Ohio State sophomore safety Lathan Ransom (12) signals no touch during the Ohio State-Maryland game on Oct. 9. Ohio State won 66-17. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
When third-year safety Lathan Ransom went down in the second quarter of No. 6 Ohio State’s 48-45 win over No. 11 Utah in last season’s Rose Bowl, he knew that he wouldn’t be playing football for the foreseeable future.
After Ransom was carted off the field with a broken leg, he felt uncertain on whether or not he would be the same football player again. Available for week one, the work he’s put into recovery throughout the offseason drew praise from his coaches and teammates.
“Lathan has had one of the best camps I’ve seen since I’ve been in this program,” fourth-year safety Ronnie Hickman said. “He came back and forth from his injury and he’s just been balling. Just seeing those strides, and become the player I know he is, is huge.”
His road to recovery was one that tested him both physically and mentally. Ransom said his leg injury was the worst moment of his life — one that leaves an impact on him months later.
“That was definitely the most traumatizing and worst thing that’s happened to me,” Ransom said. “I knew it was broken immediately. I mean everyone’s thinking the worst at that moment, and I definitely was.”
Throughout his rehabilitation process, the Tucson, Arizona, native said there were moments where he doubted himself and whether he would be the same player he was before the injury. He did not bear that burden alone, as he said his family helped ease the mental stress he endured throughout the offseason.
While most of his teammates were getting reps on the field, Ransom did everything he could off the field in order to improve his game and prepare for his return.
“I knew that I couldn’t do the physical things that everyone else could do,” Ransom said. “So I tried to improve my game mentally. I’ve came up and created a better understanding of the game I didn’t have last year.”
His hard work paid off.
“The thing that nobody really saw was his work ethic,” safeties coach Perry Eliano said. “I saw that. We talk a lot about unseen hours and unrequired work, and he’s a young man that puts that in each and every day. That’s a unique skill set and a unique toughness he has.”
After returning to the field, Ransom did not wait to leave his mark on new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Knowles said Monday the team is “up to about 75 percent” into learning the new defensive playbook.
While the team adjusts to the defense’s new schemes, it’s Ransom who Knowles sees as an immediate standout.
“He sees the forest through the trees,” Knowles said. “He’s had an exceptional camp. He plays at a fast tempo, and he’s never wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, but he’s usually never wrong.”
In addition to the praise from his new coordinator, the third-year safety is currently the only two-time Silver Bullet Defender of the Day Award winner, which is given out by Knowles to acknowledge which defender stands out the most during team practice.
Once he returned to the field, Ransom said he wanted to show everyone that he’s coming back the same player. His standout performances at multiple positions during practice led to coaches praising his versatility, a trait he takes pride in.
“I see myself playing any role they ask me to play,” Ransom said. “Since I’ve got here, I’ve been very versatile. Everything they’ve asked me to do I’ve tried to do to the best of my ability. And whatever the defense needs me to do this year, I’m going to do it.”
