As Brady Taylor sat at his locker following the conclusion of Ohio State’s Rose Bowl win over Washington on Jan. 1, reality set in.
Taylor, who was substituted into the lineup for the Buckeyes’ final kneel-down to wrap up their 28-23 victory, had played in his final football game. The fifth-year senior offensive lineman, who was sidelined for most of his final season at Ohio State after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, had already decided that he would not pursue a professional football career due to the physical toll injuries had taken on his body.
So when a reporter approached Taylor after the game to ask him about playing for the final time as a Buckeye, Taylor was suddenly overcome with emotion.