Malone wasn't looking for a quick getaway from the tough and humbling beating he took from the Ohio State Buckeyes. No, instead he was racing to round up a handful of younger Ducks who were walking off the field without shaking hands with the Buckeyes.
I then saw Malone pulling the guys back and telling them to head back to the field and shake hands with the most recent national champions. Some of the younger Ducks turned around and some didn't. It didn't matter how many turned around and followed Malone back into the mob of Buckeyes celebrating their win. All that mattered was getting one Duck player to turn back around and head in with Malone to the mob.
If he got one younger teammate to follow him in his lesson was learned, and more importantly passed down to the next generation of Duck.
In the end Malone rounded up most of the younger Ducks who were within earshot or arm’s reach and they followed him to do their toughest task of the night: admit defeat and look Ohio State right in the eyes and say it.
"You have to be a man when you win," Malone said after the game of his actions. "And you have to be a man when you are defeated."
