Ohio State University Notable Alumni

Widely regarded as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, Jesse Owens' three world records in less than an hour in 1935 came to be known as the greatest 45 minutes ever in sports. He was credited with destroying Adolf Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Jack Nicklaus, also known as “The Golden Bear,” has 18 major golf championships to his credit. He has been part of 164 major golf tournaments and has won 117. He now designs golf courses through his company, Nicklaus Design. He has also authored many golf-related books, including an autobiography.

Urban Meyer is an American football coach who is currently serving as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars which competes in the NFL. He has also coached college football teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes, helping the team win its maiden Big Ten Conference title. He has also worked as an analyst for popular TV networks like Fox Sports.

Dwight Yoakam is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is credited with popularizing honky tonk music, which he pioneered. In 2014, his song Guitars, Cadillacs was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 greatest country songs list. Yoakam has also starred in several films, such as Sling Blade, Panic Room, and The Minus Man.

Novelist and short-story writer R. L. Stine is popularly referred to as the "Stephen King of children's literature." He has published 100s of horror fiction novels and numerous joke books among others. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Inkpot Award. He is also a TV producer, screenwriter, and executive editor.

Richard Lewis is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Well-known for his self-deprecating humor, Lewis was named in Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Standups of All Time list. He has also written comic articles for popular publications like Playboy. As an actor, Richard Lewis is best known for playing Marty Gold in the popular sitcom, Anything But Love.

Floriana Lima is best known as Maggie Sawyer from the series Supergirl. She initially worked as a production assistant and later played significant roles in series such as Poor Paul, The Mob Doctor, and Lethal Weapon. She also devotes time to charities such as LollipopTheater.org and Every Mother Counts.

Mike Vrabel is a former American football player who played as a linebacker for Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs at the National Football League (NFL). After retiring as a player, Mike Vrabel became a coach and is currently working as the head coach of the popular NFL team, Tennessee Titans. 

The 69th Governor of Ohio John Kasich played an important role in the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and the 1996 welfare reform legislation. Kasich has also played an important role as a television news host. Despite being a Republican, Kasich is a prominent critic of Donald Trump; he supported Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.

Popularly known as the analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, Kirk Herbstreit is a sports commentator. He started his career as a football player. Following his retirement as a player, he began his broadcasting career and found much success. He has been associated with ESPN for several years. He is involved in multiple charities including The Make A Wish Foundation.

Jayaprakash Narayan was a theorist, political leader, socialist, and Indian independence activist. Often referred to as the Hero of Quit India Movement, Jayaprakash Narayan was honored with the prestigious Magsaysay Award in 1965 for Public Service. He was posthumously honored with India's highest civilian award—The Bharat Ratna—in 1999.