WATCH: Ohio State plays emotional tribute to life of Dwayne Haskins at spring game
Saturday’s Ohio State spring game was about more than just football; it was an opportunity for the team to pay tribute to Dwayne Haskins. A former Buckeyes quarterback, Haskins was killed Saturday morning in South Florida while trying to cross I-595.
Ohio State had previously said it planned to honor Haskins at its spring game, and it followed through in several ways. There was a moment of silence prior to the start of the game, and starting quarterback CJ Stroud walked onto the field bearing Haskins’ name on the back of his jersey.
At halftime, OSU played a video tribute just more than two minutes long to Dwayne Haskins in which they showed highlights from his college career and also interviewed members of his family.
In addition to highlights from his Buckeyes career, the video also included a now-famous clip of an 11-year-old Haskins visiting the Ohio State campus in 2008. Speaking to his father he says, “I’m going to go to college here.” Considering that he later not only realized that dream, but performed led OSU to great heights, it’s inspiring to watch.
Haskins’ time with the Buckeye re-defined the quarterback position in Columbus. The quarterback helped revolutionize the Ohio State offense in 2018, throwing for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns while breaking numerous Big Ten and school records. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting as Ohio State went 13-1 overall, including 8-1 in Big Ten play, before defeating Northwestern in the league championship game.
The Buckeyes then took on Washington in the Rose Bowl, defeating the Huskies 28-23. Haskins went 25-for-37 passing for 251 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes charge. He then declared for the NFL Draft, and he became Washington’s first-round pick. After two seasons with Washington, he signed with Pittsburgh and was the team’s backup for Ben Roethlisberger, along with Mason Rudolph, this past season.
Although Haskins life was sadly cut too short, he clearly won’t be forgotten. His legacy will live on in Columbus and college football lore for the rest of history.