Football Fall Camp Notes – Day One – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/9/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 9, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The nation’s ninth-ranked college football team in the USA Today/ESPN preseason Top 25 football poll took to the fields outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for the first time today as a full squad. Coach John Cooper and his assistants marched the squad, featuring 15 seniors, 23 juniors, 20 sophomores and 31 freshmen, through the first of five-consecutive days of three-a-day practices amid bright sunshine and relatively moderate 78-degree temperatures, prompting Cooper to remark: “I wish it were hotter.” Strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy promised Cooper that “it will get hotter.” The extended forecast for Columbus calls for temperatures in the mid-80s the rest of the week with a high of 88 degrees predicted for Saturday. So Cooper should get his wish.
Calling Signals
The four scholarship quarterbacks each had ample opportunity to throw the football in 7-on-7 drills. Among the highlights: Steve Bellisari hit fullback Matt Keller between three defenders with a 20-yard pass, Austin Moherman found Reggie Germany, who outleaped freshman cornerback Richard McNutt for a spectacular catch, on a 42-yard pass play, moments later Bellisari hit freshman Drew Carter for a 42-yard reception, Scott McMullen hit a streaking Ken-Yon Rambo in stride on a 42-yard play, Moherman found Michael Wiley on a nice pass play out of the backfield. (Note: All plays originated from the 42.)
Buckeye Leaves and FYI
Two players in battles for starting positions – freshman DonnieNickey at strong safety and sophomore Jason Ott at middlelinebacker – each had interceptions during the team drills thatclosed the day. In a battle to assume the third receiver position,both junior Darik Warnke and junior Vanness Provitt each made onecatch after another with hardly a drop. Although practicing inBuckeye Gear (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets), there was still a”block of the day.” It came from fullback Jamar Martin, who poppedhis former high school teammate at Canton McKinley, true freshmanstrong safety Michael Doss, on a run play to the right. Everyonecame to Sunday’s media day clean shaven, including true freshmanfullback Nate Stead and true freshman defensive tackle TimAnderson, both sans the intimidating goatees they had been sportingsince arriving on campus. Four former Buckeyes were in attendanceat the day’s first practice: Jim Lachey, Kirk Herbstreit, JoeyGalloway and William White. Lachey, a Columbus buisnessman andcolor-commentator for Ohio State games on WBNS 1460, andHerbstreit, ESPN analyst and rising national broadcaster, werehappy to be on the sidelines. Galloway and White were in camp butnot the camps they want to be in. Galloway, who was on a break fromhis continuing WHAC workouts, is not in the Seattle Seahawks campwhile looking to re-negotiate his contract. White, a member of theAtlanta Falcons’ Super Bowl team of a year ago, is a free agentstill hoping to get picked up by another team. The Buckeyes havethree 100-yard grass fields to practice on outside of the WoodyHayes Athletic Center. They utilized the west side, which has twoof the fields, for the first two practices and they went to theeast side for the closing practice of the day. And when the finalpractice was over, the Buckeyes ran. There are just 20 days untilthe Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium.
Fall Camp Day One – Quotes
Head Coach John Cooper
“No one has really stood out just yet. Everyone’s working hard and putting forth a lot of effort. Ken-Yon (Rambo) and Reggie (Germany) both have made some fine plays, but we expect that from them.”
Preseason All-American Cornerback Ahmed Plummer
“I just come out every day and work hard. It makes you better to go through these tough practices. I know as a freshman I didn’t know what I was getting myself into with the first few three-a-days and how hard we had to work. No matter how hard it might be, no matter how grueling it is, you’ve got to keep pushing yourself to make it through.”
SE Reggie Germany
“I feel that I’ve done a lot to get myself prepared for the season through the summer camps and other things.
“We [Ken-Yon Rambo and Germany] have to be focused and we have to be up for the challenge [of replacing David Boston and Dee Miller]. We have a big tradition here with receivers in the past, so now Ken-Yon and I have to step up and meet those expectations and the expectations we have of ourselves.”
QB Steve Bellisari
“I’ve just tried to go out there and get my reps in. Three-a-days are tough, but we just need to battle through it and keep improving. I can already feel some improvement from my work this summer.”
-GO BUCKS!-
