Ohio State Tight End Mitch Rossi’s Touchdown Reception A Culmination Of Years Of Hard Work From Walk-On Turned Scholarship Player

"Nothing is given. Whether you’re a scholarship player or a walk-on, you have to earn it."

Ohio State fifth-year senior tight end Mitch Rossi caught his first career touchdown pass in Saturday’s 52-13 win over Rutgers. And while it was one of many scores for the Buckeyes on the afternoon, it meant more than that to Rossi and his family.

In fact, it was a culmination of several years of hard work for the Tennessee native, who who walked on to the football program in 2017 and cut his teeth on special teams for the last few seasons, all so that he could have an opportunity like the one that presented itself against the Scarlet Knights.

“I was just glad that Coach (Ryan) Day trusted me enough to call the play in the game, and moving forward, just continue to earn that trust,” Rossi said during his media availability on Tuesday afternoon. “Being able to be called on in an important part of the game is awesome. That’s really what I strive for every day.

“Usually, I’m not in the spotlight in the jobs that I normally do, so it was exciting. A lot of my teammates were really happy for me on the sidelines and in the champions meeting. It was awesome to have the support of everybody. It felt great.”

Who had @mitch_rossi5 scoring a TD early in the 2Q? 😍 pic.twitter.com/Ru76ZCPbiG

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) October 2, 2021

Rossi came to Columbus alongside his high school teammate, four-star offensive tackle Max Wray. And while Wray was the one that was highly recruited, it was actually Rossi who grew up a fan of the Buckeyes.

“This was a dream that I had my whole life,” Rossi said of playing at Ohio State, noting his parents are from Tiffin and Bay Village, Ohio. “It’s just one of those things when you get an opportunity, you can’t let it go. You just chase it and keep your head down, and now I’m here.”

Entering the season, Rossi has played in 22 games on special teams and in a limited role on offense. However, it was recently announced that he was put on scholarship by Day and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Kevin Wilson, an honor that only a handful of walk-on players have earned with the Buckeyes.

“It was an awesome feeling,” Rossi said. “It was kind of a testament to all the people who helped me get there. Really big for me and my parents. They made so many sacrifices for me to get here, and they’re here for every game. They’ve done so much for me, so it was a really special moment calling and telling them I got put on scholarship.

“They’ve see everything I’ve been through, and they know all the texts at night saying, ‘This is so hard.’ That’s my biggest support system and who I do it for.”

Rossi acknowledged his situation is unique, though, as he opted to return for an extra year of eligibility granted to all student-athletes amid the pandemic. Had he not received a scholarship, he wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to school and play for the Buckeyes this season.

“When you come to Ohio State as a walk-on, you have to embrace a role,” Day said. “Now, there’s also going to be an opportunity along the way, and you can see some of our guys getting on the field as walk-ons, and so those opportunities will be there. But you have to earn it.

“Nothing is given. Whether you’re a scholarship player or a walk-on, you have to earn it. And he’s earned it, so hats off to him.

Rossi’s role has expanded this year, as he’s played a total of 71 offensive snaps through the first five games of the season, lining up at both tight end and fullback. His catch doubled his career reception total, which included just one pass for eight yards in the 2019 victory over Maryland.

“He’s been in the program now for a while,” Day said. “He’s gone through offseason, he’s got himself stronger, he’s very intelligent, but he’s really developed as a football player. He plays with a great pad level and he’s got a unique skillset.

“He can do some different things for us. He’s got good ball skills, has a good football IQ, understands how we’re trying to attack defenses. He does a good job in the pass game and the run game, so a lot of versatility there. Having a mature guy who has been around a little bit is helping us.”

Rossi credits former walk-on turned scholarship players like linebacker Zach Turnure and wide receiver C.J. Saunders, as well as his fellow tight ends, for helping him get to this point in his career.

“You need brothers to lean on, and I had a bunch of guys like that who helped me see a path through,” Rossi said. “I think consistency has been huge, just being there every day. I learned a lot from Luke Farrell, Jeremy Ruckert and Jake Hausmann, and I think I’ve done a good job of observing, seeing what works, what’s been successful and trying to apply it to my own game.”

Few people, including Rossi, expected him to catch a touchdown pass during his career at Ohio State. But the moment he walked into the end zone to give the Buckeyes a 31-6 lead early in the second quarter, he not only exceeded everyone else’s expectations, but also the ones he once placed on himself.

“I was just happy to get the opportunity to come here,” Rossi said. “I could have chosen a lot of other paths, maybe easier routes, played sooner or even been just a normal college student. I was thinking about that, too.

“I just wanted to do something that I would be proud of, that would make me a better person as a whole and make my parents proud.”

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