Photo: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons²

Jack Sawyer

Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers · #33.

Player facts

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Position: Linebacker
Number: 33
Born: May 6, 2002 (age 24)
Birthplace: Pickerington, OH, USA
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 260 lbs
College: Ohio State
Experience: 2 seasons
Status: Active

Stats

2026 Defense

	TOT	SOLO	AST	SACK	INT	YDS	AVG	LNG	PD	STF	STFYDS
Regular Season	12	4	8	0	0	0	0.0	0	1	0	0
Last 5 Games	12	4	8	0	0	0	0.0	0	1	0	0
Career	46	20	26	1	2	31	15.5	27	5	2.5	5

Recent games

			Tackles				Fumbles		Interceptions
Date	Opponent	Result	TOT	SOLO	AST	SACK	FF	FR	INT	YDS	AVG	TD	LNG	PD	KB
Sun, Oct 11	vs IND	W 34-22	4	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
Thu, Oct 1	@ CLE	L 27-24	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0
Sun, Sep 27	vs CIN	W 30-27	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
Sun, Sep 20	@ NE	L 20-3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
Sun, Sep 13	vs ATL	W 20-13	4	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0

Last 5 games. Click a game for its box score.

About

Jack Sawyer (born May 6, 2002) is an American professional football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes

and was later selected by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

From Wikipedia’s article on Jack Sawyer, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.¹

Background

Early life

Sawyer was born on May 6, 2002, in Columbus, Ohio. He grew up in Pickerington, Ohio and attended Pickerington High School North, where he played basketball and football for the Panthers. After making the school's varsity football team as a backup tight end, he was moved to defensive end and finished the season with 58 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Sawyer then committed to play college football at Ohio State shortly after his sophomore season, when he recorded 62 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and six sacks. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Oklahoma.

Due to injuries, Sawyer took over as the Panthers' starting quarterback during his junior season. He completed 79 of 135 passes for 1,056 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 386 yards and six touchdowns and was named the Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division Defensive Player of the Year after recording 13.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss before suffering a torn MCL in the state playoffs. Sawyer opted not to play in his senior football season due to uncertainties surrounding COVID-19.

College career

Sawyer enrolled at Ohio State a semester early. He won the Rose Bowl in 2022 with the team, but was ejected during the game for targeting Utah quarterback Cameron Rising.

During his senior season, Sawyer's participation in a post-game brawl after Ohio State's 13–10 upset loss to the Michigan Wolverines football team garnered significant media attention and criticism.

In the 2025 Cotton Bowl, Sawyer returned a fumble touchdown in the fourth quarter after a strip-sack of Texas quarterback and former Buckeye teammate Quinn Ewers, which ultimately sealed the victory for the Buckeyes as they advanced to the national championship. Sawyer was named the game's defensive MVP.

Sawyer and Ohio State finished the season by winning the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship against Notre Dame.

He ended his college career with 144 total tackles (29 for a loss), 23 sacks, an interception, and six forced fumbles. In December 2024, while preparing for the College Football Playoffs, he graduated with a degree in sports industry.