Ohio State Buckeye Football Jersey Tagging 1970's

[bgakladd]

I am looking for information on Ohio State football jersey tagging on their uniforms from 1971-1975. If any one has any jerseys from that period and have the road white versions with Champion or Russell tagging please send pics of your jerseys so I can compare them. I know Champion supplied jerseys but don't know about Russell. I have 2 uniforms I picked up, both road white, one looks like 1972-73 and the other looks like 1974-75 with trimmed sleeves. They were purchased in Columbus, Ohio by me several days ago from a guy who said his dad worked in the athletic department in the 1970's at Ohio State. Here is the exciting part, both are #45 jerseys, and everybody knows who wore that number. Keeping my fingers crossed till I get knowledgable information to confirm what I got. Any help with this project much appreciated. Contact me at bgakladd@aol.com

[G1X]

Please post photos of the tagging. I can help with the Russell tags from that era.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[bgakladd]

Please post photos of the tagging. I can help with the Russell tags from that era.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net
I am sending some photos to your email address.

[G1X]

Below is information along with photos which I hope will be helpful to you in dating your jerseys. I have no specific comments one way or the other about your jerseys or the photos you sent to my email address. I will leave it to you to make your own interpretation of the data. My below observations are based on a number of examples of both the 1974 and 1975 tags in my collection where I can positively identify the year.

For a bit of history about Russell, they went through several tag changes in the early 1970s. Russell Mills, Inc. changed it's name to Russell Corporation in 1973, and changed the tagging on its athletic clothing soon after from "Russell Southern" to "Russell Athletic". I am not sure of the exact date of the tag change other than to say that by early 1974, the tagging shown in the second photo below (blue size 46) was in use and had replaced the tagging shown in the first photo (red size 50 - Russell Southern tag has almost completely faded - ignore the Jerry's tag as they were the local supplier). By early 1975, Russell had again changed its tagging as seen in the third photo (blue size 52 - again, ignore the Sington tag as they were the local supplier). The 1975 style was used for several years before a complete change circa 1977 or '78.

As for Champion, I only have a few examples from my collection where I can positively identify the year as being 1974 and 1975. In both years, the tag is white with the size indicator in red and the washing instructions and other identifiers in blue. Again, these are based on my own samples and observations and perhaps Both-Teams-Played-Hard, Dave Miedema, and others can provide additional information and examples.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[bgakladd]

Thanks, my tagging is like the one on your upper left but in size 48. I have found a photo from the 1975 Rosebowl when Ohio State played USC. The photo shows Cornelious Greene holding the ball in the air after scoring and Archie Griffin on the left raising his arms in the air. Down on his left waist you can see some of his tagging that is in the same location as mine. I am 99.9% positive this is his 1975 Rosebowl jersy. Heavy blood and sweat stains and the photo shows creases in area same as mine. Footage of the game on YOUTUBE also confirms it with holes in the same location and identical jagged cut marks on the cut sleeve areas. Also creases in various area are there to. My boss's daughter married into the Griffin family. Her father in law is Duncan Griffin, Archie's young brother. We are getting her husband to give these to Archie to look at and if indeed they are what I believe they are, he will inscribe the jersey as game worn Rosebowl jersey plus his signature. He should know what his jersey would look like before anyone else would. If confirmed by Archie, are there any other griffin jerseys to come out in the hobby besides his helmet? These jerseys came from the person who recieved them while at Ohio State and was given to him while working in the athletic deptartment. Now to figure out if the other is a 1972 or 73 year jersey from Griffin. tagging matches what other collects have sent me. Any body needing photos email me.

[bgakladd]

Correction, tagging on upper right, like the blue one

[bgakladd]

Another fact on this jersey, multiples of cardinal color hit marks from helmet marks all over. I remember USC always painting there helmets before Bowlgames back in the 70's. Ohio State did not play anyone on their schedule that year until the Rosebowl with that color helmet.

[bgakladd]

Another fact on this jersey, multiples of cardinal color hit marks from helmet marks all over. I remember USC always painting there helmets before Bowlgames back in the 70's. Ohio State did not play anyone on their schedule that year until the Rosebowl with that color helmet.
A picture of the jersey

[bgakladd]

A picture of the jersey
More pics

[bgakladd]

A picture of the jersey
pics

[bgakladd]

A picture of the jersey
Rosebowl 1975