There will be at least one Buckeye in the Super Bowl this year. Thanks to the Los Angels Rams’ 26-23 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon, long snapper Jake McQuaide will be headed to the Super Bowl for the first time in his career. The Rams secured their passage to the Super Bowl thanks Greg Zuerlein , who hit a 57-yard field goal in the extra period to send McQuaide and the Rams to the Super Bowl.
The Cincinnati, Ohio native, who graduated from Elder High School before coming to Ohio State was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Rams in 2011 when the team still played its home games in
St. Louis. In his eight years in the NFL, McQuaide has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, once in 2016 and again last season
McQuaide was a walk-on for the Buckeyes beginning in 2006 but redshirted that season. McQuaide rotated with Dimitrios Makridis and Jackson Haas in 2007 before taking over the long snapper duties on punts and place kicks and earning a scholarship in 2008.
In 2018, McQuaide was the long snapper in every game for Los Angeles. This continued his streak of playing in every game of his NFL career. To date, McQuaide has played 112 regular season games and has tallied 1,037 clean snaps through first seven seasons. The former Buckeye has also made nine tackles on special teams throughout his eight-year career.
Over the last few years, the Saints have become a favorite for Buckeye fans because of the number of former Scarlet and Gray players on the roster. New Orleans is now home to seven former Ohio State stars in wide receivers Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr., cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore andEli Apple, safeties Vonn Bell and Kurt Coleman and quarterback J.T. Barrett.
