Leadership, hard work earns six Buckeyes captain status
COLUMBUS — Ohio State made it a priority to make sure it had better leadership in the locker room this fall. That hard work cultivating leadership has led the Buckeyes to officially name their captains.
The program unveiled its six captains on Saturday morning as training camp continues through its second week, electing three players on offense and three on defense.
There was no surprise that Kamryn Babb was named a captain. He was a selection for the Buckeyes last season due to his persistence and hard work while battling through multiple knee injuries. Babb was also named the Block O jersey honoree on Saturday before he received the honor of being a two-time captain.
Returning starting linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, third-year defensive back Kourt Williams and fifth-year senior defensive lineman Tyler Friday were all named captains, and they’re joined by joined by quarterback C.J. Stroud, tight end Cade Stover and the returning captain Babb.
Stroud received the most votes among teammates, who vote for the captains each August.
All of them took full advantage of an offseason attempt by the Buckeyes to have better leadership this fall.
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“When you have a team who has the experience we have coming back, now you can put some more focus on leadership,” Day said this spring. “That’s what happened in the second half of the Rose Bowl, the leadership stepped up at halftime. We didn’t have that in the [Michigan] game. That’s just the truth. … So that’s that’s been a focus and identification. I think we’ve really made a lot of progress there.
“But the proof will be in the pudding moving forward.”
The headliner of that is second-year starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy favorite Stroud, who has grown into an alpha leader for the Ohio State roster — and not just for the offense.
“You just see it with his confidence, people are going to listen to him,” wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. “He’s speaking up. He’s more mature. He wants to win. We’re all fired up, and he’s a competitor. No one wants to win more than him. He wants to bring that to the whole team and spread it out. He’s done a good job. I’m on board. A lot of people are on board. … We’re pulling other people along.
“He’s done what he has to do as a quarterback.”
With all captains now in place, Ohio State is one step closer to getting back to accomplishing the lofty goals it sets as a program. The Buckeyes now know who will lead the way to get them there.
