Orlando Pace

Pace was picked by the Rams as the first offensive lineman since Ron Yary in 1968 to be drafted first overall.

Orlando Lamar Pace (born November 4, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a tackle for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the St. Louis Rams.

Several other college teams have been using the term since the 1980s, most notably Nebraska.

In fact, the Ohio State Athletic Department distributed Orlando Pace pancake magnets as a promotion for his Heisman Trophy run.

Pace did not allow a sack in his last two years at Ohio State.

It was the first time that a Rams' offensive tackle was named to the Pro Bowl since Jackie Slater in 1990.

Pace attended Ohio State University, where he majored in business and played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team from 1994 to 1996.

He was only the second true freshman ever to start on opening day for the Buckeyes football team.

He won the Lombardi Award for the best college lineman or linebacker in 1995 and 1996, becoming the only two-time winner of that award, and the most recent (through 2023) offensive lineman to be honored.

He is one of only twelve players to have won both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.

He and Dave Rimington are the only three-time winners in the Outland/Lombardi category.

He was a two-time unanimous All-American, and won the Outland Trophy in 1996 for the best college football interior lineman.

He was a finalist for the 1996 Heisman Trophy, finishing fourth in the voting, the highest finish for a lineman (offense or defense) since University of Washington DT Steve Emtman in 1991, who also finished fourth.

Pace also lined up at defensive tackle during some goal line situations during his junior year at Ohio State.

Pace was so dominant that the term pancake block—referring to when an offensive lineman knocks a defender on his back—gained popularity at Ohio State due to his play.

He was nicknamed "The Pancake Man."

Pace finished fourth in the Heisman trophy in 1996, which was practically unheard of for an offensive lineman, and demonstrated his dominance at the college level.

Pace played college football at Ohio State University, where he twice received unanimous All-American honors, and was selected by the Rams first overall in the 1997 NFL draft.

He spent all but one season of his professional career in St. Louis, concluding his NFL tenure as a member of the Chicago Bears.

In college, he was instrumental in blocking for Eddie George during his Heisman campaign.

As a professional, Pace was recognized as the cornerstone of a Rams offensive line that blocked for an offense with the most gross yardage, second-highest completion percentage, and fifth-most touchdown passes during his 12 years with the team.

Under Pace's protection, the Rams' passing offense compiled more than 3,000 yards per season in each of the years he played, seven different quarterbacks eclipsed 3,000 yards in a season, and seven players rushed for 1,000 yards.

After Peyton Manning chose to skip the 1997 NFL draft and return to Tennessee, Pace was considered to be the top candidate for the Jets' selection at No. 1 in the draft.

The Jets traded their top pick to the Rams one day before the draft.

After a three-week holdout, on August 15, 1997, Pace signed a seven-year $29.4 million contract that included a $6.3 million signing bonus.

Pace played 13 games during the 1997 season, his rookie year.

He made his first start against the Oakland Raiders on September 28, 1997, and started every game for the rest of the season.

In 1998, Pace started 16 games at the left tackle position and was named Pro Bowl alternate.

Pace also protected the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) recipient for three consecutive seasons, blocking for 1999/2001 MVP Kurt Warner and 2000 MVP Marshall Faulk.

Retiring as a seven-time Pro Bowl and three-time first-team All-Pro selection, Pace was a core contributor of the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offense that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV.

In 1999, Pace was selected as a starting offensive tackle by Sports Illustrated in their "NCAA Football All-Century Team".

The other starting offensive tackle on that list was Bill Fralic.

Pace was one of five Ohio State Buckeyes on Sport Illustrated's All-Century Team 85-man roster; the others being Jim Parker, Archie Griffin, Chris Spielman and Jack Tatum.

In the 1999 season, Pace played in 896 of 994 offensive plays and was selected to his first Pro Bowl.

He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Pace was born in Sandusky, Ohio.

He was a two-sport athlete for the Sandusky Blue Streaks at Sandusky High School.

He had a successful football career.

He was named to the Parade magazine high school All-America team as an offensive lineman and the USA Today All-America team as a defensive lineman.

In 2013, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.