Babb

[Thumper]

Kamryn Babb, you've never heard of him. Heck I hadn't until yesterday afternoon. He's a football player for Ohio State. He caught a touchdown pass late in the game. No, it wasn't the game winner, the game was well out of hand by this point, second and third stringers were shuttling in. Babb was a top 100 recruit when he came to Columbus in 2018. Big hopes, big dreams, big expectations. Four, count them FOUR torn ACL's kept him off the field for the 2018, 2019, and 2021 seasons. He was on the field for a few games in 2020 but never caught a pass. Babb did not give up, on himself or his team.

He's already got his degree, lots of time to read, study, and take tests when you're laid up with yet another career ending injury. His team did not give up on him. They elected him co-captain, TWICE. They awarded him the coveted BLOCK O jersey this year. They don't do that very often, look it up. On a meaningless drive near the end of a blowout game at Ohio Stadium, Babb ran a fade route to the right corner of the endzone, Heisman candidate CJ Stroud hit him with a perfect pass at the sideline. It was his first play from scrimmage this year, his first career reception, his first career touchdown. Babb caught it and tumbled into a line of photographers, his large black knee brace clearly visible. He popped back up and ran to the back of the endzone and went to his knees, bowed his head to the ground, then looked skyward. His 10 on the field teammates ran toward him, but then held themselves back, giving Babb his private moment. Then Stroud jumped down and hugged him, and the other 9 players surrounded him. Stroud would later say that was the most nervous he had been, "I just didn't want to screw up this play to my Guy."

As he made his way over to the sidelines, everybody, I mean everybody lined up to give Babb a hug. Every player, every coach, every trainer, every equipment manager, every water boy. I think there were two delay of game penalties for excessive celebration before OSU was finally able to kick the extra point. Nobody cared. And I cried.

Coach Ryan Day later said, "This is why you coach, you hope to see a moment like this. Everybody in the stadium today was able to share in this moment." And then there is a picture of Babb hugging his mom in the stands. And I cried.

[pumpkinpi]

1. Thanks for sharing the story.
2. I thought the title was in reference to the place we all met, BABB, Bad Astronomy Bulletin Board.
3. When I got to "player for Ohio State" I almost stopped reading. I say almost because you weren't one of those pretentious fans that insists on saying "The Ohio State."

[Thumper]

I appreciate that. It's a sports story and involves OSU, but it is more than that.

And I cannot believe the BABB reference got past me. Must have been my allergies.

[Rommie]

That's a great story. Always wild to me how much careers in athletics hinge on being lucky with injuries, but happy to hear this guy also took advantage of where he was. Sounds like a guy with a good future in front of him if everyone respects him that much.