Ohio State will be well-represented as the NFL playoffs continue into their second weekend of action. Eight former Buckeyes are on the active rosters of teams that will play Saturday or Sunday in two of the four divisional-round games of the 2013 NFL playoffs.
Former Buckeye linebacker A.J. Hawk and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett play for the Green Bay Packers, which will play the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday at 8 p.m. in San Francisco. The 49ers have four former Buckeyes on their roster: Right guard Alex Boone, linebacker Larry Grant, wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and strong safety Donte Whitner.
On Sunday, two of OSU’s four 2012 NFL draft picks will line up against one another. New England Patriots safety Nate Ebner, who plays almost exclusively on special teams, will play against the Houston Texans and wide receiver DeVier Posey Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Foxborough, Mass.
The other four teams still remaining in the NFL playoffs – Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons – do not have any OSU alumni on their roster.
Numerous Buckeyes played a significant role in their teams’ games in the opening round of the NFL playoffs.
Of those Buckeyes whose teams are still standing, Hawk and Pickett each had two total tackles in the Packers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings, while Posey had two special teams tackles in the Texans’ win against the Cincinnati Bengals. In a losing effort, Vikings wide receiver Michael Jenkins caught three passes for 96 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Former Buckeye cornerback Antoine Winfield had four total tackles for the Vikings, while former Buckeye and current Cincinnati safety Nate Clements had nine total tackles for the Bengals.
Defensive lineman Doug Worthington had one assisted tackle in the Washington Redskins’ Sunday loss to the Seahawks.