Ohio State announced on Thursday afternoon that former offensive tackle and team captain Charles “Chuck” Csuri passed away this week at the age of 99.
Born in West Virginia, Csuri played three seasons for the Buckeyes from 1941-43, helping the program win its first national championship in 1942. He was named a first-team All-American and the team’s Most Valuable Player that season, as well as a team captain in 1943, with head coach Paul Brown calling him “the perfect tackle.”
Csuri was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the 16th round of the 1944 NFL Draft but instead enlisted in the Army to serve in World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroism in the Battle of the Bulge, which Ohio State later commemorated with a decal on the back of the helmet of its 2010 Pro Combat uniforms.
After the war, Csuri returned to school to finish his master’s degree in fine arts. He joined the faculty upon graduation and spent more than 40 years at the university as a professor of art education and computer information science.
Csuri was best known as a pioneer in the field…
