INDIANAPOLIS – Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette has been very transparent when he tells the story that he was set to leave the Ohio State program after the 2018 season and try his hand at the NFL.

The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) product had two years of eligibility still on the table and while he may have convinced himself that he was ready to go off to the NFL, many around him were not quite sure, most famously Ohio State great Cris Carter, who told him in no uncertain terms that he was not ready.

Ultimately, that was a decision that Arnette had to make for himself and he decided after some tough conversations that coming back to Ohio State for one more season would do him a world of good.

And now as he stands at the NFL Scouting Combine, nobody is questioning if he should have come back for a final season in 2020 as the draft grade for Arnette is impressive and he shouldn’t have to wait too long in the second day to come off the board. "Yeah, (Carter) said; 'I told you!', he was in my ear about when I made my decision to come to Ohio State and he has never really steered me wrong," Arnette said. "He’s always been there when it comes to making major decisions in my life, I respect him for that I love him for that. He’s always around to help."

In 2019, Arnette recorded 35 tackles, had eight pass breakups and an interception returned for a touchdown from 98-yards out.

The one year that Arnette worked with Jeff Hafley was nothing short of transformative. Hafley is now off to Boston College as the new head coach of the Eagles, but there is no denying that Arnette will also feel grateful for the time to work with the former Niners defensive coach over the course of the one season.

"He was a part of the big change I made in my life," Arnette reflected. "I appreciate him for everything he’s done. He’s helped me become a smarter football player, a better football player, a better man. He showed me what it means to really play for your coach and your position coach. Everything he said to me has just been to help me, so I’ll always appreciate him for that."

Arnette has really seen himself grow significantly as a person during his Ohio State career. People have tried to attach the term "character concerns" to Arnette's name, something that is often difficult to shed. Arnette had a chance to address that when asked about that.

"I’ve never gotten arrested, I’ve never had an abuse charge or anything like that so character concerns, I feel like that word is just used real loosely when you really think of what character concerns really are," Arnette said.

Arnette knows that he needed to put in some work in terms of the maturity department and to his credit, he got there.

"I was just a young man that just needed to mature a little bit more and I feel like that growth from 2018 to 2019 that’s exactly what I did," Arnette said. "I grew up and I feel like the balance of maturity that I had off the field was able to translate to the play on the field."

Arnette had to grow up even more when his first child, Tyson, was born last month. He said that he calls his infant son 'Ace' and that we could call him that too. Now Arnette has someone beyond himself that he is out there playing for and he does not take that responsibility lightly.

“Y’all who have kids, you know what it feels like to look at your child for first time and that instinct and sacrifice you will give for him," Arnette said. "I had a natural chip on my shoulder my whole life. My goal in playing football wasn’t to prove people wrong but to prove myself right. That on top of having a son, things are different now. That fire in my eye grew and that fire I have for the game grew because I am no longer doing it just for myself. I’m doing it for my little man.”