 Sparma and his leading receiver, Paul Warfield, led the 1961 Buckeyes to an 8-0-1 season and a Big Ten Conference championship Sparma accounted for 474 yards in the Buckeyes' 1961 50-20 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.Sparma quit the team after three years due to differences with Hayes and opted to pursue a career in Major League Baseball.Sparma received a $32,000 bonus to sign with the Detroit Tigers in 1963.