Cardale Jones

In the days before college football's first four-team playoff field was announced in 2014, there were doubts that Ohio State would even make the cut. The Buckeyes entered the Big Ten Championship ranked No. 5, and they were starting their seldom-used backup at quarterback. But by mid-January, the Buckeyes were hoisting the National Championship Trophy, led by that unlikely hero behind center: Cardale Jones. Growing up in inner-city Cleveland as part of a large, athletic family, Jones saw sports as a pathway out. The ecstatic joy Ohio State's 2002 national championship brought to his community made his goal clear: he would play for his home-state Buckeyes. In this revealing memoir, Jones reflects on his path to Columbus, to the pinnacle of college football, and beyond. He shares the selflessness of his guardian, Michelle Nash, as life at home got rough during his high school years. He recalls meeting assistant coach Tom Herman for the first time while at Fork Union, cramming two years of recruiting into an hour-long meeting.