Skull Session: Jayson Tatum Wanted to Go to Ohio State, Jacy Sheldon Signs With the Townsville Fire and Kollin Moore Retires From Wrestling

By Chase Brown on July 18, 2024 at 5:00 am
Jayson Tatum
Candice Ward/USA TODAY Sports
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

TreVeyon Henderson – good at football.

Have a good Thursday.

 “JUST THROW IT TO MARVIN.” Coming off a solid rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals, Paris Johnson Jr. exudes confidence as his second NFL campaign nears. 

According to Grant Gordon of NFL.com, Johnson greeted reporters with a broad smile last week, ready to answer questions about his future. Moreover, Johnson was thrilled to discuss his former Ohio State and current Cardinals teammate, Marvin Harrison Jr. Knowing Harrison’s incredible talent, Johnson shared some advice with Arizona offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterback Kyler Murray: “Just throw it to Marvin, and we’ll be good.”

“My mindset was just let C.J. (Stroud) do his thing (at Ohio State). That’s my thing — I want Kyler to be able to do his thing,” Johnson told reporters. “Don’t worry about whoever’s over there. Just do your thing. That’s why you’re here. Just throw it to Marvin, and we’ll be good. You know what I mean? That’s what I’m excited about, and I think all of that starts because of what we do on the line.”

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Johnson played all but one snap at right tackle as a rookie. (His other snap was at tight end – and no, he didn’t catch a pass or score a touchdown). This season, Johnson will look to settle in at left tackle, where he will protect Murray’s blindside and provide protection as the quarterback connects with Harrison, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Johnson and Harrison were teammates at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. In those years, Johnson allowed two sacks, one quarterback hit and 25 hurries in 910 pass-block snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Harrison, meanwhile, collected 88 catches for 1,402 yards and 17 touchdowns, later adding another 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 scores while Johnson played for the Cardinals in 2023.

With countless reps shared at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, the Horseshoe and stadiums across America, Johnson has seen first-hand what Harrison can accomplish on a football field. The 6-foot-6, 313-pound offensive lineman understands he needs to perform well in the future if Harrison is to have success in the NFL.

“The mindset for me has always been that when I win my one-on-one, the ball goes down the field,” Johnson said. “And I think that’s what I’m most excited about in being a left tackle, especially with the protections that are a little bit longer, and the left tackle tends to be one-on-one – those are the plays I tend to love the most because halfway through the play you’re locking him up and you know he can’t go anywhere and you start to smile a bit and you’re like, ‘Oh, dude, ball’s gone.’ You know what I mean? Ball’s gone, and it’s gonna be a touchdown. It’s gonna be a huge gain. For me, that’s kind of the mindset I have at the left tackle spot. As soon as I win my rep, we move down the field.”

With Harrison as Arizona’s WR1, Johnson expects the Cardinals to move down the field a lot this fall.

“I played with a lot of great guys in college,” Johnson said. “I’m glad we have one of those guys here to throw the ball to.”

 OH, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN. As the United States men’s basketball team prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shared on Instagram a letter he wrote to his future self. The letter revealed that Tatum, then in the fourth grade, wanted to attend Ohio State for college.

Twenty years from now, I will have gone to one year at Ohio State University where I will meet Kristen. She will have gone to Ohio State’s Law School while I’m in the NBA. She will love sports but doesn’t necessarily play sports. We will have gotten married and have two children, one boy and one girl. My son’s name will be Justin, and my daughter’s name will be Nichole. Justin will play basketball, and he will be very good at it, too. He will be obedient and smart. My daughter will be smart and obedient as well, and she will also play Volleyball. We will have a big house in Phoenix, Arizona, where we will live. My children will go to a Christian School called OAK Creek in Phoenix. My mom and dad will always visit, even though they will live in St. Louis, Missouri, and they will spoil my kids.

When I’m 30, I would have gone to the NBA at age 19. I will play for the Phoenix, Arizona Suns for six years, and then I will be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. I will play basketball for a living as it will be my dream come true. I will be nervous at first, but I will get used to it after a while as the crowd will cheer me on. But I think it will be fun. I know that it will take commitment and a lot of hard work.

Two decades from now, I will have accomplished my dreams. I will play for the USA Olympics Basketball Team. I will have won three championships. I will want to help poor kids and give back to the community. I will want to give back what I never had. I would like to build gyms for poor families. I will be the first person from St. Louis to play for the USA Olympics Basketball Team.

In the year 2028, the world will be a lot different. Cars will run on corn instead of gas. Global Warming will be affecting the earth. Robots will be in the world to help old people with things they can’t do. In the world, there will be new high technology things and games. I want to leave the world a better place than it was left to me.

First, that entire letter is adorable. Second, Tatum wanted to attend Ohio State and the Buckeyes didn’t land him? 

** shakes fist… HOLTMANN! … shakes fist **

But wait.

It wasn’t Holtmann who failed to land Tatum – it was actually Thad Matta. The No. 4 overall prospect in the 2016 class, Tatum committed to Duke and played his lone season with the Blue Devils in 2016-17, the final year of Matta’s tenure with the Buckeyes. 

Hired in 2004 after one season at Butler (2000-01) and three seasons at Xavier (2001-04), Matta coached at Ohio State for 13 seasons, reaching the NCAA Tournament nine times, the Sweet 16 five times, the Elite Eight three times, the Final Four twice and the NCAA championship once. While Matta’s career had some incredible highs, it also had some incredible lows. None were lower than the final two seasons, as Ohio State had a combined 38-29 record and made one postseason appearance in the NIT, losing in the second round to Florida.

Remembering the direction Ohio State was headed when the Buckeyes would have been recruiting Tatum makes his decision understandable – though it doesn’t make the outcome less painful.

A one-and-done talent at Duke, Tatum averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game for the Blue Devils, earning third-team All-ACC honors for his performances. The Celtics selected Tatum with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, and the 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward has spent the previous seven seasons with the franchise. Tatum is a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection. He also became an NBA champion this past June, leading the Celtics to a 4-1 series win over the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Oh, what could have been…

 NO TIME TO SLEEP. One order of Shrimp on the Barbie for Ms. Sheldon, please.

This week, former Ohio State and current Dallas Wings guard Jacy Sheldon signed a contract with the Townsville Fire for the upcoming 2024 WNBL season in Australia. Sheldon will use her time in the league to develop and enhance her skills against professional competition before returning to the Wings next summer.

“Jacy is a very exciting player who has the ability to turn a game with her elite speed and shooting,” Townsville head coach Shannon Seebohm said in a statement. “She’s an extremely tough defender and competes every second she is on the floor. Additionally, she’s a great person and someone who ticked all the boxes for us during the recruiting process. We are really excited to have her join our team as soon as she completes her rookie WNBA season.”

Sheldon has made 25 appearances and 12 starts for the Wings this season, averaging 5.3 points (on 4.8 shots per game), two rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.5 steals in 21.5 minutes per game. Those numbers are a steep drop off from her production at Ohio State – Sheldon averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals this past season – but have gradually improved as head coach Latricia Trammell has offered her more opportunities.

In one of her recent starts, Sheldon scored a career-high 17 points and drained a personal-best five 3-pointers as the Wings defeated the Atlanta Dream, 85-82, at home. She also collected two rebounds, three assists and two steals in the contest.

With 16 games left in the regular season, Sheldon hopes to end her rookie year on a high note and carry momentum into her tenure with the Fire.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to play for the Townsville Fire and compete internationally. I look forward to representing the city of Townsville and playing in front of the Fire fans,” Sheldon said.

 CHEERS, MOUNTAIN MAN. Kollin Moore retired from wrestling on Wednesday. The former Ohio State wrestler made his official announcement in an Instagram post.

“I’d like to officially announce my retirement from competitive wrestling. I leave with no regrets and with my head held high! To my coaches, thank you for giving me the chance of a lifetime, always believing in me, and always pushing me forward. To my teammates, thank you for keeping me humble, getting me through workouts, and putting up with my crazy side. To my family and fiancé, thank you for always being by my side, traveling the country to watch me compete, and loving me no matter what. I started wrestling when I was just 5 years old and never could have imagined the plans God had in store for me. I have traveled the world and met incredible friends along the way. Although I’m done competing, the goal remains the same. Lead, listen, and serve in a way that reflects Jesus so others may know Him. Moving forward, I will be taking the role as the Ohio RTC coach and will put all my effort into helping athletes reach NCAA, World and Olympic titles! #GOBUCKS”

Moore is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Ohio State history, winning three Big Ten championships and earning podium finishes at two NCAA Championships. (Had the 2020 NCAA Championships not been canceled due to COVID-19, he would have been the tournament’s No. 1 seed and probably added to that second total). 

The 197-pound Moore also excelled at the international level, winning gold medals at the 2021 Rome Grand Prix, 2022 Coralville World Cup and 2023 Zagreb Grand Prix. He secured a bronze medal at the 2022 Istanbul Yasar Dogu Tournament.

While those international accomplishments are no doubt impressive, I often wonder how much greater Moore’s accolades would have been had he competed in a weight class that didn’t feature Kyle Snyder on the American side. Snyder, a three-time Big Ten champion and three-time NCAA champion at Ohio State, is the face of the United States wrestling program and would often triumph over Moore whenever U.S. Olympic or World trials occurred.

Regardless, Moore’s career was decorated, and as he mentioned in his statement, he retired from the sport with his head “held high.” 

I wish him the best of luck in his next adventure.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "If You Can't Smile and Say Yes" - Nat King Cole.

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