Tag: Jonathan Cooper

Watch: Ohio State football explains why Xavier Johnson was selected to wear ‘Block 0’ jersey

A heartfelt moment for Johnson and his former teammate #GoBucks

There is a new tradition that [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] has embraced since 2020, the “Block 0” jersey, honoring former Buckeye great [autotag]Bill Willis[/autotag].

Willis broke the color barrier for professional football with the Cleveland Browns, and wore No. 99 in Columbus, but when the NCAA allowed players to wear the number 0 in 2020, Ohio State found a way to honor Willis.

Only four former players have worn the “Block 0,” defensive lineman [autotag]Jonathan Cooper[/autotag], offensive tackle [autotag]Thayer Mumford[/autotag] and last year, wide receiver Kamryn Babb. Another receiver, [autotag]Xavier Johnson[/autotag] was selected to wear the jersey this fall, but Ohio State’s social media account went a bit further to provide more background on the decision.

They released a short video about this history of the “Block 0” jersey, why Johnson was selected, and a special message from Babb. Watch the video below as the former walk-on will forever be entrenched in Buckeye history.

Ohio State has a bushel of really cool traditions, and this one fits right along with others that are revered.

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2021 NFL Draft: 17 prospects in the CFB Playoff National Championship for the Eagles to watch

2021 NFL Draft: 17 prospects in the CFB Playoff National Championship for the Eagles to watch

No college footbal programs have produced more NFL Draft picks than Alabama (48) and Ohio State (45) over the past five years and despite the Eagles penchant for passing on Crimson Tide stars, they have a handful of players to watch in Monday’s College Football Playoff championship game all the more interesting.

With the Eagles holding the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, here are 17 players for the Birds to watch.

Turns out Bruce Arians gave Tom Brady an offensive lineman before

While the Bucs may look to the NFL draft to find help along the O-line for Tom Brady it turns out Bruce Arians already gave him help before.

One of the big draws of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Tom Brady was the prospect of throwing to Pro Bowl wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. And, if Brady can work his usual Brady magic, perhaps he can even revive the career of tight end O.J. Howard.

None of that will matter, though, if the Bucs can’t keep Brady upright. Last year, former Bucs QB Jameis Winston was sacked 47 times, while Brady was only taken down 27 times with the Patriots. The Bucs will have a chance to fix the right side of their offensive line when the NFL draft rolls around next week, and the consensus among draft experts is that offensive tackle will be the position of choice for the Bucs when they select at 14.

But this wouldn’t be the first Bruce Arians has given Tom Brady an offensive lineman. Back in the 2016 offseason, when Arians was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, he shipped guard and former first round pick Jonathan Cooper (No. 7 overall in the 2013 draft) to the Patriots along with a second-round pick in exchange for defensive end Chandler Jones. The Pats needed O-line help then and weren’t willing to give Jones the big contract he was looking for.

In the end, the move worked out well for the Cardinals. Jones has developed into one of the league’s best defenders and even had 19.0 sacks last season. Cooper, however, flamed out fast in New England. He suffered a foot injury early into training camp and fell down the depth chart. The Pats released him a few weeks into the season.

Hopefully, if Arians takes another offensive lineman in the first round this year, the results will be better for Brady.

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