Many Special Moments
In the immediate on-field aftermath of Ohio State’s 62-39 win over Michigan, emotions ran high for the Buckeyes and their coaches.
Urban Meyer could be seen embracing his wife Shelley as the two shared a moment which seemed to foreshadow his eventual retirement.
Meyer also found receivers Johnnie Dixon, Terry McLaurin, and Parris Campbell. He pulled them aside and the four of them had a brief huddle.
What did Meyer tell them?
“I don’t remember what he said,” Dixon said. “I have short-term memory to the max. But it was probably along the lines of him telling us he loves us and that he appreciates us. That’s something he’s been telling us consistently. We appreciate that because we feel the same way towards him. Just having something like that come from Coach Meyer is a blessing because everybody doesn’t get that.”
Finding Out
Urban Meyer called a team meeting the morning of his announcement to let the team know what was happening.
He told them what he had been going through and why he was retiring. None of it was easy for the Ohio State head coach who had fully immersed himself in the program since the day he arrived.
How was Meyer during the meeting?
“He was how you’d expect,” junior safety Jordan Fuller said. “This is something he really loves doing. He loves doing it for us and for his family as well. He obviously wasn’t happy saying it. But it was something he had to do. It was one of those type situations.”
What was the room like when Meyer broke the news?
“It was kind of silent,” Fuller said. “Coach Day spoke to us right after and Gene Smith, too. It wasn’t all like a sad time. We were just caught off guard. We were happy he was making the right decisions for him. He wasn’t right the whole [season].”
Dishing on Grinch
This was Alex Grinch’s first season as an assistant coach at Ohio State. He came over from Washington State, where he ran his own defense and called his own plays.
With the Buckeyes, he is a co-defensive coordinator and coaches the safeties. Those safeties have had an up-and-down season this year.
It took some time for Grinch to finally settle on sophomore Brendon White at strong safety, which may have never happened if not for injuries and a targeting suspension.
While there was a revolving door at one safety spot, the other safety was manned solidly by Jordan Fuller.
Fuller, however, will tell you that he wouldn’t have played as well as he did without Alex Grinch there to help him.
“He’s great,” Fuller said of Grinch. “I always say there were a few times in the season where I would not be as confident as I should be. Or the defense wasn’t playing as well as we want it to. He would always have something good to say about getting my mind right and forget about everything that happened in the past.”
What would Grinch tell him?
“He would say, ‘Go play and let it loose,’” Fuller said. “I just appreciate him for that. In terms of scheme, I think he is one of the best in the country. I really appreciate him.”
