Butler By'not'e's 49-Yard Moment

Most Ohio State fans remember the stars.

Archie. Eddie. Orlando. Troy. Braxton. Zeke.

But college football history is also filled with guys who weren't household names.

Guys who waited, contributed quietly, then got one moment everyone noticed.

Butler By'not'e had one of those moments on Sept. 11, 1993.

Ohio State was hosting No. 12 Washington in only the second night game ever played at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes were ranked 16th, and Washington arrived with one of the fastest running backs in college football, Napoleon Kaufman.

Kaufman would eventually become a first-round NFL draft pick.

But on this night, Ohio State's defense held him to 51 yards on 18 carries.

Ohio State's starting running back, Raymont Harris, did most of the heavy lifting for the Buckeyes. Harris rushed for 102 yards as Ohio State tried to grind down the Huskies.

But late in the game, another Buckeye got his chance.

Butler By'not'e.

His name sounds familiar only to longtime Buckeyes fans.

By'not'e wasn't just a football player. He was also a track athlete at Ohio State and had the kind of speed that could change a game quickly.

Ohio State was protecting a lead when By'not'e took a sprint draw.

He found an opening, then he was gone for a 49-yard touchdown.

Ohio State 21, Washington 12.

Game essentially over.

It wasn't Archie Griffin running through Michigan.

It wasn't Maurice Clarett ripping the football away from Sean Taylor.

It wasn't Ezekiel Elliott going 85 yards through the heart of the South.

But for Butler By'not'e, it was his moment.

And that's what makes these old games so interesting.

We remember the stars because they gave us dozens of memories.

Players like By'not'e sometimes gave us a few.

And those plays are worth remembering, too.

Actually, it’s just as cool to remember when somebody who normally stood just outside the spotlight suddenly stepped directly into it.

By'not'e's touchdown also gave John Cooper something to talk about afterward. Washington had arrived from the West Coast with a reputation for speed.

Cooper had some speed of his own. Ohio State finished the night with a 21-12 victory over the nation's 12th-ranked team.

And when people talked about speed afterward, they weren't talking about Napoleon Kaufman.

They were talking about Butler By'not'e.

That's one of the great things about football.

You don't have to be the biggest star on the roster to become part of Ohio State history.

Sometimes you just need one opening.

And 49 yards.