Ohio State defensive tackle Cameron Heyward will play Tuesday in the Sugar Bowl. The Peachtree Ridge graduate from Suwanee had to learn his college’s deep traditions from the ground up.
I had no idea what a buckeye was when I first came here. I found out it was a poisonous nut, and they plant buckeye trees all over up here.
My senior year at Peachtree Ridge, I first came here for an unofficial visit, for the Michigan game. Ohio State beat Michigan that year. I got to experience up close and personal what it was all about and how passionate everything is here, and what a degree from Ohio State means.
I got to feel the bitter coldness. I’m originally from Pittsburgh, but from Georgia to Ohio, it was a big change. You go from starting the season pretty warm, but by the end of October it’s basically freezing here.
At that game, I got to see the nice facilities and feel what it was like being part of that crowd. As a player, I don’t get to see the band “dot the i,” but I did see that during one visit here with my mom’s dad, Rufus Jordan. We thought it was great to see them have that kind of craft.
When you become a Buckeye, you know there are some die-hard people around here.
During Michigan week, the students jump in Mirror Lake. That’s basically 20 degrees. You’ve got to see it.
There’s a guy who comes to our games called Buckeye Man. He wears a cowboy hat. He has so many different costumes.
Another guy sent me a Facebook message with his costume dedicated to me. He had an Ironman mask on. It was pretty cool. I’ve grown accustomed to comparisons with my father [NFL star Craig “Ironhead” Heyward], and I embrace it.
I saw what guys have gone to do after going to Ohio State. It has one of the biggest alumni bases of any college. Since then I have talked to [NFL linebacker] James Laurinaitis and other great players. Even those who didn’t play in NFL, I could see, were still successful.
Our campus is big, but I do get recognized a lot. Some players mind, but I don’t at all. It’s nice to be recognized.
I have one quarter to go and will graduate this spring with a degree in education. This winter I will student teach for second- or third-graders in Ohio. I hope they won’t recognize me, and just see me as a regular person, not as a Buckeye.
-- Reported by Michelle Hiskey
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