COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Former Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison gave up spring-like temperatures in Georgia for winter conditions in Columbus during his offseason.
Harrison, an Olentangy Orange High School alum, finished his third year in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. And while he works in Atlanta, Columbus will always be his home.
“My family’s here,” he said. “I got Ohio State here, which is like a second family to me. I got connections here.”
Harrison played four seasons at Ohio State, and he said it has been special to share the NFL stage with former Buckeyes.
“Seeing Jack (Sawyer), I remember when they came in as freshmen,” he said. “Seeing Jack, JT (Tuimoloau), Ty (Hamilton), Tyleik (Williams). I have all those jerseys now in my collection. We learned together and grew together, and now being professionals together in the league is the coolest thing in the world.”
Harrison also pointed to the thrill of watching former teammates succeed at the highest level, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba winning a Super Bowl championship with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
“It was so, so cool to see somebody I know win a Super Bowl,” he said. “I know he works hard. He had a great season this year.”
Back home in Ohio, Harrison said he took pride in what his high school program accomplished this past year, when Olentangy Orange won its first state football title.
“I was bragging so much in the locker room,” Harrison said about his former high school team.
Harrison is also approaching the final year of his rookie contract and said he is focused on putting everything into the season.
“I just want to make sure I remember earlier just leave everything out there,” he said. “So whatever happens, I can live with it. If I get another four-year contract, like great, I can live with it. If it doesn’t happen, then I can live with that because I gave everything I had.
“It’s really just kind of controlling the effort and let God control the outcome.”
Harrison also joined ABC 6 Sports Director Dave Holmes on “The Script” podcast this week, discussing new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith — Harrison’s former head coach with the Falcons — along with NIL memories and more.
The Script podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.