Ohio State’s Payton Pierce Shares Ryan Day’s Unique Offseason Activity for Buckeyes

Ohio State football will be back in action in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, head coach Ryan Day is making sure the players stay engaged. Day is taking on the role of a high school teacher and assigning the players certain tasks that don't involve football, such as reading a book.

Ohio State linebacker Payton Pierce appeared on BIGPLAY's "Bobby Carpenter Show" on Monday and talked about the summer reading.

Ohio State players are enjoying their summer reading

Pierce said last year Day asked them to read 'Chop Wood Carry Water,' but this year's reading is 'Legacy, ' and it has been going well.

"We're reading 'Legacy' right now," Pierce said. "I think we are on Chapter 12. It's been really good. It's about learning about the all-Black rugby team. And it's super cool; last year, 'Chop Wood Carry Water' was interesting to learn about, and then this year with 'Legacy' it's longer chapters. So we have a player come up and speak about the chapter every couple of days, and it's been cool watching a lot of the guys who aren't as vocal get to step up and speak in front of the team."

Ryan Day assigns his players books to read over the summer

"We have a player come up and speak about the chapter every couple of days"

-LB Payton Pierce

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It's pretty cool to see all the Ohio State players come together and participate in team bonding activities, like reading a book. Sometimes, the little things, like reading as a team, can bring everyone closer. As Pierce mentioned, it has been great to see guys who aren't as vocal come out of their shells, and that will go a long way when the players are on the field together.

Ryan Day is growing on and off the field as head coach

Day is developing into his own as a head coach, and actions like assigning books for the players to read over the summer demonstrate how much progress he has made since becoming the head coach of the Buckeyes in 2019.

A few years ago, many questioned if Day was the right man for the Ohio State head coaching job after the Buckeyes lost to Michigan for four straight years. However, he went on to win a national championship in the 2024 season, and now many are asking if he is one of the best coaches in the sport.

Day faces significant competition in the Big Ten, with excellent head coaches such as Curt Cignetti at Indiana, Matt Campbell at Penn State, Dan Lanning at Oregon, Lincoln Riley at USC and Kyle Whittingham at Michigan. Therefore, Day will need to continue improving every day to keep up with them.

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