Skull Session: Jim Tressel Starts a Podcast, Ohio State Goes Behind the Scenes of Marvin Harrison Jr.’s NFL Draft Experience and Caleb Downs is an “Alien”

Welcome to the Skull Session.

JSN SZN is the best SZN.

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@jaxon_smith1 x @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/zVd67BTxoO
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 7, 2024

Have a good Wednesday.

THE VEST JOINS THE PODCAST GAME. Jim Tressel started a podcast.

On Tuesday, the former Ohio State head coach announced he will host a new podcast, “It’s All About The Team.” In the podcast, Tressel will welcome esteemed guests who will help him explore “the heart of teamwork” and share “the collective power of people working together toward a common goal.”

In the inaugural episode of “It’s All About The Team,” Tressel engaged in a captivating discussion on leadership and teamwork with John C. Maxwell. Maxwell, a renowned author, speaker, and pastor from Garden City, Michigan, has penned several influential books on leadership, such as “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” and “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.”

While all 50 minutes of the podcast are full of gold — GOLD, JERRY! GOLD! — there is one section Eleven Warriors readers will love. Around the four-minute mark, Tressel and Maxwell recalled a time when Maxwell, an Ohio State fan, addressed the 2007 Buckeyes on the Friday before The Game.

“I asked the players,” Maxwell said, “how many of you know what it's like to beat a Michigan team. Of course, all the upperclassmen raised their hands because they were all undefeated. I said, ‘You have to understand that the only ones who can’t raise their hands are the freshmen. That’s because you’ve never played them.’ Then I told them, ‘That’s OK. After the game tomorrow, I’ll come into the locker room.’ I looked at these freshmen, and I said, ‘I’ll ask you how many of you know what it’s like to beat a Michigan team, and you, for the first time, will raise your hand.’

“In the middle of that fourth quarter, we knew we had that game, and those freshmen came to me and were like, ‘Mr. Maxwell, ask the question. Mr. Maxwell, ask the question.’ And I remember ESPN came in and recorded it, and all of those freshmen had their hands in the air. And then I said, ‘If I went over to the Team Up North locker room and asked how many of them know what it’s like to beat an Ohio State Buckeye team, there wouldn’t be anyone who would raise their hands. They don’t have a clue.’ That was so much fun. It was a blast.”

Man.

Ohio State needs to get back to the times when the Buckeyes knew only of beating the Wolverines and the Wolverines knew only of losing to the Buckeyes.

Those were good times.

THE NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE. On Monday, Ohio State football’s creative media team released a video titled “Marvin Harrison Jr.: The NFL Draft Experience.” In the video, members of said creative team followed Harrison before, during and after the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.

At the end of the video, Harrison thanked Buckeye Nation for its love and support over the past three years.

“I’m super excited to be an Arizona Cardinal,” Harrison said. “I can’t wait to go play with fellow Buckeye Paris Johnson. I appreciate all of your support throughout my career. It’s been a journey. I love you guys. Go Bucks.”

In three seasons with the Buckeyes, Harrison collected 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was a two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year and one-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a two-time unanimous All-American, a Biletnikoff Award winner and a Heisman finalist.

That is a journey.

Cheers to Marv — the Route Man, the Marvelous and the Super Marv — who we all came to know and love in Columbus. He is one of the all-time Ohio State greats, and I hope he has a long, successful career in the NFL.

PHONE HOME. Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs has been called several things — a “freshman phenom,” a “future star” and a “top-five pick in a couple of years,” among others. This week, Josh Pate of CBS Sports added to the abundant terminologies. He used a term that’s...

… out of this world…

… ba dum tss…

In a recent episode of The Late Kick, Pate described the 6-foot, 205-pound Downs as an “alien.”

"He could be the best football player on Ohio State's team, and Ohio State's loaded... (Caleb Downs) is like an alien."

@LateKickJosh is rolling with Alabama transfer safety @caleb_downs2 as a first-year IMPACT player for @OhioStateFB in 2024 | @Bucknuts247 pic.twitter.com/b1AP6s1Di1
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) May 6, 2024

“He could be the best football player on Ohio State’s team, and Ohio State is loaded. Ohio State had a ton of guys that could have gone out to the draft but came back, which doesn’t discount who they are, I’m just saying that number two there in Crimson from last year is like an alien. When we were up there last week (to interview Ryan Day), I don’t know if I told this story, but I was in Ohio State’s weight room working out. I respect Coach (Mick) Marotti and his no cell phone rule, so I didn’t take the cell phone in there. But I was in there working out and Downs was in there working out. Afterward, someone walked by and said the perfect encapsulation of what it’s like to be around Caleb Downs. He said, ‘Can you believe God made that?’ And, yeah, that’s about the only place you can get talent like that. He played last year and led Alabama in tackles. That’s the first time a true freshman had ever done that. He’s a difference-maker, man. I don’t know how many points he’s worth a game, but he’s a massive difference-maker, and he’s playing for Ohio State this year. That’s a new face, and that’s an impact player.”

I know we talked about the impact of Downs’ commitment to Ohio State a lot. But was a lot enough? I’m not so sure. By all accounts, Downs was one of the Buckeyes’ most impressive players during spring practices, and he figures to be one of the most impressive players this fall.

BUCKEYE IN THE BLOOD. Tommy Janowicz is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound attacker for Upper Arlington lacrosse. The high school senior will continue his lacrosse career in college at Ohio State, where his last name carries just a little weight. Janowicz is the great-nephew of Vic Janowicz, the late Ohio State running back who ran for the Buckeyes between 1949-51 and won the 1950 Heisman Trophy.

And before you ask — yes, Tommy Janowicz played football. He was quite good at it, too. As a sophomore for the Golden Bears, Janowicz shined as a linebacker and gained attention from Iowa, Iowa State and Ohio University, among other schools. Still, Janowicz is from Upper Arlington, where lacrosse is king. (The high school has won 17 state championships and is in the hunt for another in 2024). Therefore, he decided to pursue a future in The Creator’s Game.

“Football is a great sport; there’s nothing like it,” Janowicz told Dave Purpura of The Columbus Dispatch. “There are thousands of people in the stadium for every single game. There are so many memories and great bonding. But growing up in Upper Arlington, there’s just something special about lacrosse.”

A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter, Janowicz is a centerpiece for UA, which is top-ranked statewide by LaxNumbers. Janowicz had 52 goals and 17 assists as a sophomore in 2022, and he collected 52 goals and 40 assists as a junior in 2023. In a season where most of his teammates have been sidelined with injuries, Janowicz is well on his way to reaching similar numbers in 2024.

Upper Arlington head coach Kyle Olson said it's Janowicz’s toughness that helps him lead the Golden Bears in all areas. Olson believes that toughness comes from his family’s rich football history, dating back to the times Vic Janowicz bullied his way through defenses in the Shoe.

“More than anything, it’s his physicality,” Olson said. “He could handle the beating college football can put on you, and he plays like that in lacrosse, too. It’s about harnessing that and mixing in the finesse part to be a Division I player.”

Looks like Nick Myers and the Buckeyes will get a good one next year, folks.

SONG OF THE DAY. “In The Blood” - John Mayer.