Louisville or Ohio State?

There was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding senior defensive back/wide receiver Rodjay Burns’ decision on where to play football at the next level.

Burns verbally committed to the University of Louisville in March 2015 and was a lock there until things took a turn on Jan. 24. Burns took to Twitter to announce that he was going to decommit from the University of Louisville and commit to The Ohio State University.

Louisville did not give up on Burns and continued to pursue him all the way up to signing day. Because of Louisville’s continued interest and rumors of Burns flipping back to U of L, no one except Burns himself was absolutely certain which school he would pick on National Signing Day.

It became official on Feb. 3. The 2014 National Champions and 2015 Fiesta Bowl Champions picked up another big-time recruit as the 6-2, 180-pound Burns signed his national letter of intent with the Buckeyes.

Here is a quick look at what the Big Ten powerhouse is getting with a player like Burns. During Trinity’s 2015 season, Burns posted 44 catches for 744 total yards and 14 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, Burns made 22 tackles and had four interceptions as a defensive back.

The question weighing on the minds of many Louisville fans is why the sudden flip to OSU?

Well, Burns’ parents played a big part in his decision. Ultimately, Burns decided that it was best for him to leave Louisville and open himself up to new places and new experiences.

Burns said, “One thing was my parents wanted me to get away, just from the community itself and my hometown because I was going to stay at home. I thought (U of L) was a good school. But when I took my official (visit) to Ohio State, I learned more.   

“They showed me more and I felt like it was better. They did a better job than Louisville, and it was better there for me anyway. So I felt like it was going to be a good fit. I took my dad’s opinion and my mom’s opinion that it was best to just get out of the city, to get away and explore more and get away from here and just try to be different in life.”

During Burns’ official visit to OSU, current Ohio State defensive tackle Robert Landers showed Burns around and offered him advice. Landers made Burns comfortable with the possibility of attending OSU.

Burns said, “My host Robert Landers gave me a lot of pointers and tips and just stated facts. He didn’t go around nothing, try and lie about anything; he just basically told you the truth and was honest about everything. I really listened to him and was like ‘Yeah, I think this is the program for me and the school for me.’”

According to Burns, a combination of things attracted him to OSU, one of them being academics. Burns said, “Most of all the medical program. That’s my main reason why I’m going to the school. I got to talk to the dean of the medical program, and I thought it was going to be interesting.  It really caught my eye — and everything else as far as the football, the stadium, the dorms, etcetera.”

Burns’ certainly has set some high goals for his time at OSU. These goals include starting as a true freshman, winning a national championship, getting to the NFL and, first and foremost, getting a degree.

Burns said, “I hope to get a degree in the field that I’m majoring in. I hope to be successful in that first because school comes first — and hopefully the dream. Hopefully I should make it to the next level, the NFL. I’m talking in three years, three and a half years, just maybe win a couple of national championships with The Ohio State. Just whatever I can do to help out the team. Going in there and starting as a true freshman. I’m trying to set my goals high now, so I when I get there, I can achieve them.”

Burns is eager to test his abilities as a player at Ohio State.

Burns said, “I know my talent, but I fully don’t know it. You go off to college, and it’s not the same as high school. You’re going to develop more as a man. You are going to play with other men, so I can really say I don’t know. I know I’m talented, I have good athleticism, but it’s more for me to find out myself and for everyone else, too.”   

Trinity Athletics Director Rob Saxton is pleased to see Burns make the jump to the next level.

Saxton said, “As Trinity fans saw these last few years, Rodjay is a talented player who was able to perform at a high level on offense, defense and special teams. At the same time, anyone that knows Rodjay can tell you what a fine young man he is as well.  His coaches and teammates felt blessed to have such a good football player, a good teammate and a good person on the team.”

Saxton said Burns continued the tradition of excellence at Trinity.

Saxton said, “Like many Trinity football players before Rodjay, and many Trinity football players after Rodjay, he has left a positive impression on and off the field, both as a person and as a high-performing football player.”

Saxton wishes Burns the best as he moves on to the next level of academics and athletics. Saxton said, “I hope that Rodjay is able to pursue whatever his dreams at OSU might be as a healthy, happy and successful college student-athlete.”

According to Burns, his friends, family and faith helped him through his recruiting process.

Burns said, “I want to thank a lot of friends that go to my school for their opinions. Coaches, fans, family, whoever stuck close by me and just gave me their opinions on everything. At the end of the day, I didn’t just base my opinion on what I think. I used everybody else’s opinion and talked to everyone else — coaches, friends, family, everyone. I want to thank God because I prayed about it, and it came down to be the best decision for me.”