The trip included a lot of time spent on High Street, as the two took a trip into downtown Columbus and walked around to tour the city a bit before grabbing lunch and driving all the way up High Street to campus. They were able to hit up a mall to snag some Ohio State gear, check out some of the shops in the area, walk around campus (complete with a campus map marked with hot spots to visit), get a look at academic buildings and the library and check out the outside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and other athletics facilities.
“We got a chance to walk around the football building and see it from the outside,” Deon said. “We had a virtual tour before and just kind of seeing the building from the outside and seeing things from the virtual tour and just putting those together. It was good. I’m hoping that we can get up there if everything settles down. Hopefully this spring we’ll get up there.
“Will enjoyed it. He said he wished he could’ve done more football stuff. He enjoyed Columbus. He said it was about what he expected with things being shut down. With all things being the way they are, the visit wasn’t a usual visit, but for the time he spent and the things he got to see and experience, we had a good time.”
One of the cooler experiences of the trip was when they were on High Street and started talking with the Buckeye fans at one of the shops or restaurants they visited. It’s not as if the fans recognized Will as one of Ohio State’s top recruiting targets, but during conversations with some fans, the Johnsons told them he was a prospective Buckeye cornerback. That drew some excitement.
“There were people still out and partying and having a good time and enjoying themselves as if it was a game day,” Deon said. “I was impressed with that. I was impressed with all the Buckeye fans. There were a couple people we were talking to that when they found out why we were there, and that William was being recruited and on a visit, they had nothing but positive things to say about the university: ‘Please come to Ohio State.’ That type of thing. The people we met, they made him feel wanted. He was all smiles so it was good for him.
“He had a pretty cool time. He enjoyed himself. He had a chance to experience it and see what Columbus is all about – a shutdown Columbus. Obviously, things would’ve been a lot more active if the game was on. But it was still active. There were still long lines at the bars and everyone was in their Ohio State gear and everything. It was still a little crowded on High Street. It was lively. … High Street was still crowded so you can tell how it’d be for a game day. That seemed like the ‘it place’ to be if you’re looking for something to do in Columbus.”