1998 Spring Football Notes #4 – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/16/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 16, 1998
%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State football coach John Cooper said this week that as of right now, the annual spring scrimmage (set for April 25 at 1:30 p.m. in Ohio Stadium) would, indeed, be a game pitting the Scarlet vs. the Gray. Two of the last three years the scrimmage has been offense vs. defense, with the defense getting points based on punts forced, turnovers forced, and plays run.
%^$”Right now, we have enough offensive lineman to play a game,” Cooper said Monday. “Henry Fleming and Eric Smith [Buckeyes not practicing due to left ankle sprains] are back suiting up and hopefully they will be getting some repetitions real soon.”
%^$Ten practices into the spring drills, Cooper emphasized that he and the staff are looking for daily improvement. “We are looking for daily improvement from all the players,” said Cooper. “We are looking at a lot of the younger players…giving them a lot of repetitions and just seeing what they can do in as much of a game-type situation as we can provide.” %^$
%^$Spring Notes…
%^$*Junior tight end and long snapper Kevin Houser will miss the remainder of spring drills due to a right wrist fracture. The injury occurred Monday. He will have surgery this Monday (April 20) to repair the fracture.
%^$*Houser’s loss leave’s tight ends coach Bill Conley with just three healthy tight ends: senior John Lumpkin and walk-ons Brian May (So.; Columbus) and Marvin Payne (Fr.; Columbus). Darnell Sanders is still nursing a left ankle sprain suffered in Tuesday’s practice and Steve Wisniewski is still bothered by a lower back injury.
%^$*John Cooper on special teams play: “Right now, if I’m a senior on this football team and want to play in the NFL, I’d be begging to play on special teams.”
%^$*John Cooper on the NFL Draft: “I’d love to see Stan Jackson and Pepe Pearson and Kevin Johnson and Winfield Garnett and Eric Gohlstin and Marc Willis get a shot to play in the NFL. I hope some teams just give them a shot. Now, if they aren’t good enough for the NFL that’s one thing, but I just want to see them get a shot.”
