Former Ohio State star running back John Brockington dies at 74

John Brockington, an integral member of the “Super Sophomore” class that led Ohio State to the 1968 national championship and then became a star running back for the Green Bay Packers, died Friday at age 74.

Brockington’s death was announced by the Packers, who said he died in San Diego.

Ron Maciejowski, a Buckeye quarterback and close friend of Brockington, said that Brockington's health took a turn for the worse a few months ago. Maciejowski said that Brockington had earlier been diagnosed with two forms of cancer. Twenty years ago, he received a kidney transplant from his girlfriend, Diane, who would then become his wife.

Brockington is also survived by two daughters, Ashley and Kelly.

"He was one of my very closest friends for 55 years," Maciejowski said. "We were close in college. And we were close when he was at the Packers. And then we just got closer and closer the last 20 years.

"He was absolutely the best. I loved everything about him."

Brockington was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and was part of the heralded 1967 recruiting class that put Ohio State back on top of college football.

More: Ohio State football | Q&A with former Buckeye John Brockington

Freshmen were ineligible then, and fullback Jim Otis and quarterback Rex Kern got the bulk of the carries in 1968 and ’69. Brockington carried for 187 yards in 1968 and for 334 yards and six touchdowns on the ’69 team that lost to Michigan, spoiling the season of the team Woody Hayes considered his best.

After Otis graduated, Brockington became the featured runner in 1970 and ran for 1,142 yards and 17 touchdowns for a team that went undefeated until losing to Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

Rudy Hubbard was a senior running back when Brockington was a freshman and then became the Buckeyes’ running backs coach, the first Black assistant in OSU history.

“For me, he’s one of those rare players you get to be around in a lifetime,” Hubbard told The Dispatch. “Not just a great player, but a special guy.”

Based on talent, Hubbard said, Brockington should have played a more prominent role earlier in his career.

“He was probably 6-2 and 220 pounds, and that was unusual for a running back then," Hubbard said. "He was just gifted, and he ran hard. He could also catch.”

The issue, according to Hubbard, was that Hayes was a college roommate with Otis’ dad, and their bond was tight.

“Otis was good. We couldn’t deny that,” Hubbard said. “But Brock was the athlete. It was controversial. We would vote as coaches on who was going to start. All the coaches would vote for Brockington – this was as a sophomore. And Woody would say, ‘Well, you’re all wrong,’ and he would vote all of us down.

“Thank God, we were able to work with Brockington, and they kept him there.”

The Packers drafted Brockington with the ninth pick of the 1971 draft. He ran for 1,105 yards as a rookie, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

He made the Pro Bowl three times in his NFL career.

The Packers inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1974. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

"He loved the Buckeyes," Maciejowski said. "He was a Buckeye through and through."

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: John Brockington, former star running back at Ohio State, has died at 74.