Boone, who turned 19 in May, will arrive in Columbus as a sophomore starting left tackle, four months sober, down to 315 pounds after losing 50 pounds of beer weight, and eternally grateful that his actions in the early morning of April 2 didn't end a life or his football career.
"I knew I had a problem. I had been drinking like every night, just terrible drinking," he said. "I'd be down here in Columbus drinking, and I'd wake up . . . and I was like, 'How did I get home last night?' And guys were like, 'you got ripped, and you drove home, and we tried stopping you, and you got into a fight.' And I was like, 'I got a problem,' and I'd try to go sober, and it would last me about three days, and I'd be like, 'I need a beer.'
"Even during the season, I was drinking way more than I should have been. I shouldn't be drinking at all - I'm not of age - but I just realized I'm not mature enough to drink. I'd have one beer, and it would lead to 24 or 36 - there were weekends when in one night I'd be putting down 40.