Ohio State running back Jack Sawyer leans on faith as he prepares for NFL: ‘Keep trusting in His plan’

For Ohio State Buckeyes standout linebacker Jack Sawyer, the past 48 hours have been a whirlwind if you ask him.

On Monday night, he helped the Buckeyes outlast a resilient College Football Playoff with a victory over the national championship Notre Dame. And you can expect what happened when the team returned to Columbus, Ohio.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Sawyer told Fox News Digital before his celebratory “shift” at Raising Cane’s in Columbus alongside his star teammate, running back Will Howard. “Obviously it was a whirlwind after the game when we first came back to Columbus. It’s maybe even more of a whirlwind now, but we had a lot of fun with it and so happy we were able to get the job done for Coach’s Day and the city of Columbus.”

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Sawyer stopped by Raising Cane early Wednesday morning with “already 100 people outside,” all of whom were waiting to praise the two Buckeyes for their contributions to the championship season.

But while the Buckeyes’ celebration continues, the end of the season means both Sawyer and Howard will become NFL Draft Outlookas they target their transition to professional football.

Sawyer’s draft stock skyrocketed as he had an incredible CFP run, including a takedown, scoop-and-score against his former Ohio State roommate, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, to seal the Buckeyes’ victory in the Cotton Bowl and cement a berth in the national title game .

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While his on-court motor skills and off-court work ethic are qualities that teams will be looking at during the scouting process, Sawyer knows his faith will continue to play a big role in what happens next.

“That’s everything to us,” Sawyer said of his faith, bringing Howard into the fold. “It’s a number in our lives when you put God first and truly seek to grow with him and follow his plan. He will open so many doors for you that you would never have thought you could do otherwise.

“For me and Will, and really everyone on the team, our faith was the biggest thing that kept us going and kept us going after a couple of tough losses in the season.”

One of those losses was a blowout at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines, the bitter rival of the Buckeyes whom Sawyer naturally refers to as “the team up north,” on November 30th. It was a loss in Columbus that led to an on-field brawl between the two teams, where Sawyer was seen ripping a Michigan flag from midfield after the Wolverines looked to celebrate their victory even more.

At the time, it was a disaster for head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. They weren’t able to get a shot at a Big Ten title, and many wondered if they had what it took to get that CFP going.

But Ohio State has shown what resilience looks like in the face of adversity, especially with a bevy of skeptics who believe the Buckeyes won’t be able to lead their talented team to the title game again.

“We knew we had to get to work and fix the things we needed to fix and attack it as hard as we could,” he said. “That’s exactly what we did. No one saw the work we put in behind the scenes.”

As for Sawyer personally, he went into his next game after the loss at Michigan and racked up 1.5 sacks with two passes defensed and five total tackles in a CFP first-round loss to Tennessee. He then had two sacks and three passes defensed in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, followed by an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Longhorns.

“I think I’ve learned a lot about life,” Sawyer said of this title run. “It taught me that not everything is always going to go your way, but if you keep believing in God and keep fighting and keep getting up swinging every day, eventually you’ll come out on the other side.

“I think that’s something that I’m going to take with me to the next level and it’s something that I hope teams see in me. No matter what, I’m going to do my best, keep fighting and keep growing every day. “

It’s time to celebrate again after a long, tough season for Sawyer, his teammates and coaches. But the NFL Scouting Combine is right around the corner, and soon Sawyer will likely hear his name called in April when the NFL draft begins.

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Whichever team gets his name on their card, he knows he’ll do his best to produce the kind of performance he has in Columbus. But he won’t stress any steps forward, as his faith will remain a constant as he looks ahead to his next big moment in life.

“With God, anything is possible, and I will continue to trust his plan,” Sawyer concluded. “Like I said, he blessed us far more than we could ever thank him enough.”

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