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FACT CHECK: No, An Ohio State Football Player Didn’t Wear An Ankle Monitor During The Fiesta Bowl

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Images shared on Facebook allegedly show Ohio State University running back Master Teague III wearing an ankle monitor during the Dec. 28 Fiesta Bowl football game.

“Soooo did anyone else notice the Ohio State player with a freaking ANKLE MONITOR ON last night?!?!” reads one Facebook post.

“Typical Ohio State player,” reads another post. “Notice the ankle monitor.”

Verdict: False

Teague wore a brace, not an ankle monitor. A statement from the Ohio State athletics department, as well as photos from other games, confirm that he frequently wears a brace on his left ankle.

Fact Check:

Ohio State University played Clemson University in the Dec. 28 Fiesta Bowl for a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Shortly after the game’s broadcast, social media users shared images on Facebook that allegedly show Teague, an Ohio State running back, wearing an ankle monitor on the sidelines. People wear ankle monitors to track their locations, typically as a condition of parole or house arrest.

“Sooo did anyone else notice the Ohio State player with a freaking ANKLE MONITOR ON last night?!?!” reads one such post.

Yet, while the black object on his ankle may resemble an ankle monitor at certain angles, there is no evidence Teague wore one during the Dec. 28 game against Clemson. The Daily Caller News Foundation didn’t find any media reports of Teague getting arrested or facing legal issues that would warrant an ankle monitor.

“This is simply an ankle brace recommended by our athletic training staff that he has worn all year,” Jerry Emig, an associate athletics director at Ohio State, told the DCNF in an email.

Teague, who is currently a freshman, suffered an ankle injury his senior year of high school, according to 247Sports. Photographs from previous games clearly show Teague wearing the brace on his left ankle.

Clemson beat Ohio State 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl to advance to the finals, where Clemson will play Louisiana State University for the championship title Jan. 13.