GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — When Ohio State takes the field on Monday night, there will be eight former high school players from Georgia playing for the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta.
That includes Caleb Downs, who is considered one of the best defensive players in college football.
“I feel like Georgia has the best high school football out the competition level. The coaching is at a really high level and it creates a lot of players. Especially in Gwinnett County, they do a really good job there,” Downs said.
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Downs grew up playing football at Mill Creek High School. He was even one of Channel 2′s Athletes of the Week.
Now, he has a chance to the win a college football national championship on the same field where he’s watched the Atlanta Falcons play.
“It’s a real honor. And it comes full circle, really just knowing that everybody that has put in there and has put in to me has seen it come to fruition,” Downs said.
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Jordan Hancock, one of his teammates, is from Suwanee. He played at North Gwinnett High School and played against Downs in high school.
Hancock says he played a big role in Downs transferring to Ohio State.
“After he hit the portal, I called him and he was from there. He came Buckeyes, so I’m happy for him,” he said.
“Knowing that I have people here that I can rely on was a it was a really big thing for me and it allowed me to feel comfortable here faster today,” Downs said.
Hancock was also kind enough to share a fun fact about his teammate, too.
“He loves watching the shows, like he’s always watching the TV show, like always,” he said.
“I would say ‘Blacklist’ is one of the best shows on Netflix. I watched ‘Prison Break’ recently. ‘Out of Power.’ I’ve been watching that recently, too,” Downs said.
Downs has at least one more year to play college football. After that, he will decided whether to continue his college career or his family’s legacy of playing in the NFL.
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