Fun Times Before Week 1

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published September 3, 2025, 4:05 PM

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Before the lights go on for real in the National Football League, Steelers rookie Jack Sawyer had a chance to enjoy one of college football’s biggest matchups last weekend and it just so happened to hit close to home.

Ohio State’s win over Texas in Columbus had Sawyer grinning ear to ear, and the defensive end wasn’t shy about reminding some of his new teammates where the balance of power stood.

In NFL locker rooms, that kind of back-and-forth never stops. Players are constantly talking trash about their alma maters, carrying college rivalries right into the pros. It’s part pride, part comedy. A running conversation that keeps the energy loose and the bragging rights alive long after the final whistle on college football Saturdays.

“I was busting Deshon Elliott’s balls all week,” Sawyer said with a laugh. “They all thought they had us for some reason. I don’t know why that always happens to the Buckeyes, but it was fun, man. It’s been a fun week.”

Sawyer made sure to deliver his best jabs in person.

“I was saving it until we got back in the facility so I could give it to him face to face,” he said. “But yeah, man, it was funny.”

The playful back-and-forth carried extra weight in Pittsburgh’s locker room, where three former Longhorns including Elliott now share the roster with four Buckeyes, Sawyer among them. For Sawyer, bragging rights were cemented with a trip back to Columbus for the game.

“Yeah, we were there, me and Will (Howard), a couple of the guys,” Sawyer said. “It was a good time, man. It was fun to see Coach (Ryan) Day and Coach (Larry) Johnson and all those guys, and Coach (Matt) Patricia called a great game on defense. That was a good time, man. It was fun.”

The trip was more than just scoreboard bragging. For Sawyer, returning to Ohio State also reminded him of the responsibility his class carried and the legacy they left behind.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s cool. It’s cool going back down knowing that, you know, we left the program better than what we found it in and, you know, going out with the national championship, all of us being blessed to be able to play in the next level,” Sawyer said. “It makes that much more special to go back home and get back to Columbus.”

That sense of pride, he added, carried into how he and his teammates passed the torch before heading to the NFL.

“Throughout the year, we had a great group of young guys and guys that had been around us,” Sawyer said. “We knew that when their number was called, they were going to be ready for it. So, we all kind of gave our position groups a little talk, like, ‘Hey, it’s your guys’ time now. You’re ready for it.’ We don’t need to say anything special, but we’re excited for them and the opportunity they have next year to go do the same thing. We had the chance to run it back.”

Now Sawyer’s own next chapter begins. With his first NFL game set for Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, he’s got his sights on the kind of milestone that matters most for a rookie pass rusher.

I asked the rookie pass rusher if he had any preplanned sack dances ready if the occasional should present itself against the Jets and he records his first NFL sack.

“I don’t know,” Sawyer said with a smile. “Hopefully I just get my first sack first, and we’ll just see what happens after it happens.”

Sawyer gets to experience another level of football but knows the one he left behind is in good hands in Columbus.

Photo Credit / Frank Hyatt / College2Pro.com