Skull Session: Dwayne Haskins “Loved Big,” Ohio State Football Wants More People at the Spring Game and Mike Conley Jr. Makes History in the NBA

By Chase Brown on April 10, 2023 at 5:00 am
Dwayne Haskins
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Goooooooooood morrrrrninnnnnng Skull Session readers.

I am a huge Robin Williams fan for those who don't know. He provided us with so many good films and comedy specials. I wish I could watch them all for the first time again.

Let's have a good Monday, shall we?

 “HE LOVED BIG.” Sunday, April 9, 2023, marked one year since Dwayne Haskins tragically passed away at 24. His death sent shockwaves through the Ohio State football community and beyond, as the Potomac, Maryland, native was more than a quarterback. He was a son, a husband, a brother and a friend, leading a life full of love and compassion.

When I think of Haskins, many memories come to mind.

The first is always Haskins' second-half heroics in the 2017 edition of The Game that helped Ohio State take down Michigan, 31-20, in the Big House. His 6-of-7 passing for 94 yards, including a crucial 27-yard completion to Austin Mack when the Buckeyes faced third and 13 while down 20-14 in the third quarter, propelled Ohio State to victory in the hostile environment. That performance put Haskins on the map.

The 2018 season also had many memories. Haskins had arguably one the best years of any quarterback in school history, completing 373 of 533 passes (70%) for 4,831 yards and a program-record 50 touchdowns as he led Ohio State to a 62-39 win over Michigan – a contest in which he threw for 396 yards and six scores – in addition to a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl victory against Washington.

To explain what each of those moments meant to Ohio State football and Buckeye Nation, Ryan Day's eulogy for Haskins during a memorial service at Haskins’ high school, The Bullis School, on April 25, 2022.

“What Dwayne meant to college football, the state of Ohio, Ohio State University, the football program, our staff and my family is hard to put into words, especially in such a short time. ... His compassion, the way he loved, I mean he loved big. And that still lives on at Ohio State. ... We would not be where we’re at right now without Dwayne Haskins.

“It’s been said before that some men don’t fear death, they fear being irrelevant or insignificant. I can tell you something right now: Dwayne Haskins left a legacy behind. He was relevant. He was significant. He had an impact on so many people at Ohio State. In such a short time, the impact he made on this Earth, I just wish I had more time with him and I know we all do here. I just want to let you know that Ohio State and our program is forever in debt to Dwayne Haskins and the Haskins family.”

Dwayne Haskins. Son. Husband. Brother. Friend.

Rest in peace, Dwayne. Thanks for the memories.

 OHIO STATE NEEDS YOU. In the last couple of days, it's become clear that Ohio State's athletic department would like more Buckeye fans to attend the spring game. That's why the football program's coaches, players and administrative staff, such as Ryan Day and Brian Hartline, tweeted about the scrimmage over the weekend. There have also been sponsored social media posts about the contest on Facebook.

The Ohio State football Twitter tweeted out a promotional video featuring Hartline:

Now, I mainly included this tweet in the Skull Session because I find it funny that Ohio State's athletic apartment is down bad for ticket sales, or so I think. I am entirely open to the idea that I am wrong, but until proven otherwise, I am running with this theory.

Still, against my desire to flame the athletic department for the (potential) money grab, I will carry some water for Ohio State here.

The spring game has always been one of my favorite events for Ohio State football. It obviously holds no comparison to a regular season or postseason contest for the Buckeyes, but it's unique, and it's often a really fun time at the Shoe.

For an affordable price – more like a highly affordable price compared to how expensive tickets can be these days – Ohio State fans, plus their friends, their family and everyone else who holds importance in their life can purchase general admission seats at Ohio Stadium to watch their favorite Buckeyes compete in an intrasquad scrimmage on a spring Saturday in Columbus.

This year, fans who attend can see Kyle McCord and Devin Brown battle in their quarterback competition as they watch Marvin Harrison Jr. be Marvin Harrison Jr., C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles fly around on defense and Davison Igbinosun take his first reps at the Shoe. Plus, attendees can do all that in b-e-a-utiful weather in Central Ohio, as the weather is expected to be sunny and 75 degrees by the time the scrimmage starts.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Remember when Ohio State broke its own record for spring game attendance year after year in the 2010s, culminating with an attendance of 100,189 in 2016? It would be cool to see that trend pick back up in the 2020s, wouldn't you agree?

 MIKE CONLEY JR., EVERYONE. Mike Conley Jr. crossed a career milestone in the NBA when he scored his 15,000th career point in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 151-131 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

Conley reached the milestone with a 20-point effort against the Spurs – tied for his sixth-highest point total of the season – and became the 149th player in NBA history to score at least 15,000 points in his career.

“It’s just a testament to the longevity and being able to play this game for as long as I have been. It’s a blessing,” Conley said after the win, per the Star Tribune. “I wouldn’t ever have thought as a kid I’d even be close to that. Just truthfully grateful and humbled to continue to be playing.”

In Conley's lone season at Ohio State in 2006-07, he helped lead the Buckeyes to their first national championship game appearance since 1962 with an average of 11.3 points and 6.1 assists per contest. Additionally, Conley's 16 points and 4.8 assists per game during the team's NCAA Tournament run allowed him to enter the 2007 NBA draft as a one-and-done player with teammate and future No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden.

The No. 4 overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies, Conley spent 12 seasons of his career in the Home of the Blues. He reached the playoffs five times and averaged 14.9 points and 5.7 assists per game in that span.

In 2019-20, Conley was traded to the Utah Jazz. The following season, he was named an NBA All-Star as part of a career year in which he collected 16.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest for the Grizzlies. Earlier this season, Conley was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that also sent former Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers.

At 35 years old and about to end his 16th NBA season, it's unclear how much longer Conley wants to continue his professional career. No matter when he decides to hang up the sneakers, Conley should be celebrated as one of the league's most consistent – albeit quietly consistent – players of the last two decades.

Conley has proven time and time again that an NBA career doesn't have to be about All-Star Game appearances and All-NBA recognition to be deemed successful. He's made Buckeye Nation proud with his character and performance on and off the court, and Ohio State fans should be proud of the representative he has been for a long, long time.

 WHAT WAS GOING ON IN 1993? The final section of this Skull Session comes courtesy of my dear friend, Braden Moles of Buckeye Sports Bulletin.

Over the weekend, he sent me a YouTube link to the video featured below. I watched said video, which is as awesome as it is bizarre, and messaged back, "What did I just watch?" Braden's response: "You just watched a note for your Skull Session on Monday." And I agreed wholeheartedly.

Without further ado, here is a video of 1993 Ohio State wrestling to the tune of many mid-90s songs and, for some reason, the tune "I Will Survive" by Cheap Trick of the "Gladiator" soundtrack – not the Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe "Gladiator," but the Cuba Gooding Jr. "Gladiator" boxing movie.

After watching the video, I only have one question: What was going on in 1993?

 SONG OF THE DAY. “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” by Aerosmith (I had to).

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