Ohio State football: His day in the sun

Every team in every sport has them. Role players. Guys who do the dirty work and rarely get a mention unless they make an egregious mistake. They toil in anonymity. Every now and then one of them gets their day in the sun. Such is the case with fullback/tight end Mitch Rossi.

Early last season, Rossi began being used as an extra blocker when the Ohio State football team would go to multiple tight ends. The role continued this season, but his role has morphed into one as a fullback as well. So, it was no surprise to see him at that position as the Buckeyes got into an I formation with the ball at the Rutgers one-yard line early in the second quarter.

When the play began, he immediately angled to his right to get into the flat. Not a solitary Rutgers defender looked at him. Rossi was wide open when he hauled in C.J. Stroud’s pass for a touchdown (watch it here). Someday someone will look at the box score for Saturday’s game and they probably won’t think much of Rossi’s 1 catch for 1 yard and 1 touchdown stat line, but they also won’t know the story of his journey to that one touchdown.

He joined the Ohio State football program in 2017 as an invited walk-on from Franklin, Tennessee. He spent his first few seasons as a running back. In 2019 he worked his way onto special teams and played in all fourteen games. During his limited appearances with the offense, he did manage one catch for eight yards.

It was during the 2020 season Rossi saw his role expand. Despite being loaded at the position, Rossi was switched to tight end. As mentioned, he was used often as a blocker in multiple tight-end formations. We’re not talking about typical mop-up duty where you usually see walk-ons. He was inserted into the game in all type of situations. Just as he had the year before, Rossi played in every game last season.

In August, he was rewarded for all of his hard work when he was put on scholarship by Ryan Day. From walk-on running back to touchdown-scoring, scholarship tight end. It was a long, difficult journey that had Rossi considering giving up football at one point and becoming, as he put it, a regular college student at one point. By sticking with it, he said his football career has far exceeded his expectations.

He’s been a part of four Big Ten championship teams and has been named Academic All-Big Ten twice, but Saturday’s touchdown was easily the highlight of his career as an individual. What made the moment extra special was his parents were in attendance at Rutgers. Both are originally from Ohio and Rossi said he grew up a huge fan of the Buckeyes.

Mitch Rossi gave all of us old I-formation fullbacks a reason to smile against Rutgers. My hope is Ryan Day will expand his role as a fullback to give opposing defenses one more thing to prepare for, and hopefully another day in the sun for Rossi.