Kamryn Babb simply won't stop fighting at Ohio State: 'I was chosen for this'

COLUMBUS — No one would blame Kamryn Babb if he quit.

And though he hates to admit it, he’s thought about it.

But how could he not? Since his sophomore season of high school, Babb has suffered five different season-ending injuries.

First was a broken leg. He recovered from that and became a major college football prospect from Christian Brothers College (St. Louis) High School. He committed to Ohio State following his junior season but never got to have a senior year because of a torn ACL.

ACL injuries for Kamryn Babb are the cadence of what was — and still is — a promising college career. Left, right, left, right.

Most anyone else would’ve quit. For Babb though, the beat goes on. The dream goes on.

Why Kamryn Babb won’t quit at Ohio State

There are a few things that drive Kamryn Babb. The particulars aren’t particularly unique even. Like most people who have faced significant struggles, Babb has turned to his family for support. He’s turned to his faith for peace of mind.

Kamryn Babb has no issues talking about those things. He wants to spread the Word and is eager to discuss how his faith carried him through the toughest days. What he doesn’t talk about as much is the obligation he feels to Ohio State itself. An obligation to a Buckeyes program that could’ve easily turned him away at any point over the last four years. A snake-bitten career could leave some bitter.

Not Babb.

“I’m thankful man, I’m thankful,” he told Lettermen Row. “For the trust they put into me. They could have easily — after two ACLs, three ACLs — been like ‘Man, we’ve got to move on. Maybe this isn’t the spot for you.‘

“But being open and vulnerable with [Ryan] Day has allowed me to just approach it different. We don’t know if it’s going to work, or how it’s going to work. But I know I trust in my God, and having Coach Day stick by me has meant the world to me. Not every place is like this. This is such a unique and great place. I’m like ‘Why would I leave?‘

“If I can do great things, I believe it should be here at Ohio State. In this city, at this university with the people that have been there and helped me through it all when the outsider didn’t even know what was going on or said I should stop.”

Last season, despite already being ruled out for the Buckeyes, Kamryn Babb was an Ohio State captain. Most outside observers would wonder how a player who doesn’t have a catch in his career earned that accolade.

In truth, it would have been an upset for him not to be. Speaking about Babb last summer, Day didn’t hold back about the impact Babb has had on his teammates off-the-field.

“One of the more amazing stories I’ve been around,” Day said in a press conference. “This is a guy who has been through four ACLs, he’s currently unavailable, but he came up and spoke to the team last week about what resilience means.

“Something that’s a mark of a lot of successful people is the ability to be resilient and bounce back from adversity and failure and emotional pain. And he is like the epitome of that. He got up in front of the team and talked about how he did do that, how he stayed positive. He’s been an unbelievable leader. He set a standard.”

Babb has been an inspiration to many off the field. But his teammates still believe he can be a difference-maker on it.

Bigger, stronger, faster Kamryn Babb

Ohio State has no shortage of physically imposing receivers. Kamryn Babb has not skipped a workout while recovering from his assorted injuries. He will tell people he feels no lingering effects of the ACL tears, and other than the way those injuries mess with his brain and confidence, he feels better than ever.

Babb is constantly working and is routinely the last player off the practice field for the Buckeyes. He stays late to get in work on the Juggs machine, tirelessly trying to craft a skillset that no one has been able to see.

Julian Fleming sees that, too. Fleming, like Babb, has been plagued by injuries at Ohio State and he’s quick to point out how remarkable Babb is as an athlete.

“He’s a freak athlete,” Fleming told Lettermen Row. “His work ethic is off-the-charts. The kid has been through hell and back and he’s still here, every day, pushing through everything. And every single day he does it with a smile. He’s a great player and a better person, but no one has seen it yet.

“He’s almost 210 pounds and he’s pushing 4.3 in the 40-yard dash. On the field everything he does stands out. His top ends are amazing, he has great feet and creates separation. I can’t say enough about Kamm Babb.”

Last summer, Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud was in attendance for a one-day recruiting camp at Ohio State. Stroud was hanging out and in a passing conversation was asked what players he was most excited to work with. With Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as options, Stroud pointed to Babb who was — of course — working out at the time.

“That guy could win the Biletnikoff,” Stroud said. “He’s that special.”

Smith-Njigba is going to enter the season as the hands-down favorite to win that prestigious award. He’s equally excited about what a healthy Kamryn Babb could do for the Buckeyes offense, even if he’s reluctant to say too much about it.

“Kamm has all the tools,” Smith-Njigba said. “He’s an explosive player. We’re all waiting to see him get out there. I just can’t wait to see him play honestly. I don’t want to talk about too much because I know when he gets out there, everything that gets said — it’ll all be answered.”

Kamryn Babb has already left his mark at Ohio State

Last November, captain Kamryn Babb was one of three students selected to speak at the investiture of new Ohio State president Kristina M. Johnson. It was an honor and opportunity that underlines Babb’s impact on the Buckeyes campus.

He’s a football player at Ohio State. And while that opens doors, the majority of those doors are opened for the highly-recruited prospects who have on-field success. The enormity of the program means it’s easy for those who don’t produce to fade into obscurity. For Kamryn Babb, being recognized even though he’s not done anything recognizable in an Ohio State is surreal.

“I was chosen for that because of my story,” Babb said. “The story that Jesus is writing. I guess people look at it as inspiring, which is great for me. But I was surprised just because it wasn’t really a student-athlete thing. It was a chance to bring light and hopefully help someone in that room.”

That’s been the story of the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Babb. He’s in graduate school at Ohio State and laughs about how he could have a Master’s degree with four years of eligibility left. He sees the cruel irony in the fact that the one year he’s been healthy for the Buckeyes was 2020, when Covid cost him six or seven games and the chance for fans to see him play.

But Kamryn Babb hasn’t failed to make an impact. Just ask his teammates. Ask his coaches. How could anyone else be complacent when he refuses to stop working?

“He has all of our respect,” Smith-Njigba said. “We know how bad he wants it, how much he works. For me to come in and not want to work? To not be on the same level as Kamryn Babb?

“That pushes all of us. He’s a great leader for us.”

One more last chance

Kamryn Babb isn’t naive. It doesn’t matter how great he feels physically, because he’s been down this road before. Each of the last three knee injuries came at a time when he was feeling great. Each one, each injury, came not from contact but just a good old-fashioned run of horrible luck.

That’s messed with his head a bit.

“It can be a struggle, it’s been a struggle,” Babb said. “I am human, and I definitely have those doubts. But I lean on my faith. I read my bible and I trust in God. He has a plan for me and I feel great. People would say: ‘Well you’ve had four ACLs.’ They wouldn’t think my knees feel good or anything. But I really feel good and strong and fast.

“In terms of my knees, I don’t feel anything. At times, there’s a mental aspect to it.”

The mental side of recovering from injury is something every athlete goes through. The timeline for regaining confidence varies from person-to-person. When someone has been through the things Kamryn Babb has been through, it’s hard to imagine it will ever go away. Every practice he finishes is a stepping stone to something he’s worked his life for.

And no matter what, it’s worth it to Babb. Whatever happens from here, he knows that. That’s why he didn’t quit. He won’t spend too much time looking back, and he shrugs off the idea of looking into the future.

He’s built a legacy at Ohio State that few ever will. He’s done it a way far more meaningful than catches and touchdowns. His experience is unique. But what if someone else can gain from it? That’s what motivates Kamryn Babb.

“If I can get through this, maybe somebody struggling with the same thing or something worse, they can look at my story and think: ‘If he did it, why can’t I?”

That’s why Kamryn Babb hasn’t quit.

He’s committed to a program that’s committed to him. He’s left his mark and he’s ready to keep making it.