Football
Arrival Day Note and Quotebook
By John Porentas
Todd Denlinger Heating it Up: It has been a cool summer so far in Columbus, so cool the tomatoes won't ripen, but things changed as the Buckeyes reported for camp yesterday. The mercury and humidity both soared just in time for fall camp, something sure to bring a smile to the face of OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel who likes the heat during fall camp, but not very much to the liking of the players who will have to endure the conditions.
"That's the football gods for you," said senior defensive tackle Todd Denlinger of the 90+ degree temperatures that prevailed in Columbus yesterday.
"That's football camp. It's going to be hot, we're going to sweat and it's going to make us tougher."
Tough Test: OSU's first day starts early tomorrow with conditioning testing. The testing begins at 6:30 AM and consists of just one test, albeit a long and demanding one.
"It's 20 half-gassers, which is across the field and back with various times for the position you are. It's a tough workout," said Denlinger.
That's 53 yards each way, or 106 yards total per rep. That's a total of 2120 yards, or just over a mile. What makes the run more demanding than a simple mile run is the starting and stopping every 106 yards with little to no rest.
"You get almost no time between reps," said Denlinger.
Jim Cordle Fifth-year senior Jim Cordle says the test is tough but the toughest part of the whole ordeal is the head game that OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel plays with his team the day before the test. Cordle, who is participating in his fifth camp and fifth testing day, says the routine is the same every year the day before the test.
"Usually the worst thing is the conditioning test, and the worst thing about that is not waking up early is at the end of the meeting tonight, this is always how it goes, 'In our winner's manual, turn to page so-and-so, and Tress reads this poem.
"It goes 'Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up and knows it must outrun the fastest lion.
"And every morning a lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will die.
"Whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be running,'" Cordle said. "Then we walk out of there."
What's the effect of the little show?
"Some people can't sleep tonight and they're all worried about it," Cordle said.
That Tress. What a card.
Shouldering the Load: Every year when the players check into the team hotel for fall camp at least two or three come carrying some surprising "luggage". This year was no exception. Jim Cordle got out of the car and promptly picked up a small refrigerator which he carried on into the hotel, presumably to his room.
Cordle's load was heavy, but he was definitely outdone by sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor who carted in what looked like a 32" flat screen TV.
"We don't have too much time to sit in there and watch TV. Maybe he's watching film," quipped Todd Denlinger with a grin.
"I know he works hard at that so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that. "
Not Exactly First Class: Today's college athletes, particularly those who participate in revenue sports such as football and men's basketball, have a reputation of being a bit coddled. The Buckeyes seem to be doing their part in dispelling that image with some of the team hotel accommodations.
"Some of the rooms have king sized beds and then a cot," said OSU offensive lineman Jim Cordle.
Dexter Larimore A cot? Yes, a cot, and not only for the little guys. According to Cordle, defensive linemen Todd Denlinger and Dexter Larimore are sharing a room, and it is one of those with a bed and cot, leading to the inevitable question of who will sleep in comfort and who will toss and turn. Cordle thought the whole thing was pretty funny, especially since he is in a room with two king sized beds.
"Usually they don't put seniors in those rooms, but they've got Todd and Dex in that room, so they've got to fight over who gets the king and who gets the cot, so maybe they will sleep together in the king," said Cordle very much tongue in cheek.
Cordle elaborated on another downside to the sleeping arrangements in the Denlinger/Larimore room.
"Dexter snores and now he's got that sleep apnea machine. I don't know how loud those things are," chuckled Cordle.
So when push comes to shove, who does Cordle think will end up in the bed and who will end up on the cot? It might actually come down to push and shove.
"Todd said he was going to play the senior card, but Dexter can wrestle," said Cordle. "He can wrestle Todd right out of there."
While there may be some small glitches in the accommodations, the Buckeyes are not exactly roughing it, including the way they eat.
"Last year they brought in five catered meals," said Cordle.
"They brought in like Cameron Mitchell and things like that. We have some good meals, so those are good."
Summer Standouts: It seems like t he burning question every fall is which of the younger players has stood out over the summer. Most of the players were noncommittal when asked that question, but senior safety Anderson Russell said at least one new face has definitely caught his eye.
"Duron Carter, he's going to be a great receiver," said Russell.
"He's been doing a great job.
"Malcolm (Jenkins) and Donald (Washington) came out with us a couple of times this summer and he was giving those guys trouble sometimes guarding him.
"He's going to be a great receiver for us. I'm not sure if he's going to play this year, we'll see what happens in camp, but he's doing a great job."
Carter is a part of the new guard that caught the eye of Russell, but some players in the old guard, as in fifth-year seniors, also caught his eye. One of them is in the battle for a starting corner job, and Russell thinks his performance over the summer will help him win that battle.
"I think it's to be Andre (Amos) because he did a great job for us this spring and all summer," said Russell.
"I think everybody had kind of forgotten about Andre (Amos) just because he's been injured the last couple of years, but if you remember back to Andre's freshman year when he was playing he was doing a great job for us and stepped in and made some plays," Russell said.
Amos may have the inside track, but Russell also likes what he sees in the other competitors for that cornerback job.
"The other guy is probably going to be Devon (Torrence) or Travis Howard," said Russell.
"They both have been working hard this summer, so we'll see what happens in camp. They all bring different things to the table.
"Andre is probably the fastest out of those three guys but Travis is real long, he kind of reminds me of Malcolm. He's probably not as strong as Malcolm yet but he's developing. Devon has been working hard too."
Tyler Moeller Off-Season Losses: OSU spokesperson Shelly Poe confirmed yesterday that junior linebacker Tyler Moeller has not yet reported to camp due to an injury he suffered in the off-season. It has been widely reported that Moeller suffered a head injury which is considered serious enough to put his season in jeopardy. There is no official word as yet as to the exact nature of the injury or how it occurred. Moeller was expected to compete for starting position at both linebacker and the "star" position in OSU's nickel defense.
Moeller was not the only Buckeye not to report for camp. Defensive lineman Robert Rose and wide receiver Ray Small also did not report. It is rumored that both have academic issues they must resolve before they can participate with the football team. Small is OSU's only proven big play receiver and was being counted on for a big year in this his final season of eligibility. Rose was also being counted on for playing time at defensive line. He is at full strength after battling injuries the last two seasons.
According to Poe, the current OSU roster includes 103 names. That roster does not include Moeller, Rose or Small. The NCAA player limit (including walk ons) is 105. That would mean that at least one of those three players (Moeller, Rose and Small) is not expected to be on the roster this season. According to Poe, once the roster is set, players cannot be taken off the roster to make room for other players unless the player is removed due to injury.
Return to the-OZone Front Page
(c) 2009 The O-Zone, O-Zone Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, rebroadcast,rewritten, or redistributed.