Buckeyes legend Orlando Pace has son following his footsteps

COLUMBUS — One of the great Ohio State legends joins the latest Tim May Podcast for a special edition.

Tim welcomes former Ohio State offensive lineman, all-American and Super Bowl champion Orlando Pace on the show to talk about Pace’s son, Jalen, who committed to the Buckeyes on Tuesday as a preferred walk-on. Pace will play linebacker.

Orlando Pace is among the best players in Ohio State program history, and he loves the Buckeyes. But he also understands that every college career is different, and his son now has a chance to carve his own Buckeyes path.

“My experience at Ohio State was so phenomenal,” Orlando said. “When I tell people about how great it was, people don’t believe me. Everybody else’s experience won’t be like that. Everybody else’s journey is different.”

Pace had plenty of insight to offer about his son and his journey from a St. Louis high school to now a walk-on spot with the Big Ten’s best.

Don’t miss the latest edition to hear the full conversation with Orlando Pace.

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Transcript of Tim May’s interview with Orlando Pace:

Tim May:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m back with a real rapid reaction from one of my favorite people of all time, Orlando Pace. Orlando Pace, welcome back to the Tim May Podcast, my man.

Orlando Pace:

Thanks for having me back, Tim. It’s always a good time to hear from you. Normally I know you always want a hot take on Buckeye football, man, and obviously we have one today, so thanks for reaching out. Thanks for having me on.

Tim May:

Jalen Pace, this outside linebacker from the St. Louis area, is he kin to you? I’m trying to remember.

Orlando Pace:

Yeah, that’s my second born. Obviously he’s paving his own way, and he has a great opportunity to live out one of his dreams of being a Buckeye and putting on the scarlet and gray. So I know he’s excited and we’re all excited for him.

Tim May:

Yeah. And if folks aren’t paying attention, Jalen, Orlando’s second born, as he just pointed out, committed to Ohio State today. He’s going to be a preferred walk on, but that’s actually a getting your foot in the door big time, as far as that aspect goes. And clearly he’s got a little bit of growing to do, for want of another term, but he’s 6’3″, 195-200 pounds, somewhere in that area. Right, Orlando?

Orlando Pace:

Yeah. He’s about 205, and hopefully he’ll get some of his dad’s … some more height. And I think he still has his best football ahead of him. Obviously I think what better place to develop his skill set as in Columbus there with the Buckeyes.

Tim May:

Yeah. Well I was going to say … take this the way you will, because you’re a grown man, you’re mature. Are you, in some ways, I don’t know, thankful he didn’t grow into being an offensive lineman, if you follow my drift? Because Orlando, I mean Big-O, if people don’t remember … and I know everybody does, but I’ll remind them, you’re the best offensive lineman I ever saw play college football, and probably pro football. Those are not only huge shoes, those are ridiculous shoes to try to fill for a young man. It’s kind of like being Tiger Woods’ son. Of course you can only play golf, no matter how big or small you are, but I mean are you glad he sort of got his own niche?

Orlando Pace:

Yeah. Yeah, I’m excited about that. I’m glad the pressure … even being a preferred walk on at Ohio State is still a little pressure. I just told him to go out and be his own man, but I’m glad he wasn’t their offensive line, because everybody would obviously compare him to my career and what I did, but I’m excited for him. He has an opportunity to develop under a decent program and really enjoy his college experience. That’s what I told him, for the most part, just to go to Columbus. You’ve been a lifetime Buckeye fan, you have an opportunity to run on that field. Just enjoy it and try to develop your skillset and get better.

Tim May:

It’s interesting, he’s a second generation Buckeye and he’s going to be coached by a second generation Buckeye, Al Washington Jr. How much do you know about Washington Jr., and what just out about him tutoring your son?

Orlando Pace:

Yeah, I think he … obviously their entire coaching staff are great. They have a lot of great coaches on that coaching staff, so I’m excited about him to be there. I know coach Washington is a great, great coach. I look forward to Jalen developing under him and just seeing what happens. So excited about that. I know their program overall, he can develop and get bigger, faster, stronger like nowhere else than Columbus.

Tim May:

What stands out about Jalen in a nutshell? Just a couple more questions. What stands out about him from your aspect? From being an NFL Hall of Famer, you know football about as well as anybody. What stands out about his game in particular from an objective standpoint, not just a father bragging standpoint?

Orlando Pace:

You know what, I think Jalen is probably one of the most athletic linebackers that seen. Obviously his last games, four interceptions at outside linebacker. So he has a tremendous hand, a tremendous skillset. He just needs to hone his skill and be more natural out there on the field. Unfortunately, COVID kind of hampered some of those opportunities.

Tim May:

Yep.

Orlando Pace:

He still had some scholarship offers, but just excited to see him grow and what the next couple of years looks like for him.

Tim May:

Hey, last thing, Big-O, you touched on it a minute ago. I don’t know how many fellows I’ve covered we’ve seen come along at Ohio State that some people have proclaimed as the next Orlando Pace. I mean, my buddy Kirk Barton and I, we long ago said, “How can anybody even say that with a straight face anymore?” If you follow my drift, but when you and Jalen talked about him going to Ohio State, give me a little bit of an insight into that conversation, because people are going to … for one, whether right or wrong, they are going to look at him as following in his father and the footprints you laid down from the standpoint of greatness. And I would say I think you covered that with him, right? That sort of the expectations can be out of whack sometimes.

Orlando Pace:

Yeah. I just told him to go be his own man. I think my experience at Ohio State … and Tim, to be honest with you, I have to do this for young players too that go to Ohio State, not only my son. My experience at Ohio State was so phenomenal. When I tell people about how great it was, people don’t believe me, but I really don’t have anything bad to say about my experience there. Everybody else’s experience won’t be like that. Everybody else’s journey is different in terms of what they have to go through, but one thing I did share with Jalen is that college football was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. Just from conditioning, your first time away from home, all the different challenges you have to face, and you have to really grow up. I grew up from my three years there in Columbus and became a man. And obviously his journey will be different. So we’re just tampering his expectations. His journey won’t be like mine, it’ll be completely different, and he has to embrace that part of it too.

Tim May:

And I guarantee he’s got a hell of a personality, because his dad’s got one of the greatest personalities of any person I’ve ever met. Big-O, Orlando Pace, thanks for joining me again, man. And congratulations to Jalen.

Orlando Pace:

No problem. Thanks, Tim. I appreciate it.