Eric Boggs
As Super Bowl LIX kicks off tonight in New Orleans, Ohio State fans don’t have much to cheer for—at least not in terms of former Buckeyes on the field. Despite consistently producing some of the best talent in college football and sending the second-most players to the NFL this season, Ohio State is at risk of going five straight years without having a player on a Super Bowl-winning roster.
However, there is one former Buckeye who will suit up for the Philadelphia Eagles tonight: wide receiver Parris Campbell.
The Buckeyes have not had a player on an active Super Bowl-winning roster since Darron Lee was part of the Kansas City Chiefs’ championship team five years ago. Jordan Fuller was a member of the Los Angeles Rams when they won Super Bowl LVI, but he was sidelined due to injury. This year, the Chiefs are aiming for an unprecedented three-peat, but they do so without a single Buckeye on their roster.
That leaves Campbell as Ohio State’s sole representative with a chance to break the drought. His NFL journey has been anything but smooth. After being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Campbell struggled with injuries, appearing in just 15 games over his first three seasons. A fully healthy 2022 campaign saw him catch 63 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns, but a move to the New York Giants in 2023 resulted in a disappointing season where he managed only 20 receptions for 104 yards.
Campbell’s career hit a crossroads when he failed to make the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster following the preseason. Facing an uncertain future, he even contemplated retiring from football. However, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni persuaded him to stay with the team on its practice squad. That decision has paid off, as Campbell has bounced between the active roster and practice squad throughout the season, appearing in five regular-season games and contributing six catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.
While Campbell has had a limited role in the playoffs—playing just eight offensive snaps in the NFC Championship Game—he will be in uniform tonight, ready for any opportunity that comes his way. If the Eagles win and Campbell takes the field for at least one play, he will be the first Buckeye to actively participate in a Super Bowl victory since Nate Ebner and John Simon won with the New England Patriots six years ago.
Despite the ups and downs of his professional career, Campbell remains proud to represent Ohio State on football’s grandest stage.
“Representing the city of Akron, representing my family, representing Ohio State … it’s just all come kind of full circle,” Campbell said in an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal earlier this week.
Campbell was part of Ohio State’s 2014 national championship team as a redshirt freshman and set a single-season school record with 90 receptions in 2018 before Jaxon Smith-Njigba surpassed that mark in 2021. Now, he has a chance to add a Super Bowl ring to his resume.
While Ohio State fans may not have the usual abundance of alumni to root for tonight, Campbell offers a reason to cheer. Whether or not he sees significant playing time, he represents the Buckeye legacy on the Super Bowl stage. If Philadelphia emerges victorious, Campbell will join the elite list of Buckeyes who have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
So for tonight, Ohio State fans may have to embrace a different chant: Fly Eagles Fly.
