Paul Schmidlin

Class of 1966

Paul Schmidlin, attended Rogers High School from September 1963 until June 1966.  Paul participated on the football, wrestling and track teams.  He was very active in student council and other school clubs as well as maintaining a high academic standing in all of his classes.

Paul received league and area recognition for football in both the 1964 and 1965 seasons, achieving First Team All-Ohio honors in 1965.  In 1966, he was inducted into the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame as a Scholar Athlete.  He also placed second in the Great Lakes League as a heavy weight wrestler.  At graduation, Paul received a football scholarship to Ohio State University.

At Ohio State, Paul was one of the few players to start every football game in his three years of eligibility.  He received All-Big-Ten recognition as a defensive lineman and in his senior year received All-American honors.  In 1968, the Buckeyes established themselves as undisputed National Champions in the Rose Bowl victory over USC lead by O.J. Simpson.  Paul also wrestled for Ohio State those three years, placing third in the Big Ten Tournament his senior year.

Paul played two years professional football in Canada for the Hamilton Tiger Cats before returning to Columbus to receive a Master of Divinity Degree from the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary.  As a “worker priest” Paul has served several churches in addition to being a State Farm Insurance Agent for 25 years.  In September 2004, Paul retired from the insurance business to focus on his pastoral ministry.

Currently, Paul is pastor at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Sylvania, Ohio and resides with his wife Tracy in Berkey, Ohio.  Paul and Tracy enjoy entertaining their combined seven children and soon to be three grandchildren.