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OL Thayer Munford (1st Team All B1G, 1st Team All-American, Las Vegas Raiders)

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Don’t Tell Mom, Thayer Munford is a Starter

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At Ohio State, when a player has officially earned a starting position, his position coach calls his family to share the exciting news. It has always been an emotional moment for the parents.

Sophomore left tackle Thayer Munford’s mother didn’t quite get that same experience, but her special moment was still filled with emotions and tears nonetheless.

“Let’s say this, she didn’t know. She didn’t know that I was going to start,” Munford said when asked about his mother’s reaction.

Munford asked offensive line coach Greg Studrawa not to call his mom to tell her that he was going to be a starter this season. He wanted it to be a surprise for her on game day.

Against Oregon State last Saturday when No. 75 ran on the field with the first-team offense, it was quite the pleasant surprise for Munford’s mother.

“When we ran out of the tunnel, I actually looked up in the stands and I saw her bawling her eyes out,” Munford said.

“I looked up and I was in game mode already so I was like ‘I can’t cry right now’ because I’m an emotional person. So it was like ‘Wow, I’m actually doing this for her. Nobody else.'”

Munford had difficulty putting the feeling of being a starter and seeing his mother’s reaction into words, saying simply that he was numb.

“To be honest it was just a great experience for me,” Munford said. “I’m blessed to have that starting position. I’m just doing it for my family, I’m just doing it for my mom, and doing it for the people that ever doubted me.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/09/thayer-munford-mom/
 
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AFTER WATCHING ISAIAH PRINCE'S STRUGGLES IN HAPPY VALLEY TWO YEARS AGO, THAYER MUNFORD LOOKING TO “STAY FOCUSED” AT PENN STATE

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Isaiah Prince surely has more than enough two-year-old stories to tell about his first game at Beaver Stadium.

But, Thayer Munford doesn’t need to hear them. Then a senior in high school on a trip to see Ohio State take on a tough road environment, he watched from the stands nearby while wearing a black jacket to stay warm amid thousands of white-clad Penn State fans.

“The first time I stepped in that stadium was ridiculous,” Munford said. “Everybody had on white. I was like, 'Wow, this is crazy. This stadium's crazy.'”

Munford watched as Ohio State fell apart down the stretch. He saw Prince struggle with the Nittany Lion pass-rush that racked up six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The blown blocks, which played an integral role in his team’s 24-21 upset loss to unranked Penn State, haunted Prince for a while, and they still stick with him.

“We talked about it a little bit, but I haven't asked him a lot about it because I know this for sure, that's deep into him,” Munford said. “I was there for recruiting and I saw how he did. Like, yes, he messed up, but at the same time, he played his ass off. I'm sorry, he played his butt off. I know people hounded him for that.

“I know people did that, but at the same time, if he didn't have that situation, he wouldn't be the player like he is today.”

That might be true, but it’s what should worry Ohio State about Saturday’s game against the Nittany Lions. For the second time in three years, it must rely on a first-year starter at offensive tackle.

In 2016, Prince disappointed on a J.T. Barrett-led offense that mustered just 21 points at Penn State. Now, entering Beaver Stadium and playing in front of a crowd participating in the White Out, Munford will make just his fifth start of his young career — and first start at a raucous road venue.

Unlike Prince, who played in the pressure-packed environments of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium at Oklahoma and Camp Randall Stadium at Wisconsin prior to the Penn State game, Munford has only started a single game at a neutral site. He has never started a true road game. Even in Arlington, Texas, a short drive from TCU’s campus, a majority of the crowd rooted for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State cannot afford him to have a repeat of Prince’s struggles in front of the vaunted crowd in Happy Valley.

“Sometimes, those linemen need a couple, three years,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. “And you look at the way Demetrius Knox has came on in a couple, three years. Sometimes, it takes a little time.”

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...go-thayer-munford-to-stay-focused-in-front-of
 
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There is just something about this dude that I love. He seems to have kind of a bad ass streak to him or something. I believe I have heard him say something to the effect "we want to dominate everyone in front of us" or something similar. It takes some balls to say that given his young age at the position.........and I dig it. He seems pretty grounded but a chip on his shoulder. I can't quite put a finger on it but he just seems like he has some intangible things to go along with his athletic ability. My hunch is this dude will go down as a major contributor before it's all said and done.

The fact that he is a starting LT at a young age gets me very excited about the future for the OL. Considering the quality of the depth for the OL group as a whole currently on roster and coming is very promising and he should be along for several years just getting himself better along with the rest. An anchor.
 
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ShowMeBuck said:
There is just something about this dude that I love. He seems to have kind of a bad ass streak to him or something. I believe I have heard him say something to the effect "we want to dominate everyone in front of us" or something similar. It takes some balls to say that given his young age at the position.........and I dig it. He seems pretty grounded but a chip on his shoulder. I can't quite put a finger on it but he just seems like he has some intangible things to go along with his athletic ability. My hunch is this dude will go down as a major contributor before it's all said and done.

The fact that he is a starting LT at a young age gets me very excited about the future for the OL. Considering the quality of the depth for the OL group as a whole currently on roster and coming is very promising and he should be along for several years just getting himself better along with the rest. An anchor.
Click to expand...

It’s unique for sure to see that unwavering confidence in a younger player and I would otherwise take it with a grain of salt. But it’s built on a bedrock of(Massillon)Ohio roots...




Special. Powers.
 
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