COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s decided to use the No. 0 as a way to acknowledge the past when the NCAA made it available to players in 2020 and now Xavier Johnson will be the latest person to wear it. The number honors the legacy of Bill Willis for his constant display of toughness, accountability and character. Willis played defensive end for the Buckeyes from 1942-44, helping them win their first national title during his first season. The Ohio native and Marion Motley were the first black players to join a professional football team when the Cleveland Browns signed them in September 1946. Those three pillars of why the Buckeyes chose to go this route with the jersey number when the NCAA made it available to players in 2020 may have never been more represented than they are with its owner in 2023. Recommended Buckeyes stories The potential future of…
Continue Reading: Ohio State’s latest Block O recipient best represents the jersey’s new legacy
