Ryan Day on what Dwayne Haskins meant to his family

Ryan Day was emotional during a press conference on Monday as Ohio State remembered former star quarterback Dwayne Haskins. On Saturday, tragedy befell the football world when Haskins was struck by a car and passed away, breaking the hearts of family, coaches, teammates and opponents alike.

While Haskins meant a great deal to the Ohio State program, what he meant to Day’s family supersedes his on-field contributions for the coach. During his press conference, Day included a tidbit regarding what Haskins meant to his family, including a story about Day’s son RJ.

“He was like a big brother to RJ,” stated Day. “I remember he took RJ to a high school football game. They spent a lot of time together. He meant a lot to my family, he meant a lot to this program, and he’s going to be sorely missed.”

It’s not exactly common-place for the team’s star quarterback to hangout with a coach’s son, but Haskins made time to make a difference in the young man’s life. Obviously, that meant the world to RJ and his father, who has nothing but praise for his former signal caller.

An old quote by Maya Angelou reads, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Dwayne Haskins brought out jubilance, pride and happiness for Ryan Day, his family and the entirety of Buckeyes nation. The quarterback was much more than a football player, and the subsequent stories coming to light continue to prove the impressive legacy he leaves.

Ryan Day on Dwayne Haskins: ‘That’s the legacy he’s going to leave behind.’

Furthermore, Ryan Day recalled the impact that Haskins had during his time at Ohio State, and that impact began before he even arrived on campus.

The Buckeyes coach recalls a younger Haskins coming through the Ohio State facilities and setting goals for himself even at such a young age. He then came to the Buckeyes and achieved those goals. And that epitomizes the legacy of Haskins.

“Just the way that he was 11 years old walking through this facility and said, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ And then he did it,” Day said. “That’s the legacy he’s gonna leave behind.”

Haskins starred for Ohio State in 2018, which was Day’s second season as the Buckeyes offensive coordinator. That year, Haskins threw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns while completing 70% of his pass attempts. Ohio State went 13-1 that season and 8-1 against Big Ten opponents, defeating Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship. Haskins finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.