It’s been too long without a #BOOM. I think I need one.
Let’s have a good Monday, shall we?
“KEEP ON FIGHTING.” One of Ohio State football’s watchwords is “Fight”. That word took on a new meaning for offensive lineman Avery Henry when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in December 2021.
After months of battling the disease, Henry announced that his cancer was in remission on May 11, leaving him with a handful of treatments to complete his treatment at the James Cancer Hospital on the Ohio State campus. Three weeks later, Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye said Henry’s return to the program was still “a long way off.”
As Henry recovers, the sophomore Buckeye native and St. Clairsville, Ohio, with Adam King of 10TV in Columbus about his diagnosis and treatment. King offered a sneak peek of the interview on Twitter Friday and announced the full story would be released Wednesday.
“The first thing we said to each other was, ‘No matter what, we’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to keep going.'” As many people know, Ohio State has a saying that is, ‘Fight.’ And like I said , all we know how to do is fight. And that means all these different things. It doesn’t just mean fighting. I fight with my brothers on and off the field every day. We get into physical fights , yelling fights . But at the end of the day, it’s love for each other. We’ll do anything for everyone on the team – no matter what. It helps me tremendously. It gives me the motivation to keep going, knowing these people look up to me in a way. They wants me to get better, to do this and that. I want to do it too. I want to prove to the world that I can do it and prove to the people that no, I can do it. It’s been incredible. The love doesn’t stop wherever I go.”
Shortly after King tweeted the clip, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day chimed in with some encouragement for Henry, reminding him that he is a constant reminder of what it means to be strong and inspire others.
I love this.
Henry is an inspiration to us all. I hope he understands that Buckeye Nation keeps him in their thoughts and knows that he will never be alone in the fight as it continues – that Buckeye Nation will always be behind him.
Be sure to tune in to 10TV on Wednesday for the rest of Henry’s story. Maybe you have some tissues on hand too.
GOING BACK TO BACK-TO BACK. Ohio State Will Be Well Represented in First Round of NFL Draft on April 25, 2024 – Here’s How ESPN analyst Jordan Reid at least it looks that way. In a recent mock drafthe predicted that five Buckeyes will be selected in the first 32 picks, including three players who will be selected back-to-back-to-back with the 16th, 17th and 18th picks.
According to Reid, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, JT Tuimoloau, Mike Hall Jr. and Donovan Jackson worth a top pick in 2024. Here’s where he thinks they’ll land in the draft and what he wrote about them:
Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Receiver
No. 2 – Arizona Cardinals
A strong case could be made that Harrison is the best overall prospect in the 2024 class, and the Cardinals are starved for talent and lack a true target on offense. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he has a unique blend of size, reliable hands and body control. He finished last season with 14 touchdown receptions, the fourth-best mark in the FBS, and is now expected to be an even bigger part of the Buckeyes’ offensive attack in 2023. Harrison reminds me of AJ Green out of Georgia in the 2011 draft.
Emeka Egbuka, wide receiver
No. 11 – Chicago Bears
Another first-round receiver from Ohio State? Harrison gets most of the attention, but Egbuka looked good in his first season as a starter in 2022 (74 catches, 1,151 yards, 10 scores). He is a crafty and detailed route runner with a good feel for attacking creases against zone looks and body control and instincts for creating separation against man coverage. Even after adding DJ Moore and Chase Claypool, Egbuka would boost the passing game around Justin Fields – and give the Bears a safety blanket if Claypool (a 2024 free agent) doesn’t work out for them.
JT Tuimoloau, Defensive End
No. 16 – Denver Broncos
The Broncos added Zach Allen this offseason, but the defensive line still lacks youth in several spots. Tuimoloau opened some eyes against Penn State last season (2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 1 touchdown), but scouts want to see him flash more often during the 2023 season. If he finds some more consistency, his strength as a run defender and his mature hands as a pass rusher will have many NFL teams excited about his future.
Mike Hall Jr., defensive tackle
No. 17 – Houston Texans
The Texans need to keep adding talent across the roster, and the defensive line remains a glaring weakness — even after Houston traded for Will Anderson Jr. in April. Hall is a quick-footed interior defender who shows that he bursts out of the starting blocks at the snap. He checks a lot of key boxes as a pass rusher, but his early-down reps as a run defender need to improve in 2023. He had 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss on just 290 defensive snaps last season.
Donovan Jackson, guard
No. 18 – Miami Dolphins
Expectations are high for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entering his fourth season, but the Dolphins’ offensive front is still in flux. Left guard and right tackle could get new starters in 2024, depending on the development of Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson. Donovan Jackson could help on the interior after allowing just one sack in 796 snaps at left guard last season. He displays strong hands and quick feet that help him win in tight quarters. Jackson has the potential to be a plug-and-play starter at the next level.
If all of Reid’s picks came true, which would be a miracle considering we’re 290 days away from the draft, there would be a lot to love about his predictions for the Buckeyes.
With the No. 1 overall pick, Reid has USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams headed to Arizona, where he would create an electric duo with Harrison — one like Lincoln Riley and Co. rumored to have wanted in Los Angeles in 2023, but Harrison’s allegiance lied with the Buckeyes, as they should have. Sucking sucks, Lincoln.
Egbuka, college football’s top WR2, would pair up with former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in Chicago. While seeing Chicago have the No. 11 overall pick wouldn’t be the most encouraging development, as it would indicate a less-than-great season for Fields and the Bears, I’d love to see Fields pass it to Egbuka in the Windy City.
As for the rest of the Buckeyes, Tuimoloau, Hall and Jackson would have NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fed up with the words “The Ohio State University” as he would say them repeatedly in three consecutive elections. Still, it would be a lot of fun for Ohio State fans, who would see three offensive players and two defensive players off the board in the first 18 picks of the draft.
TYVIS TRYING BASKETBALL. When Tyvis Powell isn’t recording “Tradition Talk” videos with Lathan Ransom or radio shows on 97.1 The Fan, the former Buckeye tries his best to keep up with current Ohio State student-athletes in a video series produced by 1870 The Society called “Thieves Try.”
In the first three weeks of the video series, Powell has faced 280-pound wrestler Tate Orndorff at the Jennings Wrestling Facility, American tennis player Robert Cash at Ty Tucker Tennis Center and women’s basketball star Cotie McMahon in the Schottenstein Center.
The latest release in the series was Powell’s fight with McMahon on the hardwood. According to an anonymous source with knowledge of the events (me), Powell was grilled by McMahon in a one-on-one and Powell requested that footage not be shared with a larger audience (I have no idea if this is true, but let’s assume it is – because it is).
What is true is that the national champion safety was defeated by the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year in a round of PIG. Here’s how it went:
This series looks to be a lot of fun for everyone involved.
Powell, a well-known garbage man, builds himself up only to be humbled by some of the best athletes Ohio State has to offer before graciously accepting defeat. I can’t wait to see what else is to come. How about Tyvis Tries Rowing? Thieves try gun? Or… and that would be great… Tyvis try synchronized swimming?
Let’s make it happen, 1870.
Oh, and if you’d like to see what else is in store for 1870, like a member-exclusive Ryan Day Podcast and other perks like tickets and pregame access to an Ohio State football game and tickets to a “Heisman” Luncheon” with former Ohio State Heismans Trophy winners, click here.
GET THE BEAN OUT. Ohio State redshirt freshman wrestler Nic Bouzakis competed for the United States at U20 Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Santago, Chile, Saturday. After five consecutive victories, he comes home with a gold medal for the red, white and blue.
Bouzakis edged Blayne Helou (Canada) in the first round before 12-1 wins over Eli Kirk (Puerto Rico), 10-0 over Enrique Herrera (Peru) and 10-0 over Joao Da Silva (Brazil) to advance to the U20s Pan American Finals.
In the championship match, Bouzakis faced Herrera for the second time in the tournament after the Peruvian fought back from the consolation bracket. If Hererra had any inkling of revenge in the title fight, Bouzakis quickly put them to rest as the Tampa, Fla., native outrebounded his opponent, 14-4, across three periods of action.
With his medal secured, Bouzakis placed his trademark red cap on his head. The hat honors his late brother, Greco, who died of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare form of spine cancer, at age 6.
Cheers to Bouzakis for his performance on Saturday. Five wins in less than 24 hours against any competition is impressive, let alone some of the most talented wrestlers the Western Hemisphere has to offer at the U20 level.
SONG OF THE DAY. “505” by The Artic Monkeys (Dogpark Cover).
GET TO THE POINT. An extremely overdue book has been returned to one Massachusetts library 119 years later… Underwater Music Show in the Florida Keys promotes awareness of coral reef conservation… Iowa man’s collection of 70,000 pencils considered a possible world record… He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride… Unspeakably smelly and unpredictable: two corpse flowers bloom in the United States… Friends break world record in aviation by flying to all lower 48 states in 38 hours.