Only a few of even the most dedicated Ohio State Buckeyes fans have heard of offensive lineman Kevin Woidke. But now he has gone viral after his hilarious thank-you note to fans.

In the letter posted on his Twitter account, the Ohio native acknowledged that he was not the first player that comes to mind when people think of the Buckeyes. He even compared himself to a hype dancer in music videos. He also jokingly expressed his gratitude to the team’s training staff, thanking them for helping him “glide under the radar” and for dealing with his peanut allergy in the past five years.

Kevin Woidke's history with the Ohio State Buckeyes

Despite not being among the most popular players in the team, Kevin Woidke is still a major contributor to Ohio State’s prowess in the football field. For much of his football career, Woidke was the person who the team lined up in different positions for practice sessions. By the 2018 football season, he was already given the opportunity to play in 13 games in the Big Ten conference and the Rose Bowl.

The 23-year old player did not make the most striking first impression when he joined the team in 2015. He started as an Ohio State walk-on that year, despite discussions and offers from universities like Fordham, Indiana State, and Columbia.

Even with the tempting offers from other schools, he took the risk of becoming a walk-on after friend and former linebacker Kyle Berger told him the team may have a spot for him.

Over time, head coach Ryan Day seemed to be gradually impressed with Woidke’s dedication and hard work.

Woidke believes that it is his overall offseason work that led to him getting a scholarship. Last season, the player told Day point-blank that he wanted to earn a scholarship on his last season for the Buckeyes. He did not exactly expect that he would be given the chance but he was grateful nonetheless.

When he got the news about the scholarship, he expressed how thankful he was about Day taking a chance on him. He promised that he would work extra hard to help the team.

Woidke was also an excellent student. Finishing a degree in real estate and urban analysis, he bagged the Academic All-Big Ten in the past two years. He also earned the Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors for three years in a row.

Other graduating football Buckeyes

Kevin Woidke was one of the Buckeye players who recently finished their university studies in December. Twelve current football players joined 57 other Ohio State student-athletes during the fall commencement ceremony. Among them are safety Isaiah Pryor, defensive end Jonathon Cooper, defensive lineman Jashon Cornell, and linebacker Logan Hittle.

Three former Buckeye players also received their master’s degrees. They are offensive lineman Blake Pfenning, safety Mike Doss, and linebacker Doran Grant.