WS Chronicle

Nick Bosa, brother of NFL superstar Joey Bosa, has decided to leave Ohio State to focus on preparation for the 2019 NFL Draft. 

Bosa suffered a core muscle injury on Sept. 15 that required surgery and has been on the sidelines ever since.  The Buckeyes announced last week Bosa would be withdrawing from the university.  Head coach Urban Meyer thanked Bosa for his contributions to the program and wished him well on his future.

“I was hopeful that Nick would be able to return to play again for us,” Meyer said. “I know this was an extremely difficult and emotional decision for Nick and his family, and I wish him well as he moves on to get himself 100 percent healthy and ready for his next chapter. I want to thank Nick for the remarkable efforts he gave for this program. He is a first-class young man who we have been honored to coach.”

Bosa was arguably the best defensive player on the Buckeyes and is projected to be one of the top picks in next year’s draft.  Bosa has received some criticism for his decision and more is sure to come if the Buckeyes don’t bring home the national championship.

Buckeye players and fans don’t really have the right to be upset with his choice.  Through three games, he totaled 4 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and a defensive touchdown.  His absence from the lineup will definitely be felt by Ohio State, but what other choice does he really have in the matter.

I personally don’t blame Bosa for his decision.  Throughout his college career, he has played the game for free, making his school millions of dollars.  Essentially, his time at Ohio State was an internship in preparation for the NFL.

I do feel bad for his Ohio State teammates because they have a legitimate shot at winning the national championship, but I know they understand the situation Bosa is in.  It’s not like he is going to return to the field anytime soon.  If he were to come back, it would not be until December.  That’s assuming the Buckeyes will make it to the national semifinal game.

Bosa is the first high profile player to withdraw from school to prepare for the upcoming draft.  Other players such as Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey have sat out their teams’ bowl games, fearing injury.  Fournette and McCaffrey’s teams were not in championship contention, so that adds another level to the already complicated story.

Bosa’s father, John, weighed in on the situation as well.  He said they discussed the matter as a family and felt this was the best course of action for Nick.

“As a family, this is a horrible and heartbreaking decision for us because we felt like we were going to witness one of the most amazing years a defensive lineman has had here,” said John Bosa.  “Part of Nick’s goal was to see how far they could get in the playoffs, so it was a very difficult decision.”

“To look at the repair and future health, this was the right decision to me,” he continued. 

This is not going to be a new trend that will sweep through college football, so diehard fans can exhale.  On the other hand, do I see this happening again with another high profile player dealing with an injury? Yes.

It would take the perfect storm for this to happen again anytime soon, in my opinion.  Bosa was a junior, a top prospect prior to the injury, and the recovery time would have eaten away the vast majority of his season anyway.  And who’s to say he would be fully recovered if the Buckeyes made it to the college playoffs, so it was a no-brainer in my opinion.

The only words I have for Bosa is “take care of yourself,” because these schools use these players like cattle.  He has shown enough on the field to prove what type of player he is.  Get ready for the next level, young man, and good luck.  Maybe if colleges actually paid the players, he would be more inclined to stay.