You've done it. You've made it to today.
Song of the Day: "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly.
Word of the Day: Obdurate.
TOUGH AS HELL. At this point, y'all are keenly aware that this is basically just a Damon Arnette fan blog, and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon, especially after reading this extremely well-done profile by Vic Tafur of The Athletic, which is an early contender for my yet-to-be-named personal version of the Dundees.
We knew Damon was tough for playing an entire season with a broken wrist, but it hits a little different when you can relive the moment he broke said wrist, and continued playing bump-and-run coverage at Jeff Hafley's order with no further questions.
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley knew something was up when he saw cornerback Damon Arnette crawl off the field during the Buckeyes’ Oct. 18 game against Northwestern. And then roll around on the ground on the sideline.
Arnette finally stood up, lifted his broken right wrist and made his way over to the headset, where he had a request to make of Hafley.
“He said, ‘Coach, can you, um, call more zone? I can’t use my right hand to press right now. It hurts too much,’” Hafley said in a phone interview Friday. “I told him to quit being a baby and to press with his left.”
Arnette laughed back and said, “Alright coach, I got you.”
Arnette, picked 19th overall by the Raiders last month, had surgery for that broken wrist just a week before the Northwestern game. During the Buckeyes’ bye week.
“He is as tough as I’ve ever been around,” Hafley said. “He was punching the ball out (with) his cast and smiling about it.”
Was there ever any thought of maybe taking some time off after surgery?
“Never … never. Never,” Arnette said in a phone interview last week. “Because it took me about a month to even realize that it was broken.”
So, yes – he's basically a caricature of the cartoon "rub some dirt on it" football culture, which makes him a perfect fit for Jon Gruden.
Other things I learned from this article:
- Growing up, Damon didn't understand why the kids he'd push would cry instead of pushing him back.
- He played linebacker until his senior year of high school, which only adds to his absurd versatility and physicality.
- He's confident his 40 time is faster than what he ran, but knows he's faster on the football field: "I ain't a track runner."
- He considered himself the top corner in the country alongside Jeff Okudah – 1A and 1B
- He's furious he somehow got characterized as having character concerns. “When you hear character concerns, you think about big problems, big red flags … woman beater, drug issues or run-ins with the law,” he said, and that doesn't apply to him.
- If the Raiders didn't take him at 19, another team probably would have taken him in the first round. According to Hafley, "Teams were just being quiet about where they had him on the board."
If you have a subscription, I cannot recommend this piece enough. If you don't, you can make your own financial decisions. I'm not in the business of telling you how to spend your hard-earned money (except the online store that indirectly funds my income – please give that store your money).
NEARLY PERFECT. Wyatt Davis has a reputation a nasty run blocker and a pancake machine, but he's pretty damn polished in the passing game as well.
And by that, I mean "never allowed a sack at the college level" polished.
Ohio State OL Wyatt Davis in 2019:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 11, 2020
459 Pass-blocking snaps
0 Sacks allowed pic.twitter.com/eSrWhFG6Ve
Way-too-early mock drafts gave plenty of love to Justin Fields, Shaun Wade and Chris Olave – deservedly so – but if Davis ain't on some draft seers' big boards now, you better believe he will be by December.
He ain't getting out of the first round, and if he does, someone's stealing.
THE GODFATHER. Urban Meyer barely had time to breathe as the football coach of an elite program, but now in retirement, he gets to loom over the NFL like the godfather that he is, hopefully while rocking this crispy leather jacket.
Meyer's damn proud of the large, fast and terrifying adult sons he helped turn into millionaires, and now he's actually got the time to admire what they're doing at the next level.
The Washington Redskins are as Buckeye-heavy as it gets in the starting lineup (save for maybe my Cincinnati Bengals), and for that reason, they've certainly got Meyer's attention.
Haskins was just a redshirt sophomore when he chose to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, and Meyer said he will never forget the day then quarterbacks coach Ryan Day and now Assistant Athletic Director of Player Personnel Mark Pantoni told him the quarterback's time at Ohio State would be short-lived.
"[They] said we needed to start looking at quarterbacks and transfers because of Dwayne," Meyer recalled. "I said, 'Well, where's Dwayne going?' and they said the NFL. I said 'you've got to be kidding me. He's only been a starter for five games.'"
...
While Haskins had to wait until Week 10 to be named the starting quarterback, McLaurin made an immediate impact on the Redskins' offense and quickly became one of the better young receivers in the league. He had one of the best rookie seasons for his position in franchise history with 919 receiving yards, finishing short of only Gary Clark, and his seven touchdowns were second only to Charlie Taylor.
That success, Meyer says, stems from McLaurin's family.
"He has an incredible mom and dad. Faith is No. 1 in his life," he told Brian Mitchell. "Just think about in your lifetime when you run into someone [who has] faith No. 1 in their life and they come from incredible parents. What is the chance that kid is going to be great? I think it's...near 100%."
That, combined with his lightning speed and a catch percentage of 62.4%, makes for what Meyer called a "made player."
"He's developed a skillset that's incredible," he said. "He's always had the speed, but he's just so strong, he's worked on his ball skills, and he's just a tremendous ball player."
...
When asked what kind of player the Redskins are getting with Young, Meyer said, "You're getting arguably the most talented guy to go to the NFL in quite a while. I'm not saying he's the best player yet, because he has to earn that...but just as far as God-given height, size, strength, speed...you got it all."
As if Meyer needs more reasons to talk about Terry McLaurin. I don't know if it's more likely Terry will have a bust in Meyer's house or in Canton – probably both.
MJ DOESN'T MESH WITH CJ. If you've been watching The Last Dance, you'll know about Michael Jordan's... let's say "assertive" leadership.
Dolodale is pretty sure that wouldn't fly with him.
Me and MJ would of been showing up to games with matching black eyes talking to me like that in practice
— Cardale Jones (@CJ1two) May 11, 2020
Forget the LeBron vs. Jordan debate, now my mind is racing about Cardale vs. Jordan in the ring.
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. A man who sought trial by combat now wants his ex-wife evaluated... Inside the nightmare voyage of the Diamond Princess... How stigma created Japan's hidden drug problem... PSA: Don't accidentally order pizza from Chuck E. Cheese... How drug dealers are working and selling in the coronavirus lockdown... The explorers who set one of the last meaningful records on earth...
