The night before the first time he went under the knife J.T. Barrett stood on the field behind Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, trying to hang on to his denial.
His mind was as torn as the ligaments in his knee. He knew the scholarship to Ohio State and his future in football weren’t worth risking. In his heart, though, he believed he could play out the rest of his senior season at Rider. Barrett was convinced his ACL was sturdy enough to carry him and the rest of his team to a championship.