Buckeyes’ ‘Elder Statesman’ Passes on What He’s Learned – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/25/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 25, 1999
By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A year ago, the kid wearing No. 32 was trying to make a name for himself while playing in the shadow cast by the take-charge guys who also played linebacker for Ohio State.
Now the role played by Na’il (pronounced NEYE’-ehl) Diggs has changed. Now he is the lynchpin of Ohio State’s defense. “I look at the younger guys and I see that I was them last year,” the 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior said.
Andy Katzenmoyer was a Butkus Award winner who drew extra attention off and on the field while earning All-American acclaim and getting on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 1998 college football preview issue.
Senior Jerry Rudzinski was an introspective five-time scholar-athlete who captained the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record and a No. 2 ranking in the polls.
Diggs watched and learned. He saw how Katzenmoyer and Rudzinski prepared for games and how intense and intent they were once the games began. He took note of their work habits and dedication to conditioning.
This spring Diggs realized that, with both of his teammate-teachers gone, he had a responsibility to pass on what he had discovered.
“It’s not easy. There’s a lot to learn,” he said of the process that all young players encounter. “You want to help them, to say, ‘Are you getting this?’ There’s a lot to take in. You want to put a hand on their shoulder and say, ‘You might want to try doing it this way,’ or ‘Here’s how you ought to do that.”‘
As Ohio State readies for Sunday’s Kickoff Classic game against Miami, it’s clear that Diggs is the fulcrum of a Buckeye defense that lost five central figures from last year’s run for the national title. He is respected not only as a player but also as a quiet leader. Diggs takes the job seriously. In a questionnaire, he said the best thing about being an Ohio State football player is “meaning so much to the people of Columbus.”
“His job is elder statesman of the linebacker corps,” defensive coordinator Fred Pagac said. “I think he’s stepping up and being a little more vocal and also doing a little more leading by example.”
Diggs played on the defensive line his first two years at Ohio State after Pagac stole the Los Angeles native away from Southern Cal.
Defensive end Rodney Bailey has noticed Diggs’ growth. “He’s taken that leadership role,” Bailey said. “He’s shown that all of us who have played the last two or three years should do that.”
With Katzenmoyer, Rudzinski and defensive backs Antoine Winfield, Damon Moore and Central McClellion all gone, Ohio State’s defense needs more than someone who can lead cheers and make everyone feel good. There isn’t much doubt Diggs can handle the role of enforcer, either.
A year ago he shocked many by beating out Katzenmoyer for first-team All-Big Ten in voting by the conference coaches. His 16 tackles for negative yardage were the most on the team and his 80 stops were exceeded only by Moore.
“He’s really developing into an outstanding player,” head coach John Cooper said. “We feel Na’il is one of the better linebackers in this league and I just hope he can play as well this year as he did last year. If he does, I think he’ll be an All-American player for us.”
Last year’s Buckeye offense averaged 36 points a game. With several important cogs missing from that offensive unit, including 3,000-yard passer Joe Germaine, Diggs recognizes that the defense may have to carry an even bigger share of the load.
“This is really more of a diverse team,” he said. “Last year, we were a quick-strike type of offense. This year on offense we’ll have more drives and longer drives.”
Things don’t change so much on defense, however. “The defense will be doing the same thing. Every year we’re trying to keep the ball out of the other offense’s hands,” he said.
