Orlando Pace

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Orlando Pace

St. Louis Rams — No. 76
Offensive tackle
Date of birth: November 4, 1975 (1975-11-04) (age 32)
Place of birth: Sandusky, Ohio
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	Weight: 320 lb (150 kg)
National Football League debut
1997 for the St. Louis Rams
Career history
College: Ohio State
NFL Draft: 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Teams: St. Louis Rams (1997-present)
Career highlights and awards
7x Pro Bowl selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) 6x All-Pro selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005) Super Bowl champion (XXXIV) 2x Lombardi Award winner (1995, 1996) Outland Trophy (1996)
Stats at NFL.com

Orlando Lamar Pace (born November 4, 1975 in Sandusky, Ohio) is an American football player who currently plays offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. He was the first overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft and has been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times.

[edit] Biography

[edit] High school & college

Pace attended Sandusky High School and played for the Blue Streaks, who retired his jersey number, 75, in a ceremony during half time of a game on October 20, 2006. He then played collegiately at the Ohio State University, as only the second true freshman ever to start on opening day for the prestigious Buckeyes football team. He won the Outland Trophy in 1996 for the best college football interior lineman. He was also a two-time winner of the Lombardi Award for the best college lineman or linebacker in 1995 and 1996, and he was a finalist for the 1996 Heisman Trophy and finished fourth in the voting, the highest finish for a lineman (offense or defense) since Hugh Green finished second in 1980. Pace is considered to be the top offensive lineman in the history of college football. Pace actually lined up at defensive tackle during some goal line situations during his junior year at Ohio State.

He was so dominant that the term pancake block - referring to when an offensive lineman knocks a defender on their back - gained popularity at Ohio State due to his play^[1][2][3], although 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.

[edit] NFL career

Orlando Pace was the first offensive lineman in 29 years to be drafted first overall, following Ron Yary (Minnesota) in 1968. He is widely recognized as one of the best tackles in the NFL, especially in pass protection. At 6' 7" tall and 325 pounds, Pace is well-suited for the tackle position. His strength and armspan allow him to be effective in both run- and pass-blocking, but perhaps his greatest asset is his athleticism - Pace's quickness of reflexes and speed are unmatched among NFL offensive linemen.

Pace played 13 games during the 1997 season, his rookie year. He made his first start against the Oakland Raiders on September 20, 1997 and started every single game for the rest of the season.

In the 1999 season Pace played in 896 of 994 offensive plays and was elected to his first Pro Bowl. It was the first time that a Ram offensive tackle was named to the Pro Bowl since Jackie Slater did so in 1990.

Pace has been voted to seven consecutive Pro Bowls dating back to the 1999 season, his third season in the league. Pace's blocking assisted the Rams to a championship win in Super Bowl XXXIV and a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Orlando Pace left in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks on November 12, 2006 after he tore his triceps, ending his 2006 Season.

Pace was injured during the Rams' 2007 season opener against the Carolina Panthers on September 9, 2007. He once again tore his triceps. Officials confirmed that Pace would be out for the entire 2007 season, severely jeopardizing the Rams' potent offense for the remainder of the season.

Pace with a torn labrum and rotator cuff has regained 80% of the strength in his shoulder and should be ready for some spring work. Pace is expected to be fully medically cleared by training camp in late July. Pace will take part in post-draft minicamps.

"It feels pretty good," he said. "When it first started, it was a slow process. But now it's a matter of lifting weights and getting it strong again, getting it back up to where I was."

^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• College football career summary from the Ohio State University website
• Player profile at NFL.com