Just because he’s been tabbed as one of the most highly-touted recruits in the history of keeping these sorts of things doesn’t mean Justin Fields is automatically embraced as a Buckeye.
Sure he’s on campus, enrolled in classes and taking the lion’s share of the first team reps in spring ball so far, but any kid coming to the banks of the Olentangy wet behind the ears must first earn the right to be called a Buckeye.
Transfer or not.
They all start with a black stripe atop the silver helmets until they earn the right through drills, leadership and the embracing of the culture. It’s how things have been done in Columbus since Urban Meyer took over, and it’s carried through with Ryan Day now wearing the headset and dangling the whistle around his neck.
It’s a right of passage in Columbus and Justin Fields just earned the removal of his black stripe and the emergence of the scarlet one Monday. Get a look at the brief introduction and words from Fields as goes through this relatively new, yet important tradition.
This is of course a big step for a guy that is expected to be a leader of the team and the assumed starter-in-waiting. Now off to bigger and better things as it relates to development and learning the playbook.
