career

Yes, Groza was far more than a kicker; he was good enough as an offensive tackle to make nine Pro Bowls from 1950 to '59, before he became a full-time specialist. But his versatility made him integral, especially with the limited rosters in those days. Plus, he could kick -- straight-on and wearing black high-tops. Six times he led the league in field goals made and twice in scoring. His career total of 1,608 points led the NFL when he retired (and still ranks 12th).

Little-known facts

So many, some you've probably heard: Groza was given the nickname "The Toe" by Bob Yonkers of the old Cleveland Press; Lou's brother Alex was a University of Kentucky basketball star later banned by the NBA for point-shaving; Lou kicked the winning field goal in the 1950 NFL Championship, a 16-yarder with 28 seconds remaining to give the Browns a 30-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams; in 1956, the NFL introduced what became known as "the Lou Groza rule," which prohibited kickers from using tape or any kind of special tee to help guide their kicks; as a boy in Berea, Jim Tressel shagged Groza's kicks at the Browns practice facility; the team's current practice facility is located at 76 Lou Groza Blvd. Now that's a legacy.

Best of the rest

Mike Nugent

As a Buckeye

Four-year letter-winner (2001-04), two-time All-American and 2004 Lou Groza Award (!) winner is widely considered the Buckeyes' best-ever kicker. The team MVP in 2004 -- that says a lot.

As a pro

Second-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2005, but the marriage didn't last. Nugent had three decent years (75 of 91 field goals overall, 82.4 percent) before suffering a strained right quadriceps in the 2008 opener. The Jets brought in Jay Feely, who did well, and Nugent decided to test the free-agent market last offseason.

The skinny

Bad move, at least so far. Nugent signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay in March. But he missed his first four field-goal tries with the Bucs, then missed attempts of 49 and 48 yards in a 16-13 loss to Washington on Oct. 4. He was released the next day.

Not to be forgotten

Dick Van Raaphorst

(at OSU 1961-63) Made 45 of 90 career field-goal tries and 112 of 114 extra points in a three-year career with Dallas and San Diego. He made the AFL's Pro Bowl in 1966 but he never had a big leg, connecting on only 7 of 31 attempts from beyond 40 yards.