Styles to Ring Victory Bell Before Northwestern
Former Ohio State captain and Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles will ring the Victory Bell at Ohio Stadium this weekend.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Football
Sonny Styles, a rookie linebacker with the Washington Commanders, will ring the Victory Bell at Ohio Stadium before Ohio State's game against Northwestern on Saturday, Nov. 14. Styles will be the first active NFL player to ring the bell for a regular-season game.
Why it matters
The Victory Bell tradition, which started last year, ties former Buckeyes to the program's home-field game-day rituals. Styles' return comes during his rookie season after he was selected No. 7 overall in the 2026 NFL draft.
Styles has recorded 67 total tackles, four tackles for loss, four passes defensed, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble in his first eight NFL games. He was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and it is not stated how his stats compare with other rookie linebackers.
The players
Sonny Styles
A linebacker and former Ohio State team captain who was drafted No. 7 overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2026 NFL draft and earned All-American honors in college.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State University football program, whose home stadium is Ohio Stadium in Columbus and whose Victory Bell tradition is a longstanding game-day ritual.
The details
Styles, an All-American linebacker who wore the Block O as a team captain for Ohio State last season, will ring the Victory Bell before the Buckeyes host Northwestern. The Commanders play a Thursday night game against the New York Giants, which allows Styles to return to the Shoe this weekend.
Timeline
Last season: Styles wore the Block O as Ohio State team captain.
Last year: The Victory Bell tradition began.
2026 NFL draft: Styles was selected No. 7 overall.
This Saturday, Nov. 14: Styles rings the Victory Bell before Ohio State vs. Northwestern.
Season Trajectory
Styles' return ties a rookie NFL season to the Victory Bell tradition that began at Ohio Stadium last year, marking the first time an active NFL player has rung the bell for a regular-season game. The ceremony fits a pattern of former Buckeyes such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who rang the bell before the spring game.
Styles' return is a ceremonial moment that will be seen by Ohio Stadium fans before kickoff against Northwestern. Fantasy and roster implications for the Commanders are not addressed in the source extraction.
The takeaway
Styles' ceremonial return underscores how the Victory Bell tradition links former Buckeyes to the program even after they reach the NFL. Fans can watch the ceremony before Ohio State's game against Northwestern this Saturday.
What happens next
Styles is scheduled to ring the Victory Bell before Ohio State's game against Northwestern this Saturday, Nov. 14, at Ohio Stadium.
Further reading
For more on the Buckeyes' traditions, see Football coverage in Columbus.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eleven Warriors.
