Twice in AP Marvin Harrison Jr., an All-America receiver for seventh-ranked Ohio State, chose not to play in the Cotton Bowl; however, he has not yet disclosed if he plans to enter the NFL draft.
Before Friday night’s 14-3 loss to No. 9 Missouri, Harrison ran out on the field with his Buckeyes teammates while sporting his No. 18 jersey over a black hoodie. He went straight to the sidelines, grabbed a football, and carried it with him the entire time.
Tommy Eichenberg, the starting linebacker and leading tackler for Ohio State, was also absent due to an arm injury. Eichenberg, a fifth-year player, had been doubtful. Despite missing two games during the regular season, Eichenberg made a comeback in the season finale against Michigan.
After Kyle McCord left for Syracuse, Devin Brown took over as the starting quarterback. However, he left the game against the Tigers in the second quarter due to a high ankle sprain. With 3:13 remaining in the game, rookie Lincoln Kienholz lost a fumble while finishing the game with 86 yards on 6 of 17 passes.
For the second straight year, Harrison was selected as a unanimous AP All-American and took home the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best wide receiver in the country.
When asked about Harrison’s legacy should he leave Ohio State, coach Ryan Day responded, “Marvin’s been a pro ever since he stepped in our building,” the day before the Cotton Bowl. “Everyone wants to talk about his dad and everything like that. … But Marvin is his own own man and he had big shoes to fill, he’s got his father’s name. But from the minute he stepped in our building, you knew that he was going to be a pro.”
Day had stated on Thursday that he would not respond to inquiries about Harrison’s availability for play or his plans, despite the fact that Harrison had remained mostly out of the spotlight during practice sessions this week that were open to the media.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr. is among the top 10 NFL career catchers (1,102), receiving yards (14,580), and touchdowns (128). After being selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 19th overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, he spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with them.
Day talked about how much time the younger Harrison had spent on the practice field, in the gym, and in the film room.
When you ask him, what do you want to do in football, he says, I want to be the best receiver to ever play the game,” Day said. “Your habits have to reflect that. They do, and that’s what’s special about Marvin.”