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Ohio State officially adds former DB as director of player development
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Ohio State has made the hire official, formally introducing C.J. Barnett as the next director of player development for the Buckeyes’ football program. He was a former defensive back.
Barnett was hired to replace Ryan Stamper, who left Columbus for a spot on Urban Meyer’s staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day released a statement on Monday.
“C.J. is the perfect fit for what we were looking for in terms of our player development position,” Day said in a statement. “We’ll miss Ryan Stamper, as he helped our program become the standard when it comes to helping players prepare for life and success off the field. C.J. is going to come in and build onto that standard and enhance it, too. His experiences as a player and as a member of the Columbus Police Department make him exactly the kind of person our players can learn and grow from. We’re thrilled that he’s back with our program.”
Barnett was a member of Ohio State’s secondary from 2010-13. He appeared in 44 career games and made 36 starts during his time in Columbus and is credited with 224 tackles and 8 interceptions.
Barnett was most recently a member of the Columbus Division of Police, where he has been serving the last three years.
“I am really pleased to be coming back to work for a program that has given so much to me,” Barnett said. “I look forward to using my experiences to become a trusted advocate and resource for our players in all areas of their lives. I look forward to getting to work for Coach Day and this staff, and on behalf of the players, and to help grow the already strong culture that exists in this program.”
Barnett is expected to officially start his new position on Wednesday.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB