Ohio State Practices; Players Then Shop with Children in Need
12/23/2019 8:11:52 PM | Football
Playoff Central | This Is Game Week
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Amid uncommonly overcast skies at the College Football Playoff semifinal site in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Ohio State Buckeyes worked through a physical and spirited practice Monday at Notre Dame Prep. Head coach Ryan Day worked the team through a 13-period practice – the team’s second in Arizona – in 64-degree weather with a 7-mile per hour wind blowing out of the north/northeast with gusts into the teens.
Temperatures are expected to fall into the 50s overnight with a 100-percent chance of rain on Tuesday. The forecast has the Ohio State coaches and operations staff contemplating possible indoor options for Tuesday’s scheduled 1 p.m. practice.
“Shop with a Jock”
After practice, about 40 members of the team, including P Drue Chrisman, WR Garrett Wilson and DE Zach Harrison, took part in a community service event at Dick’s Sporting Goods that partnered them with a child affiliated with Child Crisis Arizona. The athletes shopped with their new friend for clothes, toys and sports equipment to help ensure this holiday season is a special one for these children in need.
Child Crisis Arizona provides intervention, prevention and education programs designed to support thousands of at-risk youth and families. It serves 6,500 individuals each year, most of whom are children, and provides approximately 78,000 nights of safe sleep for children in need.
“It’s rewarding to take part in events like this because it’s a reminder that not everyone is as fortunate as we are,” said Harrison. “I love doing this. I love being able to put a smile on a kid’s face. It’s very rewarding.”
Dicks Sporting Goods and the Fiesta Bowl Charities contributed 50 percent each in order to give the children $200 to spend on any items in the store. The players helped them pick out clothes, try on shoes and test out athletic equipment, among other things.
Mostly, though, the player’s presence was more than enough to brighten the holiday season. Cornerback Darryl Sinclair, who was paired with a young girl named Melissa, said it best: “I didn’t want to leave her,” he said while getting back on the bus at the conclusion of the event.
Interviews On Tap Tomorrow
Tuesday’s activities in Arizona includes another opportunity for Ohio State coaches and players to meet with the media. Coordinators on both sides of the ball – offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson and co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Jeff Hafley – along with QB Justin Fields, RB J.K. Dobbins, RG Wyatt Davis, CB Jeff Okudah, DE Chase Young and LB Tuf Borland – will spend approximately 45 minutes with reporters at the Camelback Resort starting at 9:45 a.m.
