If you haven’t heard, the Ohio State football program is starting a new tradition this year. Players are now able to were the No. 0 and the Buckeyes have decided to call that the “Block 0” jersey, and doing it in honor of OSU great Bill Willis.
And the first recipient to be honored to wear that jersey is none other than Columbus area native and senior captain Jonathon Cooper.
“This honor stands out from the rest,” said Cooper in a statement from the university. “Being a captain, all the great things that have happened here at Ohio State, this one stands out a lot more to me personally. It doesn’t just represent me, it represents a great man, a great player who played here. I know when I put that jersey on I’m representing him and I have to go out there and be my very best, and I have to do that every single day. This one really means a lot to me.”
Head coach Ryan Day brought his team together and was happy to bestow the honor on the fifth-year senior.
“Jonathon Cooper represents everything that an Ohio State football player should be,” Day said. “He’s tough. He’s accountable. He loves this university and this state. He’s someone who continually embodies our culture of ‘fight.’ And that’s in everything that he does, on and off the field. I’m proud of Coop; he’s the perfect Buckeye to wear the Block “0” for the first time.”
Just want to say how much this means to me and what an honor it truly is. I will wear the Block 0 and represent my team, the coaches, the university and everything that the late great Bill Willis stood for. Thank you buckeye nation. https://t.co/uBjUGVt0h6
— Jonathon Cooper (@JonathonCooper7) October 10, 2020
A little more about Willis. He played for Ohio State from 1942-1944 and was an All-American and national champion for the Buckeyes. He wore No. 99 and went on to play in the NFL, breaking the color barrier with the Cleveland Browns. He is enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame after an eight-year playing career.
Congrats to Cooper. He’s a great representation of what wearing the “Block 0” in the future will mean, and sets a perfect example for years to come.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
Download the USA TODAY SportsWire app to follow Buckeyes Wire and your other favorite teams in the Apple Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices.