A week after his tragic death, Dwayne Haskins was honored by his alma mater Saturday at Ohio State’s spring football game in Columbus.
A moment of silence was observed by those in attendance before kickoff to remember the late quarterback and there were lasting reminders of Haskins throughout the annual showdown between the Scarlet and Gray teams.
Buckeye helmets wore ‘DH’ decals and coaches wore ‘DH’ pins while Haskins’ initials were also painted on the turf near the 5-yard line at the southeast end of Ohio Stadium . Ohio State fans and alumni also erected a memorial to Haskins outside the stadium, better known as the “Horseshoe”.
A video tribute to Haskins was played at halftime before Ohio State head coach Ryan Day gathered his team for an on-field prayer. A total of 11 players from the current Ohio State team played with Haskins in 2018.
Haskins died when he was fatally hit by a vehicle in Florida on April 9. He was 24 years old.
Haskins rose to fame during his memorable run as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback in 2018. The second set single-season school records in passing yards (4,831), passing touchdowns (50), completion percentage (70.0), completions (373), passing yards per game (345.1), total offense (4,939), and total touchdowns (54). Haskins led the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record in 2018, earning a Big Ten Conference championship and a Rose Bowl win. Haskins was named MVP of both games.
Haskins’ legacy at Ohio State has set a new QB standard for the prestigious university. After Haskins, Justin Fields achieved that standard in his two seasons at Ohio State and became a first-round pick by the Chicago Bears. Continuing that QB excellence currently is CJ Stroud, who started Saturday’s Spring Football game after his successful first season as a Buckeyes QB.
Finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting and a Maxwell Prize semi-finalist, Haskins decided to give up his final years of eligibility at Ohio State after his brilliant sophomore season.
Haskins became a first-round selection (No. 15 overall) in Washington’s 2019 NFL Draft. After starting seven games down the stretch of his rookie season, Haskins was named the Week 1 starter in 2020 following packed QB competition in training camp. After posting a 1-3 record for four weeks, Haskins’ mid-season bench preceded a tumultuous season that ended with his release from the club.
The Steelers offered Haskins a fresh start ahead of the 2021 season and that’s where he got a backup role. Although he didn’t see any snaps in his first season with Pittsburgh, Haskins was introduced by the club ahead of the 2022 season and was scheduled to compete in another QB competition before his tragic death.
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