Orlando Pace

Orlando Lamar Pace (born November 4, 1975) is an American former professional football tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning the Lombardi Award in 1995 after blocking for Eddie George during his Heisman campaign. The following season, Pace won the Outland Trophy, his second Lombardi Award, the Jim Parker Trophy, and UPI Lineman of the Year. Pace was selected first overall in the 1997 NFL draft by the Rams, where he spent all but one season of his professional career. In his final season, he was a member of the Chicago Bears.

With the Rams, Pace was recognized as the cornerstone of an 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. Pace also protected the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) recipient for three consecutive seasons, blocking for 1999 and 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. 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.

Pace attended Ohio State University, where he majored in business and played for the Buckeyes football teams from 1994 to 1996. He was only the second true freshman ever to start on opening day for the Buckeyes football team. He was a two-time unanimous All-American, and won the Outland Trophy in 1996 for the best college football interior lineman. 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 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." 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. Pace finished fourth in the Heisman trophy race in 1996, which was practically unheard of for an offensive lineman, and demonstrated his dominance at the college level.

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

The Rams traded with the New York Jets for the first overall pick the day before the 1997 NFL draft. Pace was the first offensive lineman since Ron Yary in 1968 to be drafted first overall. 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.