Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord said during his media session at the NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 28 that he was happy to see the Buckeyes win the national championship a year after he transferred to Syracuse, a move that he believes worked out for both parties.
“It was awesome,” McCord said when asked about the Buckeyes’ title game win. “Obviously, those are my guys, so seeing them accomplish that goal was sweet, knowing how bad they worked for it. I had a great year and they had a great year, so it was just cool to see everybody win, to be honest.”
McCord set an ACC passing yards record in his one season with the Orange, throwing for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns to elevate his NFL draft stock. He is now projected to go in the middle rounds of the draft in April.
McCord, who finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting this season, preferred not to get into the details of his transfer from Ohio State at the combine, but did say that he still has a lot of respect for Day.
“Obviously it wasn’t an easy conversation, and he’s someone that I respect a ton. So I’m going to keep the details of that private,” McCord said. “But like I said, it was cool seeing him win. Then his son, RJ Day, reached out to me and congratulated me on a great season as well. I know people try to make it seem like we hate each other or whatever, but that’s not the case at all. I know I was rooting for him all season long and I know he was rooting for me as well.”
He said it wasn’t an easy decision to leave Ohio State, but it’s one he’s ultimately glad he made.
“When you pour three years of blood, sweat and tears into a program and you create a lot of great relationships there with the players, the coaching staff and the support staff, it wasn’t an easy decision to leave,” he said. “But I think it worked out for me, it worked out for them, so I think all-around it was the right thing to do.”
