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Reinhold
Matay – USA TODAY Sports
At this point, Nate Ebner should be used to having big plans on the first Sunday in February.
For
the fourth time in five years, Ebner and the New England Patriots are headed to
the Super Bowl, where they will face the Los Angeles Rams in this year’s NFL
championship game on Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
That hasn’t made it any less special for the
former Ohio State defensive back, though, as he prepares to compete for another
title.
“It’s extremely special,” Ebner told Eleven
Warriors. “We know how rare the opportunity is for anyone to get the
opportunity to play in the Super Bowl, but definitely looking forward to it and
trying to make the most of the opportunity.”
Having
previously won Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in 2015 and 2017, Ebner has a
chance to become just the second former Ohio State player to win three Super
Bowls. Mike Vrabel is the only previous Buckeye who has accomplished that feat,
winning a trio of Super Bowls – also with the Patriots – in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
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BUCKEYES WHO HAVE WON
MULTIPLE SUPER BOWLS
|
||
|
PLAYER
|
POSITION
|
TEAM(S)
(YEARS)
|
|
PAUL WARFIELD
|
WR
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Miami Dolphins (1973, 1974)
|
|
MORRIS BRADSHAW
|
WR
|
Oakland Raiders (1977, 1981)
|
|
JOHN FRANK
|
TE
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San Francisco 49ers (1985, 1989)
|
|
PEPPER JOHNSON
|
LB
|
New York Giants (1987, 1991)
|
|
WILLIAM ROBERTS
|
G
|
New York Giants (1987, 1991)
|
|
MIKE VRABEL
|
LB
|
New England Patriots (2002, 2004, 2005)
|
|
NATE EBNER
|
S
|
New England Patriots (2015, 2017)
|
|
MALCOLM JENKINS
|
S
|
New Orleans Saints (2010); Philadelphia
Eagles (2018)
|
The Patriots also went to the Super Bowl
last year, but lost to fellow former Ohio State defensive back Malcolm Jenkins
and the Philadelphia Eagles, 41-33. Ebner didn’t get to play in that game,
because his season ended early due to a torn ACL, so he had added motivation to
get another chance to play on the biggest stage this year.
“To be able to come right back the following
year and have another chance at it, I’m extremely fortunate for that,” Ebner
said.
When Ebner originally walked on to the Ohio
State football team in 2009, no one – not even himself – would have imagined
that he would end up playing in multiple Super Bowls. He didn’t even play
football in high school or in his first two years as a college student, though
he was a standout rugby player, joining the U.S. national team for several
international competitions.
Nate Ebner before his senior season at Ohio State in 2011.
“Nah, no way, man. Super Bowls weren’t even
on my mind back then,” Ebner said. “It was about doing the work just for me to
get on a team to be a part of the NFL and earn my spot. But to think down the
road that I would be a part of four Super Bowls, I can’t say that’s something I
really had envisioned.”
Even by the time he completed his three-year
Ohio State career in 2011, a lengthy career in the NFL seemed like a long shot.
While he did earn a scholarship prior to his senior season at Ohio State, he
only saw occasional playing time on defense for the Buckeyes.
Nonetheless, Ebner’s special teams prowess was enough for the New
England Patriots to select him in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and
he’s been a staple of the Patriots’ special teams units for the past seven
years, leading the team with 329 special teams snaps played this season.
He credits the culture of the Ohio State
football program, where he played for teams coached by Jim Tressel and Luke
Fickell, with effectively preparing him for the challenges he would face in the
NFL, setting him up for the success he has since had in the league.
“Being at Ohio State, you learn real quick
what it’s like to be a professional,” Ebner said. “You don’t mess around. The
meetings are no joke, practice is no joke, the weight room is no joke. Nothing
we do is a joke. It’s done at a very high standard, and it’s done consistently.
Day in and day out. And that’s what it takes to be a pro.”
Ebner is one of three former Buckeyes – all of whom
played together for Tressel in 2009 and 2010 – who will be playing in next
weekend’s Super Bowl. John Simon, who was signed by the Patriots in September,
and Jake McQuaide, who is in his eighth season as the Rams’ long snapper, are
both set to make their first Super Bowl appearances.
Ebner says he has enjoyed having another
Buckeye in the locker room this season, and says Simon has been a great fit in
New England.
“Me and John were pretty tight when we were
at Ohio State, and we’ve always when we could, we’ve always worked out
together,” Ebner said. “So we’ve always had a good relationship between the two
of us. And seeing what he’s gone through his first five or six years in the
league, and to come here and be a part of this, I’m glad I get to share it with
him.”
“BEING
AT OHIO STATE, YOU LEARN REAL QUICK WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL.”– NATE EBNER ON HOW BEING A BUCKEYE PREPARED HIM FOR THE NFL
For Ohio State’s current players who have
their own aspirations of playing in the NFL and succeeding at the highest
level, there might not be any better example of what perseverance can make
possible than Ebner. The Patriots’ honoree this year for the Ed Block Courage Award, Ebner had to overcome
personal tragedy – his father was murdered during an attempted robbery in
2008 – along with the long odds of being a walk-on to become a valuable
contributor at Ohio State and ultimately establish himself in the league.
Ebner’s advice to those current Buckeyes,
however, is not to think about what they could eventually achieve in the NFL,
but to focus on maximizing their opportunities at Ohio State now.
“Don’t think about any of that stuff, ‘cause
that stuff’s not what gets you there,” Ebner said. “To me, that was never ... I
just worked, that was it. Whatever it was they put me on the field to do, I
wanted to be the best that I could at it in the league, and just worked
extremely hard to do that. And make the most of the opportunities that come
your way.
“Outside of that, the rest is really outside
of your control. Thinking about trying to go to this team or that team or
trying to be a part of a Super Bowl team or whatever, that’s not in your
control. The things you can control are working hard and making the most of
your opportunities and then having a positive attitude and those types of
things. So that’s what I’ve focused on.”
