Top football player from every NWO county

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Allen - Jim Lynch (Lima Central Catholic)

Jim Lynch starred at Notre Dame as the defensive captain for their national championship squad in 1966. He also won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top player and was a unanimous All-American. Lynch was an AFL All-Star with the Chiefs in 1968 and was a 2x Second-Team All-AFL. He played from 1967-1977 for Kansas City and was a vital part of their Super Bowl IV win. He was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame and Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

Auglaize - Mike Hammerstein (Wapakoneta)

Mike Hammerstein was a First Team All-Ohio selection in 1980 while at Wapakoneta. Hammerstein then played for Michigan where he was the team MVP and a First-Team All-American in 1985. Hammerstein then played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1986-1990.

Crawford - Bob Monnett (Bucyrus)

Bob Monnett was the captain and MVP of the 1932 Michigan State squad. He played for the Green Bay Packers in the backfield from 1933-1938. He helped the Packers win the 1936 championship and was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1973.

Defiance - Dave Preston (Defiance)

Dave Preston holds the Bowling Green State record for most rushing attempts in a season and a career. Also in rushing touchdowns in a game and points scored in a game. Preston was a 1x All-MAC First-Team and 2x All-MAC Second Team selection. He then played for the Denver Broncos from 1978-1983 before a one year stint with the Denver Gold of the USFL.

Erie - Orlando Pace (Sandusky)

Orlando Pace was a first team All-Ohioan in 1993. He then went on to play for Ohio State where he was Big Ten Freshman of the Year, 2x First-Team All-Big Ten, 2x Unanimous All-American, 2x Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, 1996 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and MVP, 2x Lombardi Award winner, 1996 Outland Trophy winner, 1996 UPI Lineman of the Year and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. As a professional, Pace was a 7x Pro Bowler, 3x First-Team All-Pro, 2x Second-Team All-Pro and a member of the NFL All-Decades team. He was a member of the St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXIV squad where he played from 1997-2008 and finished his career with the Bears in 2009. He was selected to both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Fulton - Rick Volk (Wauseon)

Rick Volk was a First-Team All-American in high school. In 1964 he helped Michigan to a Big Ten Conference and Rose Bowl title. In 1965 he was named First-Team All-Big Ten as a defensive back. In 1966 he was a First-Team All-American. Volk played for the Baltimore Colts from 1967-75, New York Giants in 1976 and Miami Dolphins from 1977-78. Volk was a 3x Pro Bowler and 3x First-Team All-Pro. He was also a member of the Super Bowl V winning Baltimore Colts.

Hancock - Ben Roethlisberger (Findlay)

Ben Roethlisberger was a First-Team All-Ohio quarterback at Findlay before playing in college at Miami OH. Roethlisberger holds every major passing record for Miami OH. He was also named MAC Freshman of the Year in 2001, MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 and MAC MVP in 2003. Roethlisberger also was a Heisman finalist. As a professional, Roethlisberger was Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2x NFL passing leader, 6x Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl champion. Playing his whole career for the Steelers from 2004-2021, Roethlisberger set NFL records for most 500 yard passing games, most career perfect passer rating games, most completions in a game and most wins by a rookie quarterback.

Hardin - Jim Karcher (Forest)

Jim Karcher came out of Forest High School to play for Ohio State. Karcher was a sophomore on Ohio State’s 1933 National Championships squad and a senior on their 1935 Big Ten Championship team. Karcher played for the Boston/Washington Redskins from 1936-39 and the Columbus Bullies in 1940.

Henry - Jay Winters (Napoleon)

Jay Winters was a three year starter for Ohio Wesleyan from 1923-25. He set records in punting that still stand today and was the quarterback and captain as a senior. He was also named First-Team All-Ohio Conference. He then played for the Cleveland Panthers of the AFL in 1926.

Huron - Charlie Frye (Willard)

Charlie Frye was an All-Ohio quarterback coming out of Willard before he played at Akron. He set 54 school records and was MAC MVP in 2004. He was also the Senior Bowl MVP. Frye played for the Cleveland Browns from 2005-07, the Seattle Seahawks in 2008 and the Oakland Raiders in 2009.

Lucas - Jim Parker (Toledo Scott)

Jim Parker played his senior year at Toledo Scott before attending Ohio State. Parker helped the Buckeyes win a national title in 1954. In 1955 he was a First-Team All-Big Ten and First-Team All-America selection. As a senior in 1956 he was the Ohio State MVP, was a First-Team All-Big Ten and First-Team All-America selection, Outland Trophy winner and finished eighth in the Heisman voting. Jim Parker then played for the Baltimore Colts from 1957-67. Parker was a 9x First-Team All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowler, 2x NFL champion and was named to the NFL All-Decade team, 75th Anniversary team and 100th Anniversary team.

Marion - Trevor Harris (Marion Pleasant)

Trevor Harris attended Division II Edinboro and set multiple school records there. In his final game he set a NCAA DII record for most passing yards in a playoff game. Harris played arena football and in the UFL before entering the CFL in 2012. Harris has played for five of the CFL’s nine teams. He won a Grey Cup as a backup in 2012 with Toronto and then again in 2016 to help the Ottawa Redblacks win their first title. Harris has set multple CFL playoff passing records and was an All-Star in 2016.

Mercer - Jim Lachey (St. Henry)

Jim Lachey was a 1984 All-Big Ten and All-American selection while at Ohio State. As a professional he played for the Chargers in from 1985-87 and the Raiders in 1988. He then played for Washington from 1988-95 where he was a member of “The Hogs”. He was a 3x Pro Bowler, 3x First-Team All-Pro and was a member of Washington’s Super Bowl XXVI championship team.

Ottawa - Michael Deiter (Genoa)

Michael Deiter was an All-Ohio lineman before playing collegiately at Wisconsin. Deiter was a 2x First-Team All-Big Ten selection and was Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2018. Deiter played for the Miami Dolphins from 2019-22 and has played for the Houston Texans since 2023.

Paulding - Paul Miles (Paulding)

Paul Miles was an All-Ohio back before playing for Bowling Green State. He was a 3x First-Team All-MAC running back and is the only player in school history to have their number retired. Miles then played one season for the Memphis Southmen of the WFL in 1974.

Putnam - Mack Hummon (Leipsic)

Mack Hummon played for Wittenberg where he was a First-Team All-Ohio end in 1922. He then played for two seasons for the Dayton Triangles of the NFL.

Sandusky - Charles Woodson (Fremont Ross)

Charles Woodson was Mr. Football as a senior at Fremont Ross. At Michigan he was Big Ten Freshman of the Year, 3x First-Team All-Big Ten, 2x All-American and was Big Ten Defensive and Player of the Year in 1997. He also won the Jack Tatum Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Walter Camp Award and Heisman Trophy. As a pro he played from 1998-2015 with the Raiders and Packers. He was a 9x Pro Bowler, 4x First-Team and Second-Team All-Pro, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Art Rooney Award winner, was a member of the 2000’s All-Decade team and won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers.

Seneca - Bill Groman (Tiffin Columbian)

Groman attended hometown Heidelberg University before moving onto pro football in the newly founded American Football League. Groman played in the Houston Oilers’ first ever game and set a rookie record for receiving yards in a season with 1,473. That record (which Groman did in only fourteen games) lasted until 2023 when it was finally broken (in a seventeen game season). He was First-Team All-AFL in 1960 and a 4x AFL Champion. From 1960-65 he played for the Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills.

Van Wert - Kory Lichtensteiger (Convoy Crestview)

Kory Lichtensteiger was a First-Team All-Ohio selection two times in high school. At Bowling Green State he was twice named First-Team and Second-Team All-MAC. He also was named the BGSU MVP two years in a row and was a Rimington Award finalist. Lichtensteiger played one season with the Denver Broncos before playing seven seasons in Washington, including four as a starter.

Williams - Dave Herman (Edon)

Dave Herman was a strong, old-school offensive lineman who went on to play at Michigan State. After his college career, Herman went on to play for the New York Jets from 1964-1973. Herman started every year except as a rookie. He became the first Northwest Ohio athlete to win a Super Bowl. Herman was a 3x All-AFL selection and 2x AFL All-Star.

Wood - Mike Weger (Bowling Green)

Mike Weger attened Bowling Green HS before having a stellar career at Bowling Green State. Weger was a Third-Team All-American in 1965. He was also a 2x All-MAC selection and 2x BGSU MVP. In the NFL, Weger played for the Lions from 1967-75 and the Houston Oilers from 1976-77. Weger was a starter at defensive back for the Lions for six years and was twice named 2x Honorable Mention All-Pro.

Wyandot - Bob Schnelker (Upper Sandusky)

Bob Schenelker attended Bowling Green State where he still holds the record for average yards per reception in a season at 21.7. Schnelker played his rookie season with the Eagles in 1953 before playing with the Giants from 1954-60 as a starting receiver. In 1961 he split time with both the Vikings and the Steelers. Schnelker made the Pro Bowl in both 1958 and 1959.