The 1: Passion propels walk-on Eddie Days
By Michael Periatt
[email protected]
Published: Monday, April 4, 2011
Andy Gottesman / Multimedia editor
Eddie Days holds the regular season championship trophy following the Buckeyes? 93-65 win against Wisconsin on March 6.
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Andy Gottesman / Multimedia editor
Eddie Days celebrates with his family on senior day on March 6. He played in just 33 games during the 2010
Eddie Days doesn't look much like a basketball player. Generously listed at 6 feet, and weighing 180 pounds, the stocky Days looks more like he should be playing running back for Jim Tressel than guard for Thad Matta.
But Eddie is more passionate about basketball than most people are about anything. He simply loves the game.
At Richmond Heights High School near Cleveland, Eddie was a star. As a senior in 2006, he averaged 22 points, six rebounds and five assists per game, and was named first-team All-Ohio. But despite all of his success, he still didn't have any Division I scholarship offers.
Eddie had opportunities to play for Division II or Division III schools, but that wasn't what he had in mind.
Even when Eddie was young, he said his dream was to play basketball for the Buckeyes.
"I always wanted to come (to Ohio State). My dad came here. All my family lives here in Columbus," Eddie said. "I couldn't imagine going anywhere else."
Unbeknownst to Matta and his staff, Eddie decided to pay his way and try to walk on the basketball team at OSU. He loved the game too much to stay away.
"Even before tryouts my freshman year, I would play ball at the RPAC probably five hours a day," Eddie said. "Not even just to stay in shape or just because I knew I was trying out, but just because I loved playing."
After those daily, five-hour sessions, he'd hit the weights.
"If I didn't play ball," Eddie said, "I was having a bad day."
When the day of the tryouts came, Eddie walked up to the Schottenstein Center and, along with 11 other guys, ran a few drills and scrimmaged for about a half-hour. The whole process lasted about 45 minutes. That was it. Everything Days worked for came down to that moment.
"Right after tryouts were over, Jamar Butler, Daequan Cook and David (Lighty) were in there watching tryouts," Eddie said. "Jamar came up to me afterwards and said: ?The coaches like you. They think you're probably going to be the one.'"
Eddie made the squad.
"He was just so, so excited," said Judie Days, Eddie's mother. "I can't explain how excited he was."
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