Dick Schafrath Richard Philip " Dick " Schafrath ( born March 21 , 1937 in Wooster , Ohio ) is a retired offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns , former Ohio State Senator and author . During his tenure as an athlete , he won a national football championship with the 1957 Ohio State University Buckeyes and the 1964 NFL Championship with the Cleveland Browns . Because of his strong work ethic and occasional stubborn determination friends and teammates nicknamed him “ The Mule . ” Dick was born March 21 , 1937 . Early life and college career . Dick Schafrath was the first - born son of Norman and Mary , farmers of Irish - German descent . Their farm was located on the edge of Wooster , Ohio . At an early age , Dick learned his incredible work ethic while working alongside his father . By Dick ' s senior year of high school , the Cincinnati Reds and the Ohio State Buckeyes were actively recruiting Dick . Though his passion was baseball , the legendary Woody Hayes was persistent . In the end , Woody Hayes convinced Dick ' s parents and in the fall of 1955 , Dick attended the Ohio State University . Schafrath quickly made an impression on the football field . While teams and players in this era were becoming specialized , coach Woody Hayes asked Dick to play both sides of the ball , as offensive tackle and defensive end . The team would go on to win the National Championship in 1957 and the 1958 Rose Bowl Game , as well as beating rival Michigan in 1957 and 1958 . Schafrath was the Buckeyes ' team captain in ' 58 . During the Ohio State vs . Michigan game in ' 58 , Michigan had the ball late in the fourth quarter , first and goal , with less than a minute clock , and down by 6 points . Dick was lined up as the right defensive end . The next play came his way and he hit the back causing a fumble and preserving the Ohio State win . NFL career . In 1959 , during his senior year , Schafrath left Ohio State University to become the second NFL draft pick and join the Cleveland Browns . Drafted by the legendary and innovative Paul Brown , Dick was only 220 lbs . when he arrived as a rookie . Immediately , Dick began a then new , and unpopular regiment , of weight lifting on a regular basis . He also began to enter eating contests across the state . Within a year , Dick was 270 lbs . In 1964 , the team won the NFL Championship against the Baltimore Colts 27 - 0 . Schafrath ' s career with the Browns spanned 13 seasons , in which he was a fixture at the left tackle position . He protected the blind side of the Browns quarterbacks and opened holes for Hall of Fame Running Backs Jim Brown , Bobby Mitchell , and Leroy Kelly . Dick was selected to the All Pro Team four times , played in the Pro Bowl seven times and was voted the Team ’ s Most Valuable Player in 1963 , the last year they held the distinction . He blocked against sixteen Hall of Fame Defensive Ends and thirteen Hall of Fame Linebackers . He was also elected to the Browns Legends Club in 2003 . Coaching in the NFL . After Dick retired from the Browns , he was tempted to take offers from other teams . The Washington Redskins were one of those teams . But ultimately , Dick decided to remain retired . Instead , he decided to accept an offer by head coach George Allen of the Washington Redskins to join his coaching staff . 1975 - 1977 , Dick was the assistant offensive line coach . Politics . In 1983 Dick was recruited by President Ronald Reagan to coordinate and organize " Athletes for Reagan - Bush ' 84 " in which celebrity athletes appeared at fundraisers and other functions in a re - election campaign effort . In 1986 , with the help of longtime friend and coach Woody Hayes , Schafrath won a seat in the Ohio State Senate after running a successful campaign against state representative Tom Van Meter . He continued serving in the Ohio Senate until his retirement from politics in 2003 . Facts and family . While Schafrath is known for his years as an athlete he also became known for his endless stunts and dares , including wrestling a bear , running 62 miles from Cleveland Browns stadium to Wooster High School stadium and canoeing across Lake Erie without stopping . Dick Schafrath is a member of the Alpha - Sigma Chapter ( Ohio State ) of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity . Fifty years after leaving Ohio State University , Schafrath returned to complete his college diploma . On August 27 , 2006 at the age of 69 he graduated from OSU with a B . S . in Sports and Leisure Studies . As part of his college coursework Schafrath wrote " Heart of a Mule " , an autobiography published by Gray & Company , Publishers in 2006 . Dick has seven children from four marriages ; Jefferson , Renee , Ty , Heidi , Bruin , Gerrit , and Isaac . He also has 16 grandchildren .