Under the dim lights of the Ohio Stadium press room, freshman superstar Jeremiah Smith stood at the podium, voice trembling, tears streaming down his face. Flanked by head coach Ryan Day and a silent line of teammates (helmets off, eyes red), the 18-year-old phenom delivered the devastating news no one saw coming.
“My mom… Erica… she passed away this morning,” Smith said, barely able to get the words out. “She was my everything. My best friend. The reason I play this game. She fought so hard, but cancer took her from us.”
The room fell silent except for muffled sobs. Will Howard wrapped an arm around Smith’s shoulders. Carnell Tate bowed his head and wept openly. Even the usually stoic Ryan Day wiped away tears.
Erica Smith, 42, had been privately battling an aggressive form of breast cancer for the past 14 months. She was a fixture at every Ohio State game this season, always in the same spot in Section 15A, wearing her son’s No. 4 jersey and cheering louder than anyone in the Horseshoe. She was there for the one-handed grab against Penn State, there for the rout of UCLA, and she promised Jeremiah she’d be in the stands for The Game against Michigan.
She never made it.
“She told me before the UCLA game, ‘Go be great, baby. I’ll be watching,’” Jeremiah said through tears. “I scored that touchdown for her. I didn’t know it would be the last time.”
After the announcement, Ryan Day spoke softly:
“Football doesn’t matter tonight. Family does. Jeremiah is one of the toughest human beings I’ve ever coached, and right now he needs us more than ever. We’ll carry him, just like he’s carried this team all year.”
The entire Ohio State roster has dedicated the remainder of the season to Erica. Players have already placed “ES4❤️” decals on their helmets, and the Block O will form her initials before kickoff against Rutgers.
Jeremiah ended the press conference with one final message:
“She always said, ‘Leave it all on the field, because tomorrow isn’t promised.’ I’m going to play the rest of this season for my mom. Every route, every catch, every block… it’s for her.”
The Buckeyes are 11-0, ranked No. 2 in the nation, and headed to the biggest Michigan game in years. But tonight, wins and losses feel impossibly small.
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