COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – If a car tells the story of the person driving it, Ohio State center Carson Hinzman's car tells you exactly who he is.
Hinzman, a senior all-Big Ten candidate from Wisconsin, is a throwback. No flash or glitz.
"I drive an '01 Impala,” Hinzman said. The colors of the car are... varied. "Burnt sun and maroon,” he said.
He nicknamed the car Brenda, which he bought for $1,500 from a woman in eastern Ohio. The car has limited features.
"There is no radio or AC," Carson's girlfriend Leah Zenk said. "I think it's great. I think it builds character. It shows character.”
Carson's father Jon has helped his son fix the car several times, including earlier this season on the morning of a game.
"Not flashy, just gets you from point A to point B,” Jon Hinzman said. "And people are like, ‘How do you drive that thing?’”
Hinzman's family in Wisconsin runs a farm in an unincorporated town. It's a place where less is more.
"We have nice things, we have good things, but we get the things that get us by,” Jon Hinzman said.
From his small wardrobe to his throwback helmet facemask, Carson Hinzman has adopted a frugal nature in life. He's clearly not afraid of work or tough times. In 2023, he took over as the Buckeyes’ starting center, but for the Cotton Bowl vs. Missouri, Hinzman was benched. In that offseason, he considered several options, including transferring.
But Hinzman did the unusual thing in modern college football. He stayed.
"I took that as a learning opportunity at the time,” Carson Hinzman said. "I just want to be the best center I possibly can be. Yeah, it was hard, but I thought, you know, I became ten times player for it."
After Seth McLaughlin's season-ending injury last year, Hinzman returned to the center spot and anchored the Buckeyes' national championship offensive line. This year, he's among the most consistent players for a line aiming for another national crown.
"I truly kind of understand, you know, what I'm doing now, to fully understand and, you know, play as fast as you can,” he said.
His play has elevated him to a potential NFL future. But for now, Carson Hinzman's thrifty lifestyle suits him best.
"I'm not really in it for, like, the glitz and glam, you know?” he said. “I don't need to be seen. As long as I'm making Jewels (Julian Sayin) and J.J. (Jeremiah Smith) and all those guys look really, really good, I'm really happy. That's all I need."
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