Ohio State football: Eli Apple’s return to Ohio should help his career
By Ryan Stano
The former Ohio State football player has signed a deal to come back to Ohio and play for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Eli Apple was a key cog in the Ohio State football program’s march to the National Championship in 2014. He was a really good cornerback on that team and was good enough to be a top-10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, going to the New York Giants.
His NFL career really hasn’t gone the way he had hoped so far. He struggled in New York and seemed to have some outside influence ruin his chances to flourish in that environment. Now he signs somewhere closer to Ohio State, and that should help him get back on track.
Apple has now signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. This will now be his fourth team in just five years in the league. He’s still young at just 25 years of age. He still has raw talent and has very long arms, which is very desirable at the cornerback position.
With Apple being closer to the Ohio State football program, he should be able to get some guidance from people that he trusts close to the program. He will also be playing for a team that will be able to give him the snaps that he needs to continue his development on the field.
One thing of concern is Apple’s ability to stay on the field. He has yet to play a full season since he’s been in the league. If he can stay healthy, he has all the tools to be a great corner. He has 5 interceptions so far in his career. Those numbers could rise in Cinci.
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If he doesn’t take advantage of this opportunity though, this could be his last chance in the NFL. You only get so many chances in this league. He needs to take advantage of this while he can.