ONTARIO, Ohio – The Richland Mall was filled with a sea of scarlet and gray on Saturday afternoon when Ohio State football stars Braxton Miller, Joel Hale and Tommy Schutt came to town.
More than 300 estimated people turned out to receive autographs, take pictures and meet the three former players at the event organized by Buckeye Authentics. While the event was slated from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the crowd did not begin moving until close to 1 p.m. due to the late arrival of Miller. Event organizer Loretta Hayes Hill told Richland Source that a family commitment had held Miller in Columbus and that he expressed deep regret for his lateness. Miller stayed two hours beyond the scheduled time to ensure that fans had extended access.
Miller’s delay was initially cause for disgruntlement among the crowd, but many warmed up after meeting their football idol:
Got tickets to go get @BraxtonMiller5 autograph for V-day from my fiance. All I have to say best present ever. pic.twitter.com/YkYaR3XlPG
— Mark Thompson (@btown_mark) February 13, 2016
Thank you to the ? of Buckeyes @BraxtonMiller5 pic.twitter.com/wEKjKtxT5L
— Jacob Byrd (@jbyrd_15) February 13, 2016
Sooo I met a god today…. @BraxtonMiller5 pic.twitter.com/SV0GDz8vRC
— B-eazy (@YohoBryce) February 13, 2016
Two Buckeyes that were on time for Saturday’s event were former linemen Hale and Schutt, who used their time waiting to meet privately with fans and tell stories about their time on the Ohio State Football team. Both said time away from the grueling football schedule was a bittersweet feeling.
“It’s definitely a change of pace from the schedule we used to have, but we definitely miss being around the guys and seeing them every day,” Schutt said. “But it’s definitely more relaxing having some time to sit back and look back on our career, and remember the things we’ve accomplished.”
Hale stated he has used his time post-OSU to train for the NFL Draft’s upcoming Combine and Pro Day. As an Ohio State offensive lineman, Hale returned to the scarlet and gray gridiron this past season as a fifth-year senior, feeling he had more to give.
“I miss the camaraderie,” Hale said. “You’re always part of Ohio State, but whenever you’re there and you can truly be a part of Ohio State, it’s a different feeling. But it is nice to step back and look at it from the outside.”
Still, both players acknowledged the biggest perk was events such as Saturday’s where they can interact firsthand with their fans.
“You don’t really appreciate things like this whenever you’re in school because you don’t see it, and when you’re out and you finally get to see this, it’s awesome,” Hale said.
