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Daniel “Boom” Herron wears #1 for the Ohio State Buckeyes. And when you see the difference he makes, it’s easy to understand why. He is the bonafide number one in their backfield “2 is not a winner, 3 nobody remembers.”
Yesterday, in the 17-7 win over previously unbeaten Illinois, Herron made his return from NCAA suspension. His first carry on the second play from scrimmage went for a first down; and he finished with 114 yards on 23 carries and one TD. It marked the fourth 100-yard rushing game of his career.
Herron has now rushed for 320 yards and 5 TDs in four career games vs. Illinois and scored a TD in 13 consecutive games. In his first game back from sanctions levied against him and the program. Ohio State threw just four passes, and completed just one.
“We didn’t pass the ball a lot. I didn’t want to go out there and make crazy things happen, just be patient and let the game come to you,” Herron said about the very unbalanced offense.
He’s second among active Big Ten players in rushing with 2,308 yards, trailing UM’s Denard Robinson (2,896). He also is second in rushing TD’s with 30, behind UW’s Monte Ball (36).
“This is what he’s been working for and he’s gone through a lot and he’s sacrificed a lot and he’s learned a lot,” OSU Coach Luke Fickell said of Boom’s return.
“But the biggest thing is what Boom means to this team and what he means in the locker room and what he means on the field. He’s excited about it and I know the guys in the locker room are excited to have him.”
“I haven’t played the game yet so I guess I was pretty fresh. Also just being patient,” Herron said.
“I know Illinois’ defense and they kind of blitz a lot and threw a lot of different schemes so I definitely had to be patient. With the offensive line doing a great job blocking and opening up seams, they sometimes open slow so I just had to be patient and wait for it.”
How that he’s “done the time” for “committing the crime,” is Herron a changed, more mature man? What did he learn from being forced to sit out the first six games?
“To think twice when making decisions. It really made me grow up as a man. Just looking at things a lot different and not taking anything for granted.”
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. Heโs also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
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