COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 23: Justin Hilliard #47 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates with teammates /bbd4 #4 and Jeff Okudah #1 after intercepting a Penn State Nittany Lions pass in the fourth quarter at Ohio Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Penn State 28-17. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)On Monday night, the college football season came to an end with Alabama’s dominant national title performance against Ohio State.
The Buckeyes held tough for much of the first half, but the Crimson Tide were just too much. Nick Saban won his seventh national title as Alabama cruised to a 52-24 win over Ohio State.
For many Buckeyes this will be the final game they get to play for Ohio State. Whether they leave by choice – for the NFL – or are out of eligibility, many players will never step foot on a college football field again.
Among those is sixth-year linebacker Justin Hilliard. Following Monday night’s game, Hilliard posted a message for Ohio State fans.
“Greatest honor of my life,” he said.
Greatest honor of my life. pic.twitter.com/kvUPXtmHXz
— Justin Hilliard (@JHilliard47) January 12, 2021
When Hilliard arrived on campus, he was one of the highest-rated recruits to suit up for Ohio State. As a 5-star outside linebacker ranked 20th overall in the nation, he was expected to be a major contributor for the team.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed his first few seasons with the Buckeyes. The star linebacker missed most a significant portion of his first two seasons with two separate torn bicep injuries.
That wasn’t the worst of it, though. In 2019, Hilliard suffered an even more serious injury with a partially torn Achilles tendon.
After starting the 2020 season as a backup, Hilliard played important minutes for the Buckeyes down the stretch.
