The 11W Community Interview is truly of the people, by the people and for the people. You submit the questions and then we pass them on to the biggest names in the world of Ohio State athletics.
Toledo St. John’s Jesuit four-star linebacker Dallas Gant became the 10th member of Ohio State’s Supreme ‘18 recruiting class when he pledged his services to the Buckeyes during a ceremony at his high school in May.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gant, who picked Ohio State over finalists Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Penn State, was named to the Division II First-Team All-Ohio Defense this season after he led the Titans with 94 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, seven sacks and an interception. He also added 27 receptions for 456 yards and seven touchdowns on offense to help the program reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Gant will sign with the Buckeyes during the Early Signing Period and enroll in classes in January. But first, he sits down and talks with our readers about his favorite chicken wings, interests outside of football and much more in the 11W Community Interview.
Who is your favorite Buckeye linebacker, past or present? And which player do you try to emulate your playing style after? - KansasBuckeye
DG: “Ryan Shazier. And don’t really try to model my play after anyone, but I like watching different linebackers play. My favorite is Luke Kuechly.”
How did you land the name Dallas? - KBonay
DG: “It kind of just came along from my parents. My dad is a Cowboys fan and my mom is not, but my mom liked that name.”
What will be your major field of study, and do you have a career goal at this point? - MN Buckeye
DG: “It will probably be business, but I am still undecided. And no actual goal for my career yet. I’m not completely sure what I want to do after football.”
Who has the best wings in Toledo? - SoulPatrol32
DG: “Sidelines. We go there on Thursdays before football games. They’re 59 cents on Thursdays, and they are fantastic. Can’t beat it.”
What are your interests outside of football? - Hovenaut
DG: “I enjoy watching movies. In enjoy lots of movies, but I love the superhero movies, specifically Marvel.”
What has been your biggest inspiration thus far to have gotten you to where you are at today, and what drives you to be who you are? - WezBuck28
DG: “Lots of things. Mostly though, just the competitive nature. I don’t like losing at all, and I feel like if I don’t work, I’m going to lose. At everything or anything. Also I want to play and strive [to be the best] at Ohio State, which is in my mind every workout.”
What was the most attractive thing about Ohio State to you? - WesPatterson23
DG: “The competitive nature there and their ability to make their players successful. I would love to go to the NFL, and they get their guys to that. They also the make their guys successful in the real world and I couldn’t turn that down.”
Do you keep in regular contact with your fellow Buckeye linebacker commits? - BucksIan
DG: “Yes. We have a group chat and text and talk to each other a couple times a week.”
Being from Toledo, how many TTUN fans/classmates/family members were in your ear about going to college up there? How excited are you to play in the biggest rivalry in sports? - BuckeyeJK
DG: “I am extremely excited to be a part of the rivalry. Being right on the boarder, the distribution of fans between the two schools are pretty even, so there were a lot of people hinting towards the other school. Now a lot of people say they will cheer for me, but not the team, and I tell them that’s not going to fly. It was a fun process though with the whole process in the rivalry aspect.”
What's the last song you played on your phone? - Desymond
DG: “Not completely sure. I just shuffle a playlist that I have. I think from the playlist, it was either ‘Live Up to My Name’ by Baka Not Nice, ‘Blowing Smoke’by Bryson Tiller or ‘Good Life’ by G Easy.”
