Welcome to the Skull Session.
Caleb Downs – good at football.
Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs Last Season:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 4, 2025
509 Coverage Snaps
Zero TDs Allowed
52.6 Passer Rating Allowed
85.0 Coverage Grade
86.4 Run Defense Grade pic.twitter.com/zUCn7htBWg
Have a good Monday.
“WE’VE MET BEFORE.” In a recent appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay podcast with Rece Davis and Pete Thamel, Ryan Day revealed he has a connection to comedian Adam Sandler, albeit a small one.
Both Day and Sandler attended Manchester Central High School in New Hampshire. Sandler graduated 12 years before Day and three years after former Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Day said. “We all kind of grew up – and my wife, too – all within a mile radius of each other.”
Because of their age difference, Day described his relationship to Sandler as “secondhand.”
“We’ve met before,” Day said. “When I was young, and he was kind of coming up and those first few movies started coming out. And then my father-in-law (Stan Spirou) taught him at Central. My father-in-law was a social studies teacher, and he had him as a student. So, indirectly, we’re all friendly.”
Day continued: “One time, I went by his house when I was in middle school, and he was shooting hoops, and that was one of the experiences we had together. I went in and shot hoops with him for a little while. At the time, he had this tape out — you guys probably don’t remember this — but it was like ‘Tool Booth Willie.”
“Oh, I remember ‘Tool Booth Willie,’” Thamel interrupted.
For those who don’t, like me, here it is:
“That’s it, so that was around that time,” Day laughed. “But he was a good basketball player.”
“IT JUST COMES WITH THE JOB.” Another great moment in Day’s podcast appearance came when Davis asked Day to share what has changed the most about his life since becoming Ohio State’s head coach in 2019.
“It’s pictures,” Day answered. “It’s just amazing. Wherever you go, people want pictures.”
With each passing season, but especially Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season, Day said fan photo requests have “become a little more amplified.”
“You try to be as gracious as you can, especially with young people who are fans,” he said. “It just comes with the job.”
While Day loves to grant as many requests as possible, he has found a solution to the increasing demands: Frequent the same places – that way, the people around him are used to his presence.
Familiar or not, Day asks for one thing when photo requests come: Don’t ask Nina to take them.
“Asking my wife to take the picture of somebody is usually not going to go very well,” Day laughed. “I try to get out in front of that pretty good.”
Smart man.
BAKER LOVES BRUNCH. When Emeka Egbuka arrived in Tampa, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and his wife, Emily, welcomed him and his family to the Sunshine State with a brunch.
“He immediately asked me for Emeka’s number and he said, ‘When is he getting in?” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told Adam Schein last week. “He came in – we flew in Emeka and his family on Friday. And on Saturday morning, Baker and his wife picked them all up and took them out to brunch just to show ‘em around and get to know them. He didn’t have to do that. And he probably doesn’t want me even telling anybody that. He does that under the radar without wanting any fanfare for it.”
I'm sorry, Baker, but I’m adding to the fanfare because this kind gesture deserves praise.
Love this. Baker and Emily took @EgbukaEmeka and his family out to brunch when they arrived in Tampa some OL there also.
— Missy (@Melissa_OU6) April 30, 2025
Photo from Emekas dad pic.twitter.com/9joagS4koA
The Mayfields and the Egbukas ate brunch at the Tampa Club. The party included Egbuka’s father Henry, his mother Rhonda Ogilvie and stepfather Eric Ogilvie, along with Buccaneers vice president of player engagement Duke Preston, right tackle Luke Goedeke, right guard Cody Mauch, left guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton.
When asked about Mayfield at his introductory press conference, Egbuka shared his excitement to catch passes from a former Heisman winner.
“There are not too many people who have that achievement, and he’s done great things as well in the league. He’s had successful receivers all the way around him, so I’m just excited to be able to learn and grow with him at the helm of everything I’m doing (with) a seasoned vet like he is,” Egbuka said. “We were able to talk briefly. He texted me here shortly after I got drafted so it’s just good to know that he’s excited with the pick as well and I just can’t wait to get to work.”
CONGRADULATIONS. Fourteen football players were among 212 current and former athletes to graduate from The Ohio State University on Sunday.
The Incredible Dan Hope™ posted an article that broke down each of the graduates here, but I just have to feature how cool it was that JT Tuimoloau and Carson Hinzman (and some others, I am sure) wore their national championship rings to the ceremony inside their stadium!
Congrats to all of the Graduating Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/qHrwDGz1NR
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 4, 2025
Graduation with a little to it
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 4, 2025
#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Yfm88YsE31
That’s legen – waitforit – dary.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Heaven" - The Walkmen.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Burro racing wins over runners in backcountry ode to mining history... A 3-foot difference didn’t stop a horse-size Great Dane and tiny chihuahua from becoming friends... Ronan the head-bobbing sea lion proves animals can keep a beat... Box Office: Marvel's ‘Thunderbolts*’ kicks off summer movie season with $76 Million debut (I saw it and it was great!).
