Top five former Ohio State football players in the NFL

By Zane Harris | Apr 10, 2021

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Running back Ezekiel Elliott #15 of the Ohio State Buckeyes (left) celebrates his second quarter touchdown with wide receiver Michael Thomas #3 (right) during the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

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Cameron Heyward is one of the most underrated Buckeyes in recent memory and has a dominant run in the NFL. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

#3: Cameron Heyward

The third best former Ohio State football player in the NFL is Cameron Heyward. Heyward was the 31st overall pick in the 2011 draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he has spent his entire ten-year NFL career.

Heyward has only made it through starting four seasons up to this point. However, there were also two years that he sat out the final game of the season because the Steelers had a playoff spot locked up and three seasons in which he played in all sixteen games but did not start in all of them. He has accumulated four Pro Bowl appearances and was named an All-Pro twice in his ten years.

Heyward has been deemed an ironman by many considering how physical of a position he plays and the longevity that he has had.

He is one of the few former Buckeyes from the Jim Tressel era that is still playing at such a high level.

Despite being 31 years old, Heyward is still one of the more crucial pieces on the best defense in the entire NFL. The defense is one of the major reasons why the Steelers are still a contending team and Heyward being one of the best players on the defense shows just how well he was able to sustain greatness throughout his career.

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