COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jerron Cage returned to the locker room after Ohio State’s win over Penn State to a phone blown up with calls and texts.

It’s clear why people were so adamant on getting in touch with the senior defensive tackle.

Late in the second quarter, defensive ends Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison forced a strip sack of Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, popping the ball loose. Cage picked up the ball and started running, taking it 57 yards for Ohio State’s sixth defensive touchdown of the season.

“I crossed the center’s face and I didn’t complete it so I went back and spent out. And I just remember seeing the ball coming out his hands slowly. I was like ‘Aw, yeah it’s about that time,’” Cage said.

“The rest is history.”

Standing at 6-foot-2, 305-pounds, Cage showed a deceptive speed on his long run — clocking in a 40-yard dash time of 5.1 during his return, according to the ABC broadcast. The Cincinnati native outran nearly the entire Penn State offense on his return as well.

Antwuan Jackson said he was surprised to see his fellow defensive tackle break out his wheels.

“It was just fun watching him. I was shocked the whole time,” Jackson said. “I was just so proud of him when he made that play.”

The scoop-and-score helped Ohio State take a 17-10 lead into the locker room at halftime, an important play in the Buckeyes’ nine-point win against the Nittany Lions.

“When you get something like that happen, it flips the game,” head coach Ryan Day said. “When you look at Jerron’s career here, it’s a tribute to him and his hard work. It hasn’t always gone exactly the way that he’s wanted. He went through a tough September and August. And to see him do that and have his opportunity in that game, that’s something I’ll definitely remember.”

Cage joined the Buckeyes in 2017 as a three-star recruit from Winton Woods High School — where he said he scored a touchdown on a similar play to Saturday’s — and struggled to find meaningful playing time until the 2020 campaign.

Slotted behind talented defensive tackles in his first three seasons in the program, Cage played in seven games in 2020 — including a spot-start in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

As Cage saw his on-the-field expectations rise in 2020. But he also saw his off-the-field responsibilities increase too, becoming a father during the pandemic.

The fifth-year senior said his 1-year-old son, Jerron Jr., has changed his outlook on football and life.

“You just look at life differently. You’ve got another human depending on you,” Cage said. “You can actually just see that joy. They enjoy just being around you. That just makes me happy.”

Although Cage had to deal with all of the work that comes with being a student-athlete, both in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and in the classroom, he said the added responsibility of being a father has not put any more pressure on him.

“I don’t think of it as a burden, at all,” Cage said. “I’m just really blessed that he’s a healthy baby.”

Along with an increased family role in 2020, Cage’s role for the Buckeyes has continued to grow in 2021, playing in 23 snaps this season.

With an increased workload, Cage said his leadership has shown through the most.

“I feel like I’m a guy that people look to for leadership because I see the best in a lot of players and I just want them to see the best in themselves,” Cage said. “The college experience gets hard, you’re gonna hit the bump. You’re gonna hit the wall and it’s going to be hard. So just having someone there for you.”

The scoop-and-score in the late stages of the first half against the Nittany Lions served as a tribute to all the work Cage has put in.

But he said he doesn’t see it that way and gave props to his teammates that helped him make it happen.

“Moments like these, you just gotta stay humble. You can’t let this stuff get to your head too much because it’s not a ‘me’ thing,” Cage said. “It’s my team. They got the coverage. The D-Ends getting to the sack. So I’m just thankful for them.”