So what did we learn…
December 13, 2007Week 15 Preview
December 15, 2007Here’s the first line of an article I came across…
Jim Tressel encouraged 13 of his juniors to ask the NFL where they might be selected in the next draft.
Of course my first thought was along the lines of, “What are you thinking? Have you gone mad?” But as I continued to read through the article, which is an AP article available after the jump, I realized Tressel was simply trying to control the situation. There is no doubt that some of these young men would be entertaining notions of leaving early, and Tressel wants them to understand where they would stand if they decided to enter the upcoming draft. It also seems like he is trying to avoid a repeat of what happened last year, when players might have been distracted by talk of the NFL before the big game. It seems the players themselves realized this could have been a problem last year, and are taking steps to correct it. They have decided as a group not to talk about it until after the game against LSU. Let’s hope that’s true.
As for Tressel, it makes a lot of sense for him to help his players make this difficult decision. He has invested a lot into their lives for the last three years, and he is always trying to make them better men, not just better football players. Despite what Mo Clarrett said, Jim Tressel does have his players’ best interest at heart. I suppose I am more comfortable with our young players getting coached through this process by the Vest than Ted Ginn’s dad, like what happened last year. Perhaps Antonio Pittman would have come back for his senior year, instead of bolting for the NFL. He could have been a Heisman finalist this year. Instead, he sits on the Rams’ bench. Full Article follows…
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio State coach Jim Tressel encouraged 13 of his juniors to ask the NFL where they might be selected in the next draft.
Tressel declined to identify the players Thursday during Ohio State’s bowl media day news conference.
“I’m sure you could guess,” he said.
Linebackers James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman, quarterback Todd Boeckman, defensive lineman Vernon Gholston, cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline confirmed they had sent information to the NFL.
The top-ranked Buckeyes (11-1) play No. 2 LSU (11-2) in the BCS national championship game at the Louisiana Superdome on Jan. 7.
NFL rules specify players cannot be drafted until they have been out of high school three years.
College players can complete forms that are submitted to an NFL advisory committee, which estimates where – or in some cases if – a player might be taken in the draft. The player can then elect to remain in college or make himself available for the draft.
“Just talking with coach Tressel and a lot of the other coaches, they just said that by you doing this it’s not going to take away from anything,” said Robiskie, whose father played and coached in the NFL and is now an assistant with the Cleveland Browns. “You’re not making any major decisions. All you’re getting is some feedback.”
The large number of underclassmen contemplating the NFL comes a year after Ohio State lost three top offensive players who gave up their final year of eligibility. Wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez were taken in the first round of the draft, and running back Antonio Pittman went in the fourth round.
Several Buckeyes have said that all the talk about the NFL, agents, draft prospects and money were major distractions to the team heading into last year’s BCS title game. Florida beat Ohio State 41-14 in that game.
“Last year there were a lot of distractions with some of the guys who were already seniors leaving, with agents and different things,” Laurinaitis said. “LSU’s a big enough task for us.”
Jenkins said several players met to discuss avoiding draft talk.
“We took it upon ourselves to say, ‘Look, we’re not going to think about this, we’re not going to talk about it until the time comes.’ And that’s after the game,” Jenkins said. “We’re just going to focus on this game right now.”
Laurinaitis, a two-time All-American and an almost first-round pick, has said several times during the season he will return for his senior season. He said his decision to file the paperwork does not mean he’s changed his mind.
“I’m just finding out what the NFL’s going to say about where I stand,” he said. “I’m definitely confident coming back with this team. I love Ohio State, I love it here and I’m having a good time.”
Twenty-five Ohio State players have left school early for the NFL draft since 1992, including Terry Glenn, Shawn Springs, Orlando Pace, Nate Clements and Chris Gamble.
“All of us, our goal is ultimately to play in the NFL,” Gholston said.
“I hope (the evaluation) is as high as it can be. You never want to hear negative stuff. But if it is some negative stuff, it’d just be a situation where I’d just need to practice and work even harder.”
Ohio State will work out at its indoor practice facility until the Dec. 19, then be off until Dec. 26. The Buckeyes will practice daily until flying to New Orleans on Jan. 2.
3 Comments
2 things:
1) I didn’t see it mentioned in that article, but it has been confirmed that OSU will be wearing the scarlet jerseys this time around. I am very happy about this.
2) Why do these players always feel the need to say that they are coming back the next year? It’s a lie. Pittman, Conley, etc, etc, etc. Now you can add Laurinitis to the list. I mean, honestly, there’s no way he’s really coming back, is there? Why would he? I hope I’m wrong about this, but I can’t see Laurinitis really coming back for another year.
I was quite frankly surprised by Animal’s statement. Of all the Juniors, he has the most to lose, so to speak, by coming back. He will be top 6 or 7 if he comes out.
Tressel is doing the right thing by letting the juniors get evaluated. It’s for their benifit and all the potential recruits notice this and it will and does pay off. I may be wrong, but I believe a similar number got evaluations last year. Wether they take the evaluations seriously is another matter…such as Pittman thinking he’d be a 2nd rounder only to get picked in the 4th by the Saints and get cut during pre-season. Oops.
It’s really only news because the national media like to butcher OSU because they are the biggest football factory and they spend the most money on the program (a fact) for good reason…to fund the school’s other 36 sports.