Insider's Look at LeBron James' Impact on Ohio State Football

COLUMBUS, Ohio — With about 30 minutes to go until Ohio State's Sept. 6 kickoff with Virginia Tech, Braxton Miller came strolling out of the newly renovated Ohio Stadium tunnel with a sharp navy suit taking the place of his customary Buckeyes uniform.

Three weeks removed from suffering a season-ending torn labrum, Miller was met with a hero's welcome from the Ohio State faithful, who chanted his name in his first public appearance since enduring the injury.

But as loud as the ovation for the reigning two-time Big Ten MVP was on that night, it paled in comparison to what took place mere moments later.

Dressed in a black and red Nike sweatsuit and black Tackma snapback hat, LeBron James came strolling out of the very same tunnel, whipping what would be a record crowd at Ohio Stadium into a frenzy.

"Hey LeBron, O-H!" the Buckeyes' student section shouted in unison as James walked up the field to observe warm-ups.

The Cleveland Cavaliers megastar turned around and acknowledged the crowd, gesturing with his arms.

"I-O!"

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The scene played out exactly how Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer envisioned it would back in July, when he issued an open invitation to the four-time NBA MVP just weeks after James opted to re-sign with the home-state Cavs.

And while James' relationship with the Buckeyes actually dates back to his high school days at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, it's been even more apparent since Meyer took over the Ohio State program in 2012.

That hasn't been by accident either, as the recruiting-minded Meyer obviously understands the value in having the world's most powerful athlete in his team's corner. Even back when the state of Ohio possessed mixed feelings about James following his decision to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat in 2010, Meyer remained an avid supporter of the Rubber City native, defending him on numerous occasions.

"I hear people criticize him and I’m like, ‘Criticize LeBron James?,’" Meyer said during an appearance on ESPN's Mike & Mike. "And I get all the switching teams, but he lives life right and he’s a model citizen. I love LeBron James. I want my son to be around LeBron James.”

The same goes for Meyer's players—and recruiting targets—which is why the Woody Hayes Athletic Center isn't short on reminders of James' affiliation with the Buckeyes. Alongside pictures from wins over Michigan and mementos from national championship seasons is an image of James, addressing the crowd at a pregame pep rally in 2013.

James, who jumped straight to the NBA out of high school back in 2003, even has his own locker at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center, an obvious recruiting tactic by Buckeyes basketball head coach Thad Matta. Not that the 11-time All-Star minds being honored inside an arena that he's never won more than a high school state championship inside of.

"It's very humbling," James said on Monday before he and the Cavs took on the Chicago Bulls in a preseason game in Columbus. "For Coach Matta and the coaching staff, even the players and the whole campus, it's an unbelievable program here. This school, to give me a locker in their gym even though I never put on a Buckeye uniform, it's an honor."

And although the hardwood is where James makes his living, he's found himself associated with the Buckeyes football program dating back to his friendship with star running back Maurice Clarett during Ohio State's 2002 national championship season.

Six years later, the former All-State receiver appeared on ESPN's College GameDay in Columbus as a guest picker, revealing that had he played college football, it would have been as a Buckeye.

"Absolutely, I wouldn't have gone nowhere else," James said. "I would have been right here wearing this red and this gray, baby."

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

It was around this time that James befriended Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who like James had achieved plenty of fame at a relatively young age. Playing in a preseason game in Columbus just days after Pryor's Buckeyes were upset by lowly Purdue in 2009, James spoke of his relationship with the former 5-star signal-caller.

"[I'm] trying to mentor him and get him through life in the spotlight, which I've been through," James said. "I'm trying to be that guy who can really help him get through a lot of situations which he's never seen before but now he's seeing and understanding."

Although James' move to Miami complicated his relationship in Columbus—he was noticeably booed when he and Dwyane Wade attended an Ohio State-Duke basketball game in 2011—he managed to maintain a relationship with the Buckeyes from afar.

When Jim Tressel found himself amid controversy that ultimately led to his resignation, James was there to support both the former OSU head coach and the university. And like Pryor, he managed to mentor Miller as well.

By the time 2013 rolled around, all appeared to be forgiven, and James was received warmly when he stood on the sideline in a Buckeyes sweatshirt for Ohio State's prime-time showdown with Wisconsin. That was the same night that he addressed the jam-packed pregame Skull Session pep rally, reaffirming Ohio State as his faux alma mater. 

But while it was one thing to have James on the sideline for a single game, his decision to return to Cleveland this past July presented a whole new set of benefits for the Buckeyes. Now just two hours away from Ohio State's campus, James would be able to attend games with more regularity and take part in events like Monday night's preseason game in Columbus.

“It’s big. He means a lot in recruiting,” Meyer said. “You can’t measure the positive feeling of him standing on the sideline for an Ohio State game. He truly loves Ohio State.”

That may seem like a stretch—after all, James plays basketball, and Meyer coaches football—but the impact of James' return on recruiting has been evident on social media. It's not a coincidence that 5-star prospects Torrance Gibson and Nick Bosa have each acknowledged James' connection to the Buckeyes, as there's no bigger brand in sports right now than LeBron James.

Which brings us back to that Sept. 6 night, where James and his buddies watched Ohio State fall to Hokies from the Buckeyes' sideline. James may have never enrolled in a class in Columbus or suited up for the Scarlet and Gray, but you wouldn't know it based on the buzz he brought with him, which is why Meyer takes no issue with classifying the global icon as an honorary alum.

"He is the classiest big-time athlete I’ve ever been around. He’s extremely articulate. He walks in the room and he’s a CEO. I know exactly where he’s from, I know the school he’s from and I just think he’s an incredible role model," Meyer said.  “He’s a Buckeye."

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.