Adolphus Washington grew up in the heart of the Queen City.
He played his high school football at Cincinnati Taft, just a short 2.2-mile drive from the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium. He went to UC basketball games as a kid. His grandfather even worked at the university for years.
So when it came time for Washington to earn his very first Division I football scholarship offer, there was no surprise when it came from the Bearcats, who offered him as just a freshman.
It was just the first of what would be many offers for the now Ohio State junior defensive lineman, but when it was all said and done, Washington decided to leave home and head north on I-71 to Columbus and play for the Buckeyes.
“I didn’t wanna be too close to home, but I wanted to be close to home if you get what I’m saying," Washington said Monday. "I just felt like Ohio State was good because of the tradition with football, sports and academics so I just felt like that was good.”
Washington is one of four players on Ohio State's roster who hail from the Cincinnati area. Joe Burger, Sam Hubbard and Joe Ramstetter are the others.
It's one of the premier high school football cities not only in the state of Ohio, but in the country. Programs like Archbishop Moeller, St. Xavier, Elder and Colerain, among others, are always among the state's elite and contend for state championships annually.
"I think it's the best high school football in the world. Why would I think any differently, that's all I know," said Ohio State cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs, a longtime high school coach in Cincinnati. "I coached high school football there for 24 years and I think it's outstanding football because it's important to people. When you go to Cincinnati and you ask people where they went to school, they don't tell you what college they went to, they tell you what high school they went to."
Growing up around that bevy of talent certainly made the choice to come play for the Buckeyes instead of Cincinnati difficult for Washington. He said the Bearcats were his No. 2 choice, but Urban Meyer taking over the Ohio State program ultimately played a huge role in his decision.
“When I first got the offer, Brian Kelly was the coach (at Cincinnati) and I heard he was a good coach," Washington said. "Then Butch Jones took over and me and him kind of built a good relationship, but once coach Meyer came in I kinda knew that’s who I wanted to play for.”
Ohio State hasn't lost to an in-state opponent since Oberlin in 1921. Washington is familiar with that factoid and growing up around the city of Cincinnati and the UC football program he knows what the reaction would be if the Bearcats were to beat the Buckeyes on Saturday.
“They’ll probably party all week in Cincinnati," he said.
From his spot on the defensive line, Washington will do whatever he has to Saturday night to make sure that doesn't happen. He and the rest of the Ohio State defense will need to harass Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel all game.
If the Buckeyes are able to do that, they could leave Ohio Stadium victorious. It would be a proud moment for Washington.
"It's very special," Washington said of playing against Cincinnati. "... It's just that feeling of playing against my hometown, my home city."
