In an era defined by the transfer portal, Steele Chambers’ career at Ohio State was nearly a casualty, until the legacy of a long-gone Buckeye legend intervened. Coincidentally, it was the very same year the NCAA rolled out the transfer portal. 

“That went into the process around my sophomore year, whenever there were a little bit of thoughts, like, ‘Should I transfer?’” recalled Chambers on the Bobby Carpenter Show. “Because, in my head, I want to get on the field. I want to play. But also, what does that say about me? If I go, I get the great Les Horvath’s number.

And then after two years, I just call it quits, and then like, just go to the next team. I feel if I were wearing his number, I have that responsibility to carry that tradition.”

The number Chambers wore belonged to Les Horvath, a name etched in Ohio State lore as the program’s first Heisman winner in 1944. He led the Buckeyes to a spotless 9-0 season and a Big Ten crown. Before that, he etched his name in guiding Ohio State to a 9-1 record and the program’s first national title in 1942.

Long before specialization took over football, Horvath handled it all: offense, defense, and special teams. The timing also worked in his favor. Due to thin rosters in the early days, the eligibility rules were extended from 3 to 4 years. That’s when the then-head coach, Carroll Widdoes, offered him a return. Horvath hesitated, torn between football and dental school, but agreed to play for a fourth season. He didn’t regret the decision. 

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The Buckeyes legend piled up more than 1,200 all-purpose yards and topped the Big Ten in rushing with 669 yards. As he commanded the Buckeyes, he even earned a sweet nickname: “Playing Coach.” Decades later, in 2001, Ohio State paid tribute to the legend by retiring the No.22 jersey. Unfortunately, Horvath was not present to witness it since he passed away on November 14, 1995. 

“I started crying when I found out he was going to have his number retired. I was so happy,” Horvath’s wife, Ruby, said. “I just wish he could be here because this was the one thing he always wanted. He would be so thrilled to know that he’s being honored this way. He loved Ohio State very much.”

The tradition of honoring program legends by wearing their numbers and staying loyal has not faded. Garrett Nussmeier stayed planted in Baton Rouge for five seasons and even swapped his familiar No. 13 to wear Matt Mauck’s iconic No. 18. In Chambers’ case, the jersey No.22 saved him from the transfer portal chaos.

How Les Horvath’s legacy helped Steele Chambers grow with the Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State signed Chambers as a running back, and he played that position for the first two seasons. However, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and running backs coach Tony Alford spotted talent and offered the player a switch to linebacker. Even though he was initially hesitant, he swapped positions in August 2021. 

“I was doing both, I was doing running back and linebacker, and then once we got into fall camp, I decided to just really focus on linebacker, get all the plays down and stuff so I can be ready for the season,” Chambers said

In his first two seasons as a running back, he made the most of limited touches, averaging an impressive 7.9 yards per carry on just 28 attempts. By embracing Horvath’s legacy, he transformed into one of Ohio State’s most disruptive defensive forces. Chambers led the team with 83 tackles in 2023 and was not a flash-in-the-pan starter, finishing his career with 208 tackles.

This heroic run makes the Ohio State Buckeyes nation wonder how different Chambers’ football career might have been without Horvath’s legacy.