Football
Barton Reflective Prior to Impending Senior Day
By John PorentasThe Illinois game will be the final game of the season in Ohio Stadium for the 2007 Buckeyes and the final game in the Stadium in the careers of the seniors on the team. It's an emotional, big day for those seniors. It's also an emotionally charged day for the underclassmen on the team.
"We feel a responsibility to send the seniors out on a good note," said OSU linebacker Austin Spitler.
"They've been here, they've paid their dues, they've worked hard, they've taught us, they've led us, and we just feel like we have give all of our effort, give everything we have to send them out on the right note," Spitler said.
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One of the seniors who will play his last game in the 'Shoe this Saturday is right tackle Kirk Barton. Barton is the lone remaining member of the 17-person signing class that signed in 2003. Though current quarterback Todd Boeckman committed to the Buckeyes with Barton's class, he is now counted with the 2004 class after taking a grayshirt year. That leaves Barton the lone remaining member of that class. Tressel praised Barton for the way he has conducted himself in his redshirt senior season.
Kirk Barton "Most of the people he came in with are gone, some for good reasons and some for not-so-good reasons," said OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel.
"I think he's done a great job of first leading by example, he hasn't been the kind of guy that says 'Hey, I'm a fifth-year guy and I know more than the rest of you so listen to me.' He's played well, and people like to follow people that play well," Tressel said.
Barton has been one of the most open, honest and quotable players to pass through the OSU program in recent years. His description of what he expects Senior Day to be like was totally Bartonesque.
"It's kind of like the end of the Sopranos. A lot of anticipation but it's going to be sad in the end. You just have to watch the reruns when you get old," said Barton.
Barton became more poignant when asked what he would miss about OSU football when his career came to an end.
"It's definitely going to be your teammates," he said.
"You really bond. You make your best friend while you're here.
"You miss the coaching staff, all the trainers, you really miss all the people in the program because you're around them so much.
"You learn to laugh and have fun with them. You look forward to coming to work with them every day," Barton said.
Barton returned to OSU for his redshirt senior season despite the fact that he probably could have moved on to the NFL at the end of last season. He has absolutely no regrets about that decision.
"I love this place. It's been a great home for me for five years.
"It makes it special when you get to meet a whole new class of kids, all the freshmen that came in this year that some of my buddies that left last year will never really get to know," Barton said.
"I have a lot of friends who are in the NFL now and not many of them who aren't miserable to be honest with you.
"I talk to a bunch of them every week and it's tough up there. There's a lot of pressure and you're kind of a loner in a new city. It's not the same as college.
"I wouldn't trade my senior year for anything," he said.
Barton has a passion for Ohio State and a passion for winning. Not surprisingly, his emotions toward senior day are driven not just by nostalgia, but by that desire to win as well.
"That's the thing about senior day," said Barton.
"It doesn't mean much unless you're able to do what you want to do. You want to get a win on senior day. That's the big thing.".
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