Curtain Call – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 12, 2005
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The waning seconds ticked down and all that was left was the occasion to seize the moment and soak in the magnificence of what had just occurred. For an incoming freshman class of 25, the year was a heart-pumping, roller-coaster ride of incredible instances that personified itself with a 31-24 double-overtime triumph over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl to win the national championship.
There was no better way for the rookie class to become baptized into OSU football tradition. After coming into fall camp in awe of the environment, the class of 2005 could not have been more elated at joining a finer program.
“Obviously, my first memory was being on the national championship team,” Ryan Hamby, a fifth-year senior tight end, said. “I am sure all of us have said that, but that is what we strive for every year. Even though it was not my senior year, that is what I will remember the most.”
However, it should not be assumed that clutching the national championship trophy was the highlight for everyone a part of that class. No doubt a Top 2 or possibly a Top 3 football memory, for some, their recollections are a little more personal.
“Some of my greatest memories include the Illinois game in 2002,” Nick Mangold, senior center, said. “In that game, I got in the second half and played almost the whole half. Then it went into overtime and I was still playing. That was really the first significant time I got that year and it was really special to be out there.” For Bobby Carpenter, it actually was the Fiesta Bowl of 2004 that proved to be the most momentous of his career. The senior linebacker really did not receive much playing time in the 2003 version, but a year later Carpenter was able to help the Buckeyes snag a 35-28 win against Kansas State. Last year’s Michigan game also was a turning point for Carpenter. After the team endured a challenging first half of the season, it was able to win five of its last six games, including a 37-21 victory over Michigan at Ohio Stadium and then a decisive 33-7 postseason win vs. Oklahoma State in the MasterCard Alamo Bowl.
Offensive lineman Rob Sims said his favorite memories are the starts he made against Indiana, San Jose State, Penn State and Illinois in 2002. Those starts are a vivid fixture in Sims’s mind, especially since he was convinced his first memory would be giving up a sack of Craig Krenzel in the national championship match-up with the Hurricanes. On the Miami 25-yard line, Miami defensive end Jamaal Green slipped past Sims and the offensive line, handing the Buckeyes a 4-yard loss in overtime. With the Buckeyes facing a 3rd-and-14, Sims was certain he had just damaged the Buckeyes’ chance of upsetting the No. 1 team in the nation. However, Ohio State prevailed, gaining the first down two plays later. The rest is history.
When the 2002 recruits were new to the program, it was vital for them to witness the resolve of those who had already dedicated up to four or five years to the team. Although there is no doubt 2002 was a great year, for many it was a moment to develop a permanent respect and admiration for a group of guys who simply refused to lose.
“2002 was great,” Sims said. “It seemed we just couldn’t lose. Nothing could stop us even though we would be down a couple of points or whatever the case may be. All the guys on the team kept fighting and would never give up and took everything one game at a time.”
It was with great esteem linebacker A.J. Hawk regarded his superiors and one of the first characteristics he recognized when he became a part of the Buckeye family was how well the class was treated by the upperclassmen. In a full circle of events, Hawk believes this season is his chance to provide what was presented to him when he was the “new kid.” He relishes his ability to take younger members of the team under his wing, guiding them through what can be a challenging, yet rewarding experience of Ohio State football.
“We remember the guys we had a lot of respect for, guys who had a lot of respect for the game and most importantly we remember how they treated us and what they did for us,” Hawk said. “They were so good to us and we wanted to be the same and now us being seniors we don’t have much time left, so we wanted to come in and make the younger guys feel welcome and let them know what it takes to play here. Our coaches have done a great job of recruiting great kids and it is our job to help them out the way guys helped us out. That was what we tried to pick up from those older guys when we came here.”
There is quite a learning curve for everyone to discover when they enter the OSU campus. In addition to mentoring those who are new to the Ohio State football experience, those leaving what may be considered a small community nestled onto a campus consisting of 50, 995 have some advice for others who still have time remaining with coach Tressel and Co.
The outgoing class shares similar sentiments on how all 102 lingering members of the roster can enjoy their remaining time at Ohio State. Some advice is fitting for the gridiron, while other counsels deal with the practicality of being a student-athlete and what that title and responsibility means to the entire department of athletics.
“One of the biggest things is to just nurture the time with each other because we are with each other for life,” Mangold said. “I have just held on to the people I have been friends with.”
“I tell people to just enjoy it because it goes by fast and even if there are plans to play in the NFL, it’s a job,” Sims said. “This is fun and these are four years you cannot get back and you have to enjoy it with the people around you because those are the people you will remember for the rest of your life. Take it one day at a time and don’t rush anything and let it come to you.”
Some of the younger guys will have to discipline themselves during the offseason, Hamby said. No longer can they depend on coaches or parents to call them telling them to go to class and do their homework. To sum it up, it will completely be up to all members of the team to fulfill obligations as a student-athlete and it will become a reality in the winter and the spring when there is not a stringent football schedule to abide by after the fall.
“It sounds so cliché, but I would tell them to go to class, but also just have fun,” Hamby said. “That’s what college is all about. Things are not always going to go your way. You have to take it with a grain of salt because there is life beyond football and you really don’t realize it until you get to your senior year.”
Free safety Nate Salley, too, understands OSU football is a staple in the Ohio community and with that kind of pressure, members of the team will have to be willing to take the good with the bad.
“Things aren’t always perfect,” Salley said. “In college you can go through a lot of ups and downs. Things can be great one day, but you can get a bunch of bad news the next day, but you have to keep moving on with your life.”
There is a tremendous demand to perform to the highest of standards at Ohio State. Although many guys who are playing in their final home game today know fans and the media may define them by their greatness on the football field, it is not those moments that label four or five years of being a college student.
“People always say how fast time goes and how it flies,” Carpenter said. “It really does, but some people look back and think about game memories, but the big memories are things you did off the field; hanging out after the game and hanging out during the summer. Those are the things you really remember because it is the friendships you build with everybody. Guys are coming from such diverse backgrounds. There is no way I would have met the type of people I’ve met here and become such good friends with them. Where I’m from and where they may be from, they probably would not have met anyone like me. We can all come together and become such great friends.”
Life is full of `last times’ and the class of 2005 encountered yet another final chapter with the Friday night team dinner.
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“People always say how fast time goes and how it flies,” Carpenter said. “It really does, but some people look back and think about game memories, but the big memories are things you did off the field; hanging out after the game and hanging out during the summer. Those are the things you really remember because it is the friendships you build with everybody. Guys are coming from such diverse backgrounds. There is no way I would have met the type of people I’ve met here and become such good friends with them. |
One of Mangold’s all-time favorite pregame rituals, the lighthearted atmosphere of gathering around the table with his teammates and unwinding from a week’s worth of preparation is one he will miss. With no stress or pressure, it is simply a time when he and the team can hang out and relax before they focus on the game the following day.
For Hawk, it will be a test to let go of a place he has called his football home for the past four years. Like his linebacking counterpart Carpenter, Hawk came in with a highly praised recruiting class and could not have expected such adulation in the rapid four years.
“I don’t think I could ever have expected what has happened so far,” Hawk said. “When I came in I wasn’t really sure what to expect. All I did know was I was coming in with a lot of great players in this class and that felt good. I think we all knew we were going to make each other better. The biggest thing I realized is we all feed off each other and each guy helps each other each play.”
“The last game is going to be a tough game for all the seniors and fifth-year guys,” Carpenter said. “We were such a highly touted class and we had so much around us and that kind of made us really close, so the last game in the `Shoe’ will definitely be an emotional experience. I’m sure before the game we will all get together and talk about it and relish in the moment.”
The transition of one group of players to the next is nothing new in athletics. Great performers are replaced with new great prodigies and the rotation continues as the historical significance of each past year grows. The class of 2005 has been a part of some great moments, some classified by team success, others by more personal accomplishments. Regardless of which sort of triumph, they will leave Ohio State with their own distinct brass, never to be forgotten in the rich historical lore of Ohio State football.
