Andoffthefield, I justcarrymyselfthewaymyparentstaughtmetojusttrytoberisk, respectful, humblestufflikethat.
Oneofthethingsthat I thinkreallydrewyourattentionfromtheOhioStatestaffwasWasthatdemeanorlike, Isthatsomethingthatyouseeasasrareamongstyourpeersanymore?
Liketheabilitytokindofbetwodifferentpeople?
Well, I wouldn't saythisrarebecause I feellikeanybody, anybody, anybodydoit, but I justfeellikethedrivetodoisrare.
I'llsaythatbecause I I lovewinning.
Soif I'lldowhatever I cantowin, soifif I can, if I havetheoptiontoputmyguydownandgogetanotherguy, soReinBackdoesn't havetomake a moveonthesecondlevel.
Soit's justhavingsafety.
That's bestmeinmymaingoalif I cangetthestatetothisIVbagsandrightbackaroundfordays.
Butit's justtheNationals, andstilltomefrom a youngageisdrivingtodothat.
As a sophomore, youwereoneoftwooffensivelinemanthatwereunderclassof 2021 kidsselectedtotheopeningfinals.
Youwentbackthereas a junior.
You'relookingat a potentially, youknow, threeyearsofdoingthatisthatisthatabilitythatyouhave, youknow, andthethewaythatyouplaythegame, Didyoueverexpecttoseeallthesuccess?
I mean, howdidthisallcomeaboutforyou?
I mean, I'llbehonest.
If I like, I'llbelying.
If I toldyou I expectedallthis, youknow, comingintocomingoutofmywayfor a year, and I waswhen I waswith, mydadfinallysatmedownandsaidlikeHey, likeyougotocollegeforthisand I waskindofyouknowwhat?
I waslookingguyonTV.
I knowthere's a waytobig.
Theyweresomuchbiggerthanfastforward a couplemonthscomingtomynineyear.
That's mygotmildstate.
That's whatitkindofsaiditlike.
Okay, like I like I coulddothisliketheytheyseeitinme.
Soit's abouttime I seeit.
Andsogoingthroughthosecamps, it I justhadtohavethatmindsetlike I couldbeeveryonehere.
Itwasn't muchof a cockymindset.
I respectedmypoem, butitwasjustlike I can't feedyouoneveryrep, right?
Wegoagainsteachother.
Andsoitwasjust, I believe, thatmindsetthatattractivethatcouldstartthere.
Butit's justsoDuringtheopening, though, I feltblessedandgratefulthatexperiencewithout a veilinvitaloutunderclassmen.
Andso I justhadtomakethebestmyopportunitygoingintobiggerguys.
Classic.
2020 goinginfromthecloset.
2021 guys.
But, um, winningmostofmyrepsandobviously a winningEVPIndianwasexperience I'llneverforget.
I mean, whatwastheirreactionandwhatwastheinitialconversationthattheyhaveanyideathatyouhadfamilytiesalloverOhio?
I mean, howdidthatwasthat, like a lightbulbovertheirheadorwhat?
Well, theyhadnoideaaboutwho I wasuntil I toldhim I wasokay.
Isthat I toldhim I wasfromTexaslike, Oh, you'refromTexasAndcomingherewasshowedlike a mediainterestthatifyoucomeupfromdownsouthuntilOhio G haveinterest.
Sotheydidn't offermeatmywhen I wentmyvideosofthecamp, theyofferedmeprobablyabout 33 andtwomonthslater, andthenthatthat's mytotalsagain.
I knowthemajorityofmyfamily's wasCincinnatiandaskedClevelandOh, really?
Sothat's whentheystartedout.
Theyrecruitedme a lotmorebecausebeforetheyofferedmejust a basethatarereallyofinterestandthentoldme I mustMyfamily's fromalive.
So I went.
They'relike, Oh, sothat's whatCoachdiedatthatpointBecausemybesidesHardenyeah, that's a littleinsidebaseballforthepeoplewatchingandlistening.
There's a littlethingcalledReturnoninvestmentwhenitcomestorecruitingandifif, ifyou're a playerfromsomewherefaraway, ittakes a lotmoreeffortforOhioStatetorecruitthem.
ButwhenyouhavetiestothestateintotheMidwest, thatmakesthemfeel a littlebitlikemorecomfortableandgoingoutandputtingintheeffort.
Whatdoesitmeanforyourfamily?
I mean, we'vetalkedaboutthis a littlebitinonLettermanrobeandstuff, butwhenyouguysreallydecidedorstartedtonarrowitdownandsawthathey, OhioStatewasnotonlyanoption, but a a likelypossibilitylike a likelyoutcome, wasitharderthanyouthoughtitwouldbelike?
DidyouwanttofindreasonsforitnottobeOhioState?
I mean, howdidyouguysdealwiththat?
Well, funnyenough, Um, when I releasedmyownstatetop 12 I wasreallyonlytalkingaboutfiveofthoseschools, andOhioStatewaswrong.
Andsowhen I visitedthosefiveschoolsovermyperiod, I alwaysthoughtitwascomparedtoallhaveSanta.
Oh, househas a better.
Thishouseisbetterthat I keptfindingmyselfcomparingtoOhioState.
Sofinally, like, uh, someofmyfriends, evenmydadwaslike, Ifyou'recomparing 70 days, gets a laughstatelike, I thinkthat's whereyouwanttogo.
Andsowhen I waslikeOkay, we'llsee.
Butwhen I visitedforthepainstakingright, nointentionofcommittinglike I wouldjustbelike a Gammacomeforgame, Thenit's stillgobacktoTexas, andpeoplearebeingrecruitedtogothroughallthatprocess.
But, um, afterthegameandafterthe I wenttotheatmosphere.
PositionallyWell, inthefuturepositionwithmyicewouldneedtobe a tackle.
So I'm gonnastaythere.
Butforhonestdate, it's justwherevercushionitselfby I trust I trustcoachstartedwitheverything I haveofeachother, doesn't mean a play I getbehindcenterandbe a party.
I'llbe a funnybut, um, histoponeguard.
It's definitelytwodifferent.
I wouldsay a philosophythat I willsay, but I'vebeentrainedinboth, So I'm reallyconfidentabouttackleandguard.
Sowherehetellshim, Playalwaysgoputmyhandinthedirtaregetting a kicksteptoblockthewind.
Nine.
But I'lldowhatevertowhenyoustarted.
T reallycometothatdecision.
YouwerelookingatschoolslikeAlabamaandTexas A and M Texas, allthebigschoolsinyourareaaroundthecountry.
Ultimately, whatmadethedifferenceforOhioState?
I mean, whatwasitlike?
YousaidyoukeptcomparingeveryonetoOhioState.
Whatwasthewhatwastherealdifferencemaker?
Isthatthepeople?
Isthatthecampus?
Whatwasitthatreallykindofsoldyouon?
A.
Thatisyourfuture.
We'llalternateinmyrecruitingtrail.
I wassayingitreallyonlycamedownthreeschools, andsobetweenthosethreeschools, I keptcirclingthingslikeWell, havestatehas a betteratmosphere.
I'llsayhas, I think, betteropportunitiesfrom.
Andthen I baseditall.
Threethings.
Itwasthefeelofattorneyalumnibased.
Likewhat?
ThatwouldbeLondonnetwork, I wouldsaySureandwhat I couldtakeawaythissizefootball.
Myfreetimeconsistsofhomework, but, um, otherthanthat, youknow, it's just, uh I reallyenjoyed I takejoytrainingworkingoutbecause I knowhelpingthelongrun.
I don't playtoomanyvideogamesonjustsleep.
That's basicallysoyou'renotcominghomeon a Fridaynightandplayingcallofdutyuntilthreeinthemorning.
And, well, I mean, that's probably a goodthing.
Itkeepsyourmind a littlesharp.
So, Donovan, doyoudoanyimpressions?
Uhum, yeah.
I'llsay I'llsay a preview.
Who?
Givemeyourbestimpression.
Andifit's Greg's todry, I wanttohearit.
Okay.
I can't doCosta.
I'm alwayscan't dothat.
I'm puttingyouonthespot.
Bestimpression.
Whatisit?
Let's hear.
I'm gonnaclosemyeyesand I'm justgoingtosee, like, if I can, if I believeAllright, I'm no, I triedtopushthat.