Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord isn't the first QB in his family, with his dad having his own ties to a different Big Ten program in the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
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McCord hasn't exactly inspired confidence in Buckeyes fans early in his college career. While he has been a part of big moments in crucial games against teams like Notre Dame and Penn State, McCord has yet to reach the potential and ability that previous Ohio State quarterbacks like Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, and even Cardale Jones were able to provide during their days at the elite college football program.
However, the young Ohio State quarterback has plenty of time to turn things around, and has a dad with his own experience of being a college quarterback.
Derek McCord, Kyle's dad, was a quarterback for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from 1988 to 1992. Before attending Rutgers, Derek attended Huntington High School and is known as one of the greatest athletes to ever play there, earning All-Long Island honors in football and earning All-County honors in both basketball and baseball.
During his four years at Rutgers, Derek would appear in nine games, throwing for 441 yards and three touchdowns. To add even more to this connection, current Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano was a member of the football staff in 1989 as a graduate assistant. Although no stats can be found on it, the elder McCord would go on to play professionally in Europe.
So, did the Rutgers have a chance to sign Kyle McCord? No, not really.
During Kyle's freshman year of high school, the Scarlet Knights did make an offer for him to follow in his father's footsteps. But the growth that led him to being a five-star recruit and Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year put him atop the nation and made him highly coveted by many of the top programs in college football. At that point, it was about what was best for Kyle and his future, with Derek saying, "There was just too big of a gap when you look at what Ohio State could offer compared to Rutgers."
The Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights have played nine times, with every matchup coming since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, and Ohio State has won all nine games. The two programs meet for the 10th time on Saturday, November 4 and are, and have been, in two different spots.
Despite where he himself played, it is pretty clear whom Derek McCord will be cheering for Saturday.
