When Seth McLaughlin tore his Achilles in November, the former Ohio State center was distraught.
His disappointment was two-fold.
On one hand, he was worried about what this meant for him individually, considering he came to Columbus to help build his draft stock that had cratered in his last year at Alabama. Yet, he also couldn’t help but wonder if he inadvertently ruined his team’s dream of winning a national championship, since the offensive line had already lost left tackle Josh Simmons, and now would be without him for the remainder of the year.
It didn’t help when Ohio State lost to Michigan a few weeks later.McLaughlin thought he could have made a difference in a three-point game. Still, he stuck around the team and offered his assistance to younger players in meeting rooms and during practice.
“It was more for me than them,” McLaughlin said Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I couldn’t not be around those guys, those are definitely my brothers.”
The rest of the story is well-known around the Buckeye State. Ohio State rallied around a new offensive line and won four consecutive College Football Playoff games to win a national title. The final image of the season was McLaughlin smoking a cigar on his scooter in celebration. A month later, McLaughlin praised Carson Hinzman, Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery for stepping up in a pressure-filled situation.
But McLaughlin still feels he has plenty of football left ahead of him. Injury aside, he accomplished what he set out to do for himself when he transferred to Columbus last January from the Crimson Tide. In 10 games, McLaughlin played well enough to win the 2024 Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to the best center in college football.
“I didn’t have the year I wanted to at Alabama. My end goal was to play in the NFL and going into year four, I had a draftable grade,” McLaughlin said. “At the end of it, I didn’t. If I wanted to go and get to this point, I had to challenge myself and had to be uncomfortable.
"I went to Ohio State where they had a guy who started 12 games at center the year before. I knew if I couldn’t play at Ohio State, I wasn’t going to play in the NFL anyway and I wouldn’t deserve to be here. But I went and proved myself to the coaches and players in that room, won a starting spot and played really well before I got hurt. So I’m thankful for the whole process.”
Since Ohio State’s season ended, McLaughlin’s life has been centered around two things: Rehab and film study. He met with various teams at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, hoping to boost his draft stock which now sits likely somewhere between the fourth and fifth rounds.
Most of his meetings with NFL teams have centered around wondering where he’s at with his recovery from the Achilles injury, to which McLaughlin has assured them everything is progressing as scheduled. Since he can’t work out for NFL franchises, McLaughlin is relying on his board work and football acumen to impress pro teams ahead of the draft.
“I know why I love to play football, but I didn’t realize how much I would miss football if I didn’t have it,” McLaughlin said. “And that’s reignited a fire in me to get back out there and get my competitive juices flowing. I’m attacking rehab like it’s a game on Saturday. I’m just excited to get out there and have another opportunity to play football.”
His pitch also includes that he’s played in nearly every chaotic environment college football has to offer across two different conferences, has experience working with different quarterbacks and coaching schemes, communicates effectively and raises the play of those around him.
McLaughlin says he’s confident he’ll be ready by training camp in July for any prospective NFL team that drafts him.
“I’m attacking rehab each day and it’s going really well,” McLaughlin said, adding he’s been rehabbing in Columbus. “When my doctor says I’m good to go, I’ll have to trust it and we’ll go out there and see how it does.”
As McLaughlin waits to hear where he’ll begin the next chapter of his football career, he often reflects on the lessons he’s learned at both Alabama and Ohio State and how he can apply them to his professional life going forward.
“It’s been an awesome career,” McLaughlin said. “Wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. Being part of the two greatest football programs in the country. It was an incredible blessing to be part of those teams and win a lot of games. There’s ups and downs that come with it, but it’s put me in the position I’m in right now. I wouldn’t be here without the worst parts of my time and I wouldn’t be here without the best parts obviously.”
