Former Buckeyes draw a crowd
By Gary Housteau
NILES
The threat of unseasonable cold and snow just weeks before the 2016 NFL Draft certainly didn’t stop adoring Ohio State fans from coming out to meet a Buckeye legend and an OSU All-American at Everything Buckeyes in the Eastwood Mall on Saturday afternoon.
The mutual love for Buckeye Nation was obvious for both Braxton Miller, who came to Ohio State when Jim Tressel was still at the helm, and Vonn Bell.
“It’s good man. It’s giving back to the fans and the little kids that always want to meet you and they don’t get a chance to meet you throughout the year,” Miller said. “This is a good chance to do that.”
Fans who waited in line were greeted with a friendly smile, exchanged a handshake, received an autograph and took a picture with either Miller or Bell or both in some instances.
“They actually get to see you because it’s not behind the gates and you’re not in your shoulder pads with your teammates,” Bell said. “It’s really a nice feeling giving back to the community like this and just seeing your fans and the love they have for Ohio State and for you.”
Miller, who actually arrived before Bell as both players made the trek up I-71 separately, expressed his sentiments about how fortunate he feels to be in the position he’s in now after all of the good and even bad times he’s been through over the past five seasons at Ohio State.
“I’m very grateful, man,” Miller said. “Football was taken away from me for a year when I had my surgery and I fought back and dedicated myself to be a different football player and a different person too. I’m happy. I don’t take no regrets.”
It’s full speed ahead for Miller now as the draft gets closer.
“You know, you get anxious,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s nerve-wracking, it’s just anxious. You get excited for the things you’ve been working for for the past four years in college.”
Versatility on the gridiron could be his major calling card for teams looking for a speedy athlete like Miller, who could possibly play a couple different positions in the NFL. Mock drafts seem to have Miller going somewhere in the second or third round.
“I hear a lot, so I’d rather just wish for the best,” said Miller when he was asked what his own expectations were for the draft. “It’s a blessing just going to the next level.”
Bell, on the other hand, is certainly anticipating a first-day call on April 28 from an NFL.
“Oh yeah, for sure. A first-day call for sure,” he said. “And then we’re going cherish that and we’ll go to work.”
A healthy Miller is just looking forward to whatever his future has in store for him.
“On a scale of one to 10, I’d say about 100,” said Miller when he was asked how excited he was for what is ahead. “So I’m very anxious and very excited.”
And like Miller, Bell feels just as fortunate to be in the position that he’s in now as he looks ahead to the draft.
“Everything is good, I’m healthy, I’m working out,” he said. “I love this game and I’m just glad to wake up every day and do what I love at a high level.”