 "Photo: Zach Tuggle / The Lantern")
As 105,455 spectators held their breath, Devin Barclay sent a 39-yard field goal soaring through the uprights.
The junior kicker had sealed the Buckeyes’ fifth straight Big Ten Title with his overtime kick against Iowa.
Fans rushed to the field and surrounded Barclay. The emotion of a Rose Bowl berth was palpable throughout Ohio Stadium.
Barclay was at a loss for words.
“Unbelievable. I’m pretty speechless,” he said following the game-winner.
When many Buckeye fans asked who Barclay is, they also remained speechless.
Prior to his appearance on the turf in Ohio Stadium, Barclay worked on another field.
At the age of 18, Barclay inked a Project-40 contract, in which players forego college for a career in Major League Soccer. He signed with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001.
Barclay saw immense success with the Mutiny, playing in 23 games and notching three goals and two assists.
In 2002 he was drafted to the San Jose Earthquakes, where he had a much less impressive season, appearing in only 12 games.
Following his season in San Jose, Barclay was traded to D.C. United, where his career took a nosedive. He appeared in three games and didn’t record any goals or assists.
In 2004, Barclay was traded for a final time to the Columbus Crew. However, he again appeared in only three games.
After one game in 2005, the Crew released Barclay.
Barclay was unable to play collegiate soccer because of his Project-40 contract. He effectively retired from his soccer career. At 22, Barclay decided to go back to school. He decided to learn how to kick field goals, despite having never kicked a football before attending Ohio State.
“It’s not that much different,” he said. “In soccer, the struggle is to keep the ball down, not get it up. So, it took just a little bit of tweaking with the way I follow through.”
Barclay walked on as a kicker for the Buckeyes in 2007 and was second on the depth chart, behind starter Aaron Pettrey. When Pettrey suffered a right knee injury in OSU’s 45-0 win over New Mexico State on Oct. 31, Barclay saw his first action.
Three days later, Pettrey had regular season-ending knee surgery.
Barclay was ready to step up.
“I’ve been playing professionally at a competitive level for almost 10 years now. It’s definitely helped me get ready for this experience,” Barclay said.
Barclay put his experience to work when he made his debut in the third quarter of the New Mexico State game, making a 29-yard field goal.
He kept the momentum going when he kicked his second career field goal, from 37 yards, giving the Buckeyes a 10-7 lead over Penn State.
His contribution in the game against Iowa came long before overtime. Barclay ended the team’s longest scoring drive, 17 plays in 8:45, with a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter.
With Pettrey in his ear and the support of a home stadium, Barclay attempted the biggest field goal of his career in overtime.
His 39-yard field goal wasn’t a miracle or an unanswered prayer, but what Barclay had been working so hard to achieve.
“I’m just glad that we came out and now we’re going to the Rose Bowl. I’m really excited. It’s a really great feeling,” Barclay said.
With Pettrey’s status for the Rose Bowl unknown, the Buckeyes now have another kicker whose foot they can rely upon.
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