DE Bosa says he recovered, ready for draft

Former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa said Friday he is recovered from core muscle surgery and ready to show the football world what he can do. Bosa, in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, said he expects to fully participate in the NFL Scouting Combine that begins in Indianapolis later this month.

He sustained the injury in a game Sept. 15 against TCU, then left the Buckeyes and withdrew from school in October to concentrate on rehabilitation and draft prep. Bosa is expected to be a top-five selection in the NFL draft in April. The Arizona Cardinals have the first choice, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.

"I haven't really looked deep into the teams," Bosa said. "Any team that picks me, it's really a blessing for someone to invest that much in me. It's pretty crazy to even think about." His father, John Bosa, told the station that he expects good things from his son at the combine.

"If there's anything he feels he'd like to re-test, then he'll go to the Ohio State pro day and re-test there," the elder Bosa said. "But I'm pretty sure he's going to be pleased with everything he does at the combine. "His training was a combination of rehab and training. Health-wise, as of about three weeks ago, now it's 100 percent training for the combine. So he's 100 percent healthy and ready to go."

Bosa acknowledged that some people criticized him for walking away from the team but those who know him supported the decision. "The people I really care about understood," Bosa said. "But obviously there were some people who had issues, but that's fine. I love all my guys at Ohio State, and they all understood what I had to do for myself. The players are all on the same page."

In two-plus seasons with the Buckeyes, Bosa made 77 tackles and had 17.5 sacks. Bosa's older brother, Joey, was the No. 3 overall pick of the then-San Diego Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft.

--Field Level Media