Bryant Haines, of Piqua, thankful for his players and proud of them after Indiana Hoosiers win national championship

Piqua High School won a state football championship in 2006. Bryant Haines missed that experience by three years. He played his final season of high school football in 2003 and graduated from Piqua in 2004.

Twenty one years later, Haines can boast of winning an even bigger championship. The second-year defensive coordinator of the Indiana Hoosiers helped lead the program to a 27-21 victory against the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

“It’s really hard to put into words,” Haines told reporters after the game. “I’m thankful. I’m proud of the players because I love them and because it’s not easy to be a football player. But if you want to be great, if you want to be pushed, coming to a staff like this, with the guys we have, we will push you. We will challenge you, and we’ll try to carry you to the top. And sometimes the players end up carrying us.”

Indiana completed a perfect season with a 16-0 record and won its first national championship. It became the third straight Big Ten team to win the playoff, following Michigan and Ohio State.

An interception by cornerback Jamari Sharpe with 44 seconds remaining clinched the victory for Indiana.

“He holds himself to a high standard,” Haines said. “You can coach him hard. I know (cornerbacks coach Rod Ojong) coaches the heck out of that kid. He keeps improving. He’s improving every single week, all the way up until week 16, where he closed the game for us. It’s a testament to that kid and how hard he works and how hard he plays. He earned the right to go and get that ball.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

The other big play made by a member of Indiana’s defense belonged to defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, who blocked a punt in the third quarter. Isaiah Jones recovered the ball in the end zone to give Indiana a 17-7 lead.

“He’s dealt with injuries,” Haines said of Kamara. “He overcame a lot. At the end of the day, he’s a competitor, and he’s part of what makes this defense so unique and so great.”