Few knew the burden that Pat Elflein carried with him that day three years ago in Ann Arbor when his anonymity suddenly ended.
Marcus Hall’s ejection for fighting early in the Buckeyes’ game against Michigan in 2013 thrust Elflein into the lineup at right guard. Undefeated Ohio State needed the redshirt freshman from Pickerington to play well. He did, and the Buckeyes prevailed 42-41.
But Elflein played with a heavy heart that day. His parents were there, but his older brother Matt, who had been instrumental in Pat’s development, wasn’t. Nine days earlier, Matt had flown to Florida to begin in-patient rehab for a years-long painkiller addiction that had finally pushed him and his family to the brink.