Ohio State Buckeyes Standout Linebacker Jack Sawyer Reflects on National Championship Win and NCAA Football Career
For Ohio State Buckeyes standout linebacker Jack Sawyer, the last 48 hours have been a whirlwind. On Monday night, he helped the Buckeyes cap a resilient College Football Playoff run with a national championship victory over Notre Dame. And once the team returned to Columbus, Ohio, the celebrations did not stop.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun,” Sawyer told Fox News Digital before his celebratory “shift” at Raising Cane’s in Columbus alongside his star quarterback teammate Will Howard. “It’s been a whirlwind after the game when we first got back to Columbus. Now, it’s maybe even more of a whirlwind, but we’ve had a lot of fun with it and so happy we were able to get the job done for Coach Day and the city of Columbus.”
The end of the season marks the end of Sawyer and Howard’s NCAA careers, but it also sets their sights on the NFL. Both players will be NFL draft prospects, looking to translate their success in college to the pros. Sawyer’s draft stock has skyrocketed, particularly after his outstanding CFP run, including the strip-sack, scoop-and-score against his former Ohio State roommate, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, to seal the Buckeyes’ victory in the Cotton Bowl.
As the scouting process begins, Sawyer knows that his faith will be a crucial factor in what happens next. “It’s everything to us,” he said. “It’s a number one in our lives when you put God first like that and truly seek to grow with him and follow his plan. He’s going to open so many doors for you that you would never think you could achieve otherwise.”
For Sawyer, his faith was a key component in overcoming the team’s struggles, including a massive upset by the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes’ bitter rival. “We knew we had to get to work and fix the things we needed to fix and attack it as hard as we could,” he said. “That’s exactly what we did. No one saw the work we were putting in behind the scenes.”
Sawyer’s commitment to his faith and his comprehensive work ethic have undoubtedly impressed scouts, and he believes they will continue to serve him well at the next level. “I think it’s taught me a lot about life,” he said. “It’s taught me about how everything is not always going to go your way, but if you keep trusting in God and fight and keep getting up every day swinging, eventually you’re going to come out the other end. I think that is something I’m going to take with me to the next level, and it’s something I hope teams see in me. No matter what, I’m going to give it my all, keep fighting and continue to grow every day.”
As he begins his journey to the NFL, Sawyer is not stressed about the unknown, thanks to his unwavering faith. “Anything’s possible with God, and I’m going to keep trusting his plan,” he concluded. “Like I said, he blessed us far more than we could ever thank him enough for.”
