Sometimes you get a peek behind the curtain that makes you feel pretty good about the state of the world. In this case, it’s the Ohio State football program and it comes by way of an inspiring and heartfelt letter Buckeye offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. penned for the Players Tribune.
The letter is addressed to Buckeye Nation and takes you behind Johnson’s recruitment and the impact the culture of Columbus and Ohio State had on the five-star prospect coming out of high school.
Somewhat surprisingly, Johnson didn’t even have OSU on his radar and went to a camp begrudgingly thinking he would commit elsewhere, such as Alabama. Despite being an in-state prospect (from Cincinnati), he didn’t even know who Urban Meyer was or what it meant to be a Buckeye because he wasn’t plugged into things like most people.
But then he went and felt the brotherhood and culture in the program. Not only from Meyer, who wooed him with a post-Penn State 2017 trailer, but from Ryan Day who took over as a players coach and exuded passion and fire.
We will not spoil the whole read for you, but in a day and age where many fans are still disappointed with losing to Michigan two straight years, this should add a little perspective and calm fears about the state of the program — at least a little.
Check out my letter to Buckeye Nation with The @PlayersTribune !https://t.co/TGEPezlVC3
— Paris Johnson Jr. (@ParisJohnsonJr) December 29, 2022
This is well said and it’s no wonder Johnson has a gift for painting a clear picture of the Buckeye culture. After all, he is a journalism major. If things don’t work out in the NFL, he clearly has something to fall back on.
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