Ohio State's Jack Sawyer wears a "JBS Strong" ribbon as the late mentor teenager

Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer has officially become an Ohio legend.

Before the senior defensive end made history and sealed the game against Texas with an 83-yard fumble recovery touchdown on Jan. 10, sending the Buckeyes to the national championship, he was already there for a teenager battling cancer a legend.

The mentor teen contacted Sawyer on Instagram a year before he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone and soft tissue cancer, during his freshman year of high school.

At the time, Sawyer was still playing high school football at Pickerington North. Aside from the fact that Sawyer became an OSU icon as a high school student, the teenager was drawn to Sawyer for a random reason.

The two boys had the same name.

As the younger Sawyer battled soft tissue cancer and the elder Sawyer began his college football career, the two exchanged messages and FaceTime calls, according to Matt and Dawn Sawyer, the younger boy’s parents.

No. 33 even sent the boy a care package with a handwritten note and Buckeyes gear, they said.

“He was our only child, and we tried for six years to have him,” Dawn Sawyer said of her son, who she said was wise beyond his teenage years.

“He said, ‘I’m not afraid to die. I’m afraid of leaving my parents.’ “

The Northeast Ohio teen lived by “PACE,” or “Positive Attitude Changes Everything.” The motto gave him strength and courage throughout his treatment at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Dawn Sawyer said.

“I complained via text message to some friends I went to high school with,” she said. “I felt sorry for Jack. Matt and I felt sorry for each other. I felt sorry for our family. And they said, ‘Think about PACE.’ “

“I said, ‘Oh my God,’ and I looked at Jack and said, ‘PACE: Positivity changes everything.’ And he said, “That’s going to be my motto on this trip.” And seriously, he lived by that principle for 18 months and so some days he remained very, very strong as Matt and I.

In the final months of his life, the younger Sawyer watched as the Ohio State defensive end wore a “JBS Strong” armband in his honor at every game.

On November 5, 2023, the younger Jack Sawyer lost his battle with cancer.

The year after his death, the elder Jack Sawyer continued his legacy.

The Ohio State football captain gained national prominence with a fumble recovery that became his first college career touchdown in November, exactly a year after his young friend’s death, helping to cement his place in Buckeyes history the 83-yard fumble recovery against the Longhorns — all with the memory of the younger Sawyer by his side.

Sawyer attended the first Jack B. Sawyer Memorial Golf Outing in June, where the late boy’s parents said they finally met him in person.

“I said, ‘Jack saw you putting your bracelet on and was just amazed that you took the time to do that,'” Matt Sawyer said.

“He said, ‘Mr. Sawyer, your son has been a hero of mine because when I’m practicing and I feel like I have nothing left to give and I’m at the absolute end of my energy, I think about your son and what.’ what he’s going through, and if Jack could persevere through his treatments and be strong and brave, then I will too. There will never be a game where I don’t do that.’”

This year’s golf outing will be held June 21 at noon at St. Denis Golf Club, 10660 Chardon Road, Chardon. The Sawyer parents are also extending their memorial scholarship for Mentor High School students for a second year, as would have been their own infant son’s senior year.

Aside from their name, the two Jack Sawyers also have other notable similarities.

Dawn Sawyer said she believes No. 33 is her Jack’s angel number because he was randomly assigned to be buried in Section 33 of the cemetery. The first Ohio State football game the Sawyer parents went to after their son’s death was the Nov. 9 game in which the Ohio State captain scored his first touchdown of his college career.

Dawn Sawyer said she also believes Jack left her with a mission: to carry on his legacy.

“When he first died, I had a hard time,” she said. “I was a mother, so it was hard for me to figure out what my goal would be. I think we’re coming to the realization that it’s his legacy. If this platform or any other platform can help raise awareness about Ewing sarcoma, then let’s do it.”

After losing their only son, Matt and Dawn Sawyer said they had “so much joy” supporting the Ohio State player with whom he shared a name. They said the Ohio State defensive end not only represents a lasting connection to their son, but that he is also a young man with character worth supporting.

“He’s going to be in the NFL and he has so much going on in his life, but taking the time to connect with my son who’s been through a tough time and what that means on a human level is immeasurable.” says Matt Sawyer said. “He will probably make millions of dollars and at the end of the day, nothing is as important as his connection to people.”

Sophia Veneziano is a Columbus Dispatch reporter supported by the Columbus Foundation’s Center for HumanKindness. She can be reached at [email protected].

Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer wears a “JBS Strong” ribbon as the late mentor teenager

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

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