Orlando Pace, American football player
Orlando Lamar Pace (born November 4, 1975) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. Pace played college football at Ohio State, where he twice received Unanimous All-American honors, and was selected by the Rams first overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He spent all but one season of his professional career in St. Louis, concluding his NFL tenure as a member of the Chicago Bears.
Pace was recognized as the cornerstone of a Rams offensive line blocked for an offense with the most gross yardage, second-highest completion percentage, and fifth-most touchdown passes during his 12 years with the team. Under Pace's protection, the Rams' passing offense compiled more than 3,000 yards in all of his seasons, seven different quarterbacks eclipsed 3,000 yards in a season, and seven players rushed for 1,000 yards. Pace also protected the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) recipient for three consecutive seasons, blocking for 1999/2001 MVP Kurt Warner and 2000 MVP Marshall Faulk.
Retiring as a seven-time Pro Bowl and three-time first-team All-Pro selection, Pace was a core contributor of the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offense that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.