Ohio State is synonymous with excellence. A trio of figures with deep Ohio State ties recently earned special recognition from the National Football Foundation’s Columbus Chapter for their contributions to amateur football.

The members of the National Football Foundation’s Columbus Chapter gathered on February 10 to honor notable figures. The non-profit awarded Ohio Gold to former OSU receiver Roy Hall, the Distinguished Media Award to outgoing Ohio State communications director Jerry Emig, and the Larry Larson High School Excellence Award to Ed Terwilliger.

Hall, a standout receiver from Brush High, is a very active community figure in Central Ohio’s high school circuit. Having himself gone through tough times at that age, the former WR now helps at-risk families via his non-profit, The Driven Foundation. He runs it with fellow Buckeye teammate Antonio Smith.

The foundation conducts activities such as food outreaches, back-to-school drives, and mentorship programs. According to the foundation, more than 10,000 families have been impacted by Hall and Smith’s meal campaigns. The next person on the list was Jerry Emig, who has been OSU’s sports information director for the past 11 years.

He is a nearly 40-year veteran in the field. Emig is known to be one of the best SIDs in the country. His efforts received an important honor in 2017, when OS football’s sports information unit won the Super 11 Award from the Football Writers Association of America for SID excellence. Emig will retire from his post and the profession at the end of February.

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“As the leader of our communications team, Jerry has been a consistent and passionate advocate for our student-athletes, ensuring their stories are shared with authenticity and pride,” athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. “His dedication to preserving and promoting the history of Buckeye athletics is truly commendable.”

The final person is Ed Terwilliger, who certainly made Ohio State a recruiting force to be reckoned with. Terwilliger’s influence has meant the program has consistently hosted some of the country’s most elite talent. In six of the last seven years, Ohio State’s recruiting classes have topped the Big Ten.

But before he became a recruiting genius, he was known as one of the most prolific high school football coaches in Central Ohio. Terwilliger won the Larry Larson High School Excellence Award for the 24 seasons he spent at Olentangy High. He helped the Braves win 138 games in this period and coached former Buckeye LB Joshua Perry.

The Buckeye legacy of excellence was recognized at every level of the sport this past week. While figures like Roy Hall and Ed Terwilliger were honored for their foundational work in the Ohio community, two of the program’s biggest NFL exports, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Mike Vrabel, were simultaneously collecting some of the league’s highest honors.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Mike Vrabel win top AP NFL honors

Ohio State left a commanding impact on the 2025 NFL season. However, the contribution of two extremely special Buckeyes stands out the most. They are Seahawks phenom Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. They bagged the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, two of the league’s highest honors.

Smith-Njigba set Ohio State records and went on to do the same in the NFL. Before winning the Offensive Player of the Year award, the WR also set the season record for most receiving yards. He is only the second former Buckeye to have won the OPOY title, with the Saints’ Michael Thomas being the first.

Vrabel also made waves by winning COTY, his second as an NFL head coach. He might be at the peak today, but he began the journey from Columbus. Vrabel may not have a Super Bowl win as a coach, but he made OSU nation very proud. He is among seven NFL coaches to have won the award more than once.

Although Vrabel couldn’t win the Super Bowl, his achievements with the Patriots this season won’t be forgotten.