Ryan Day didn't have good news to discuss at Monday's press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Former Buckeye quarterback Dwayne Haskins tragically passed away at age 24 after being struck by a car over the weekend, and upon taking the podium at the start of the week, Day offered his thoughts and memories on his late pupil.
For a rundown of everything Day said about the record-setting Ohio State passer and first-round NFL draft pick, check out the bullet points below.
Ryan Day
- Day says it was a "very, very difficult weekend for all of us" after hearing the Haskins news. Day says a lot of players that played with Haskins "are hurting."
- "It's hard to wrap your mind around this. ... He was like a big brother to R.J. (Day). He meant a lot to my family, he meant a lot to this program."
- Day says Haskins "uplifted others" with his "infectious smile," and had an "old soul." Day says he was a "man of faith" and had "good integrity and values." Day says Haskins "really grew up" in the 52-51 overtime win over Maryland in 2018.
- "Dwayne really kickstarted the way that we've thrown the ball and the passing game here. ... He was 11 years old walking through this facility and said, 'This is what I'm gonna do,' and he did it."
- Day says the Buckeyes will honor Haskins at the spring game Saturday, but that they're still figuring out how they will do that.
- Day says "Buckeye nation meant a lot to Dwayne."
- "He always knew that this was gonna happen to him and he walked with confidence like that. ... He just had that way about him, and that gives you confidence as a coach."
- "I think the receivers believed in him as a player. I think that was important." Day says Haskins led in a different way than previous quarterbacks at Ohio State.
- Day says he was in the car with his son the other day but "didn't really have anything good to tell him." Day says "something like this is difficult to explain."
- On Haskins' family, Day says they're "crushed" and that he wants to respect that.
- When asked if he would be Ohio State's head coach right now if not for Haskins' 2018 season, Day says "probably not."
- Day says Haskins' smile, compassion and "look in his eye" are all things that stand out most about him. Day says "the quick twitch in his upper half was just unbelievable."
- Day says Haskins had a "calming way about him" that would ease his own anxieties before games in 2018.
- Day says Kamryn Babb led the Buckeyes in prayer after a meeting discussing Haskins this morning.
- "He left a legacy even at 24 years old, and I think that says so much about who he was as a person."
- Day says Haskins was a "big brother" to Justin Fields and even to C.J. Stroud.
- Days says the "most significant conversation" he had with Haskins recently was when he was getting the opportunity to "reset" with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and says he talked with Mike Tomlin at that time as well.
- On the Buckeye quarterback room in the spring of 2018, Day says it was "hard to get everybody reps," and it was a "fight to see who could get the answer first" in the meeting room.
- Day on Haskins' relationship with Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon: "All those guys are crushed right now. Really hurting. There was a special relationship there."
- Is Haskins the mold for a quarterback Day looks on the recruiting trail? "Certainly the way he threw the ball, yeah. ... He obviously kickstarted all of it."
- "I don't really think he thought of himself first. He was constantly thinking about his friends and his family. However, he wanted to be great. He did."
- "He was able to take an environment that was very stressful and make it fun. ... He just had that way about him."
