The Most Famous D-1 Ohio-Born Football Player Wasn’t a Buckeye

Ohio is a great football state. The first NFL game was played in Dayton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame resides in Canton, which has enshrined 28 Ohio-born players so far. Ohio is one of seven states to host more than one NFL franchise.

But while the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals have largely unsuccessful histories in the Super Bowl era, The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the greatest college football programs in football history. With the sixth-most national championships, third-most wins and best all-time winning percentage, it's hard to argue against the Buckeyes being one of the greatest programs.

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But, the Buckeyes aren't perfect, and just like any program, they can miss out on home-grown talent.

A recent article from 24/7 Wall St. named the most famous Division-1 football player of all time born in each state. I thought for sure the Ohio candidate would either be an Ohio State Buckeye or former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. It seems that I forgot about this player much in the same way the Buckeyes did so many years ago.

This tight end born in Westlake, Ohio, played his college football at Cincinnati before entering the NFL in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. One day he'll no doubt become another Ohio-born player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, likely soon after his brother.

That's right, it's Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The 34-year-old is one of the most famous people on the planet right now, in large part to his on-the-field success having won three Super Bowls and being named an All-Pro four times. Oh, and he's dating Taylor Swift, arguably the single most famous person on Earth.

Maybe if it weren't for Kelce this article could have focused on the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin or the legendary Chris Carter. But, credit where it's due, Kelce is in the conversation for being one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport and is dating one of the biggest music stars ever, so his fame is easily understandable.

At least Ohio should be happy to claim Kelce, unlike the folks listed below.