Something to Prove? Buckeyes Denzel Burke and Josh Proctor Have Goals For Spring Game
The Ohio State Buckeyes Spring Game is often looked at as a practice in Ohio Stadium that is open to the public.
However, this year's scrimmage will be an important opportunity for two Buckeye cornerbacks to test themselves ahead of the season opener against Indiana on September 2.
Denzel Burke will be taking part in his first action since recovering from a variety of injuries, including one to his hand, that kept him sidelined for the majority of last season. Burke said his ailments limited what he was able to do during the 2022-23 campaign, but now that he's back, he's ready to go.
"Physically, I couldn't do a lot of things," Burke said. "I'm healthy this year. I thank God, so God willing, I'll just stay healthy all year."
Switching his focus to his unit as a whole, Burke said he and the rest of the Ohio State cornerbacks are looking to the Spring Game as an opportunity to show the Buckeye faithful that they have returned to being worthy of their self-given, the "Best in America" (BIA).
"We just want to show that BIA is back, and we're not leaving anything to chance this year," Burke said.
Josh Proctor was on the verge of declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft following last season but chose to return to the Buckeyes for another year.
Proctor says his decision between coming back to Ohio State and leaving for the draft was "50/50," but that he made the right call in the end.
"(I) didn't think too much about it and tried to think a lot about it at the same time," Proctor said. "At the end of the day, I trusted God. I prayed day in and day out and I made the best decision at the end of the day."
One of the aspects of returning to Columbus that brought the 24-year-old safety was a chance to be a leader on the team. This was important to Proctor, who cited it as the main reason he came back for the 2023-24 season.
"The deciding factor for me was just having a chance to help these younger guys and really just take on a leadership role," Proctor said. "I feel like that was really where I decided that 'yeah, this was the place for me.'"
The Spring Game will be the first instance outside of practice where Proctor can show in front of the fans what kind of leader he is, and how he can support his teammates in a game setting.
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