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Column: What I love about each of Ohio State’s football captains
meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Six players received the honor of being named a captain, and I am so happy with each and every selection — read on to see why.
lBeing named a captain of THE Ohio State University’s football team is one of the biggest honors that a player can receive. This year in particular is special, because the team lost all of their captains from last season. Therefore, six brand-spankin new guys were selected by their fellow teammates as leaders of the team.
This year broke a few records in regards to captains. It is the first time in seven seasons where at least one captain isn’t returning (Tuf Borland isn’t STILL on this team?!). It is also the fewest number of captains selected since 2015, with only six being chosen. So, these guys must feel pretty special that their teammates collectively thought of them to lead them!
Let me give you the list of players: WR Kamryn Babb, DT Haskell Garrett, DE Zach Harrison, LB Teradja Mitchell, OT Thayer Munford, and last, but certainly not least, WR Chris Olave. We have a lot of experience here, with most of them being seniors, but Garrett and Munford are super-seniors (thx, COVID!). Zach Harrison is only a true junior— yet still a leader on this powerhouse of a defense. All of these guys truly deserve to be awarded with this prestigious honor, and I’m going to tell you why I love every single one of these picks!
Kamryn Babb
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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
So, you hear this name, and you might not immediately recognize it. You might look up his stats and be extremely confused. Babb has been through A LOT during his football career. The worst injury that an athlete can suffer from, a torn ACL, happened to him. THREE TIMES. I feel so sorry for him, yet he has persevered and kept working hard— on the field and in the classroom. Babb is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He redshirted his first two seasons, and played for his first time last season. He got injured again during the spring, so he’ll be out for at least the start of the season this fall. However, this shows how much respect he has gained if his teammates chose him as a leader, even if he hasn’t been playing beside them very much. You have to root for Kamryn Babb. Praying that he gets back on the field soon!
Haskell Garrett
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Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
First off, we know how Garrett exploded onto the scene last year- First Team All-American, one of the best parts of our D-Line. He has a lot of experience— 41 games played, and the stats racked up, too; 40 tackles, 6.5 TFL, two sacks, two PBU, and a pick-6 interception. Oh yeah, and he got shot in the face last summer— AND DIDN’T MISS A SINGLE GAME. He is just a total beast on and off the field. He is on the preseason All-America list, and the watch list for the Outland Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He has clearly battled adversity, but didn’t let anything, even a gunshot wound, stop him. He also gets my respect for taking advantage of his COVID year. We love super-seniors!
Zach Harrison
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Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images
Can anyone else not believe that he is already a junior? To highlight that point, though, it is extremely impressive that he was selected as one of the six as a true third year player. The local kid from Lewis Center has shined in his first two years, with a team-best 9.5 TFL, and 5.5 sacks. He is also on the watch lists for the Bronko Nargurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy. One of the most intriguing facts about him, I think, is that he was one of the three Buckeye student-athletes at Big Ten Media Day this year. This shows how much of a leader he is, and his teammates and coaches think highly of him. I can’t wait to see what he does in possibly his final collegiate season.
Teradja Mitchell: Okay, if you haven’t seen the video of linebacker coach Al Washington calling Mitchell’s father to relay the news of his son being named a captain, here you go, You might want to grab some tissues:
.@teeraaw__ is officially a Buckeye Captain. Here's the call when @CoachWash56 delivered the news:#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/X7RrvcJvNI
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2021
Sadly, his big brother died very recently, so it was nice to see some good news for the Mitchell family. On the field, he has been a great special teams player, and is one of the more experienced linebackers in this year’s room. I really expect a breakout season for him! One more thing: he is majoring in fashion and retail studies, so I will be focusing on his pregame outfits this year.
Thayer Munford
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Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Another super senior! Munford is entering the 2021 season as one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the Big Ten – and country – after starting 33 games over the past three years and played in 45 of 50 games over the last four seasons. He is a preseason first team All-American. His experience and talent is unmatched among offensive linemen across the nation! Why I love this pick is because he came back as a result of a promise made to his momma. He promised her that he would graduate, and you can expect him with a degree in sports industry following the fall semester. He’ll be the first one in his family to graduate from college, plus I expect him to be a high pick in next year’s NFL draft! Thayer Munford is just a great story.
Chris Olave
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Russell Costanza-USA TODAY Sports
This, I feel like, was a no-brainer. Olave is one of the best players in the country, will most likely be a top-ten draft pick, and has been/will continue to be a record breaker. He is also a preseason first team All-American, and could break the OSU record for most career TD receptions (he only needs 13 more). I feel like rattling off his stats is not necessary, and frankly, would fill up the rest of this page. We all know his greatness. However, I respect the fact that he came back for his senior year, and wants to help this team win a National Championship. Last year was a receiver-heavy draft, so I definitely believe that he will be chosen near the top this year. But, we still get one more season of watching CO2 for the Scarlet and Gray— let’s enjoy it!
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meganhusslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Six players received the honor of being named a captain, and I am so happy with each and every selection — read on to see why.
lBeing named a captain of THE Ohio State University’s football team is one of the biggest honors that a player can receive. This year in particular is special, because the team lost all of their captains from last season. Therefore, six brand-spankin new guys were selected by their fellow teammates as leaders of the team.
This year broke a few records in regards to captains. It is the first time in seven seasons where at least one captain isn’t returning (Tuf Borland isn’t STILL on this team?!). It is also the fewest number of captains selected since 2015, with only six being chosen. So, these guys must feel pretty special that their teammates collectively thought of them to lead them!
Let me give you the list of players: WR Kamryn Babb, DT Haskell Garrett, DE Zach Harrison, LB Teradja Mitchell, OT Thayer Munford, and last, but certainly not least, WR Chris Olave. We have a lot of experience here, with most of them being seniors, but Garrett and Munford are super-seniors (thx, COVID!). Zach Harrison is only a true junior— yet still a leader on this powerhouse of a defense. All of these guys truly deserve to be awarded with this prestigious honor, and I’m going to tell you why I love every single one of these picks!
Kamryn Babb
So, you hear this name, and you might not immediately recognize it. You might look up his stats and be extremely confused. Babb has been through A LOT during his football career. The worst injury that an athlete can suffer from, a torn ACL, happened to him. THREE TIMES. I feel so sorry for him, yet he has persevered and kept working hard— on the field and in the classroom. Babb is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He redshirted his first two seasons, and played for his first time last season. He got injured again during the spring, so he’ll be out for at least the start of the season this fall. However, this shows how much respect he has gained if his teammates chose him as a leader, even if he hasn’t been playing beside them very much. You have to root for Kamryn Babb. Praying that he gets back on the field soon!
Haskell Garrett
First off, we know how Garrett exploded onto the scene last year- First Team All-American, one of the best parts of our D-Line. He has a lot of experience— 41 games played, and the stats racked up, too; 40 tackles, 6.5 TFL, two sacks, two PBU, and a pick-6 interception. Oh yeah, and he got shot in the face last summer— AND DIDN’T MISS A SINGLE GAME. He is just a total beast on and off the field. He is on the preseason All-America list, and the watch list for the Outland Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He has clearly battled adversity, but didn’t let anything, even a gunshot wound, stop him. He also gets my respect for taking advantage of his COVID year. We love super-seniors!
Zach Harrison
Can anyone else not believe that he is already a junior? To highlight that point, though, it is extremely impressive that he was selected as one of the six as a true third year player. The local kid from Lewis Center has shined in his first two years, with a team-best 9.5 TFL, and 5.5 sacks. He is also on the watch lists for the Bronko Nargurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy. One of the most intriguing facts about him, I think, is that he was one of the three Buckeye student-athletes at Big Ten Media Day this year. This shows how much of a leader he is, and his teammates and coaches think highly of him. I can’t wait to see what he does in possibly his final collegiate season.
Teradja Mitchell: Okay, if you haven’t seen the video of linebacker coach Al Washington calling Mitchell’s father to relay the news of his son being named a captain, here you go, You might want to grab some tissues:
.@teeraaw__ is officially a Buckeye Captain. Here's the call when @CoachWash56 delivered the news:#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/X7RrvcJvNI
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 23, 2021
Sadly, his big brother died very recently, so it was nice to see some good news for the Mitchell family. On the field, he has been a great special teams player, and is one of the more experienced linebackers in this year’s room. I really expect a breakout season for him! One more thing: he is majoring in fashion and retail studies, so I will be focusing on his pregame outfits this year.
Thayer Munford
Another super senior! Munford is entering the 2021 season as one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the Big Ten – and country – after starting 33 games over the past three years and played in 45 of 50 games over the last four seasons. He is a preseason first team All-American. His experience and talent is unmatched among offensive linemen across the nation! Why I love this pick is because he came back as a result of a promise made to his momma. He promised her that he would graduate, and you can expect him with a degree in sports industry following the fall semester. He’ll be the first one in his family to graduate from college, plus I expect him to be a high pick in next year’s NFL draft! Thayer Munford is just a great story.
Chris Olave
This, I feel like, was a no-brainer. Olave is one of the best players in the country, will most likely be a top-ten draft pick, and has been/will continue to be a record breaker. He is also a preseason first team All-American, and could break the OSU record for most career TD receptions (he only needs 13 more). I feel like rattling off his stats is not necessary, and frankly, would fill up the rest of this page. We all know his greatness. However, I respect the fact that he came back for his senior year, and wants to help this team win a National Championship. Last year was a receiver-heavy draft, so I definitely believe that he will be chosen near the top this year. But, we still get one more season of watching CO2 for the Scarlet and Gray— let’s enjoy it!
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