Ohio State's Thayer Munford Reacts To Being Named Block “O” Jersey Recipient

The Block “O” jersey is presented in honor of the late Bill Willis, who was an All-American and national champion during his career with the Buckeyes from 1942-44. He also has his No. 99 retired by the football program and it hangs from the facade on the north side of Ohio Stadium.

The values Willis displayed during his career – including accountability, character and toughness – are considered when the program selects the recipient. Nobody on the team better exemplifies those traits than Munford, a captain who has appeared in a team-high 45 games and earlier this month became the first person in his family to earn a college degree.

“The Block O is a badge of honor in our program,” Day said. “It represents everything that is important to us – fighting to be elite in all that we do. It’s also about accountability and a blue-collar personality. When I think of Thayer Munford, that’s what comes to mind.”

Munford becomes the second player to earn the Block “O” jersey, joining former defensive end Jonathon Cooper in 2020. The No. 0 was not a permissible number prior to that, but the NCAA changed the rule last year due to expanding roster sizes and the use of duplicate numbers.