text: NCAA AMERICAN FOOTBALL-OHIO STATE 'S PACE FIRST REPEAT LOMBARDI AWARD WINNER . HOUSTON 1996-12-05 Ohio State left tackle Orlando Pace became the first repeat winner of the Lombardi Award Thursday night when the Rotary Club of Houston again honoured him as college football 's lineman of the year . Pace , a junior , helped Ohio State to a 10-1 record and a berth in the Rose Bowl against Arizona State . He was the most dominant offensive lineman in the country and also played defensive line in goal-line situations . Last year , Pace became the first sophomore to win the award since its inception in 1970 . Pace outdistanced three senior finalists -- Virginia Tech defensive end Cornell Brown , Arizona State offensive tackle Juan Roque and defensive end Jared Tomich of Nebraska . The Lombardi Award is presented to the college lineman who , in addition to outstanding effort on the field , best exemplifies the characteristics and discipline of Vince Lombardi , legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers .