From the classroom to the field: A week in the life of Ohio State O-Lineman Donovan Jackson
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It’s not usually the best look to start an interview by pushing it back half an hour, but Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson had a good excuse. When I found out that Jackson was doing an event with the patients at the James Cancer Hospital here in Columbus, I felt foolish for having even the slightest bit of annoyance. Jackson had carved out time both to engage with patients and sit down with me for an interview on a Friday, before a full day of classes and team walkthroughs. Our conversation also came just 24 hours prior to Jackson and Ohio State’s 63-10 victory against Western Kentucky in Week 3.
Jackson, a 20 year-old offensive lineman and Sport Industry major, joined The Ohio State Football team in June of 2021 with a resume stacked with the accolades of a five-star prospect. Jackson was ranked the #1 player in Texas, #17 overall regardless of position, and #31 in Sports Illustrated’s list of the 100 best players in the 2021 class, per Ohio State’s website.
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“I didn’t really place much importance on that because when I came in, there were four other five-stars in my room,” Jackson said when asked about the pressure (or confidence) that he drew from his rankings entering college. “It was Nick [Petit-Frere], Paris Johnson Jr., Thayer Munford Jr., Dawand [Jones]… a lot of guys who are in the league now. So there was no sense of ‘Oh I got this’ type deal. I had to make freshman mistakes, I had to learn from it, and then grow from there.”
At 6 '4”, the 320 pound left guard played in all 13 games his freshman season and started all 13 games as a sophomore in 2022. At the same time, he made a name for himself in the classroom as an Academic All-Big Ten honoree and Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar.
For the top players in the nation, the buildup to the season starts well before the academic year. In summer 2023, Jackson also chose to take up an internship with Ohio State Department of Athletics fan experience and promotions team. In order to fit this in, a typical weekday included: lift from 6:30-8:00am – “On a good day,” – work for two hours, attend in-person math class from 12:00-1:30pm, return to work for almost two more hours, and go to team practice from 3:30-6:00pm. “At that point, everyone else in the office was already gone,” Jackson recalled. “So I would go home and do stuff online to try to fill in the hours.”
While it’s easy to idolize and criticize collegiate athletes on the weekends, it’s much harder to remember that these same players are living full lives in the classroom and around campus on the weekdays. Not many people heading into Legal Aspects of Sport 4607 on Monday are coming off the high of a game in front of the largest fanbase in college football two days prior. Not many 20 year-olds play sports on national television and receive threats from strangers on social media if they're unhappy with their performance. Even among athletes, few compete at the elite level where bets are regularly placed on their team’s outcome. While there is beauty and privilege that comes with being an athlete at Ohio State, it’s important to recognize these players for the students and people that they are off the field.
With No. 6 Ohio State looking to bring their season’s record to 4-0 this Saturday against No. 9 Notre Dame, Jackson agreed to an interview to give a glimpse into what his typical week looks like leading up to game day. As you’ve read, before this Friday morning interview began, on the eve of Ohio State’s matchup with Western Kentucky, Jackson and some of his teammates, along with Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye, had already made the trip to the James Cancer Hospital. Jackson said they spent time entertaining the patients, who were Ohio State fans, and “trying to brighten their days because being in that building… every day is a fight for them.”
After Donovan concluded his Friday morning interview with me, he went on to attend class and the team’s walk through. On Saturday, he helped power the Buckeyes offense to a season-high 63 points and a 3-0 record with a trouncing of Western Kentucky. And on Sunday, he was back at practice.
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So what does an Ohio State offensive lineman’s week entail before being in the spotlight of national television coverage on the weekend? Ahead of the Buckeye’s matchup with the Fighting Irish, Saturday at 7pm ET on NBC and Peacock, the left guard broke down a Monday through Friday that is not for the faint of heart.
Monday
Monday is Jackson’s day off… if there’s ever a true off day for the student-athlete. A typical Monday includes going into the facility for film review, recovery and treatment, and lots of homework: “I try to do as much homework as possible so I don’t have to worry about it during the week.”
Tuesday
Jackson gave a deep-dive on his Tuesday schedule, which is pivotal – the physical and mental gears require an immediate shift to get through the rigorous but rewarding week ahead. Jackson will prepare for the next two days of practice to be intense and physical – Tuesday and Wednesday are considered the team’s fast, hitting days. An average Tuesday for this offensive lineman looks something like this:
8:00am: Wake Up
9:35-10:55am: Research in Sport Class
11:10am-12:25pm: Sport Law Class
12:30pm: Head to the facility to eat the meals that are prepared for them.
2:00pm: Weigh-In
2:30-3:30pm: Team Meeting
3:30-6:30pm: Practice
6:30-8:00pm: Dinner and Treatment at the facility
“I take a while after practice,” Jackson said. “I do treatment afterwards because, you know, your body gets beat up. It’s a very physical sport.”
When he gets home, Jackson spends about 30-40 minutes watching film from practice before finally getting time to crank out some homework. He aims to be in bed before 11pm so that he can “wake up and do it all over again.”
Wednesday
Wednesdays look a lot like Tuesdays, with another physically demanding day of hitting in practice. It’s the day that drives home how essential the early-week treatment and homework sessions are to be ready for the mid-week grind.
Thursday
Thursday’s practice is known as the speed to fit day, which Jackson describes as the more relaxed day of the week. In his highly technical definition, “We’re all running around but we’re not banging into each other as much.”
Friday
Friday is the team’s travel day. The Buckeyes will finish classes and walkthrough at their own facility before chartering to South Bend around 6pm.
Saturday’s meeting with Notre Dame will be Ohio State’s first game against a ranked opponent in 2023, and will likely be a true test on the road in South Bend, but for Jackson it’s another day in another week of the high-velocity life of a college football player. “I’m just playing hard with great effort,” he said. “Nothing really changes for this week, just trying to be the best I can be.”
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After the game Saturday, the Buckeyes will travel back to Columbus that night, return to practice on Sunday, and start the week all over again on Monday.
“I’m very critical of how I play,” Jackson said. “So even if I play really well, I’m still critical of it. If the team’s success is good then I get really happy about that… [but] usually on Sunday, we wipe the slate clean and go on from there.”
How to watch No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes vs No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When: Saturday, September 23rd
Where: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (pregame coverage begins at 7:00pm ET)
TV Network: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
About the Author
Hannah Oliveros is a senior at The Ohio State University majoring in Communication Technology and pursuing a career as a social media manager for either a collegiate or professional team. She was on The Ohio State Women’s Gymnastics team throughout her first 3 seasons before having to medically retire in her last year.
Hannah is currently in her second year as an intern for Ohio State Athletics’ Digital Media team in which she launched @ohiostateathletics TikTok account and continues to take photos and post content for a variety of different sports’ games ranging from men’s soccer to women’s field hockey. With a main focus in digital media, Hannah was enthusiastic to be given the opportunity to branch out to a little bit of sports journalism.
