The Art of the Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2005
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As Pablo Picasso famously once said, “Genius is eternal patience.”
When Picasso made the statement, he was applying it to art, but in many circumstances it can relate to football.
Ohio State tight end Ryan Hamby has learned the significance of this quote in his five years with the team. Hamby has been required to find patience in the end zone waiting to receive the perfect pass. Since Hamby has had a strong commitment to the Buckeyes he has had accomplishments some athletes only are able to dream of, while at the same time, appreciating aspects of life outside of football and preparing for his future.
Football has been a staple thus far in Hamby’s life and looking to the future he sees it staying very close to him. With the help of family, friends and mentors, Hamby has been able to create great opportunities for himself and capitalize on them during his tenure with Ohio State.
While he is highly dedicated to the game and to his teammates, he also finds time to appreciate other parts of life, including art. Hamby’s appreciation for art stems from his brother, Matt Hamby, who has taught him about the unexpected similarities between being an artist and an athlete.
“Both of our `jobs’ require hand-eye coordination and to be very visual people,” Matt said. “I am able to see a layout on a canvas, while he is able to see a play on a diagram.”
Ryan also recognizes the similarities between athletes and artists.
“Both are very time consuming,” Hamby said. “You do not finish a painting or prepare for a game in 20 minutes. They are both something you have to prepare for and practice makes perfect.”
A canvas is “an arena in which to act,” Jackson Pollack, a famous artist, once stated. This philosophy relates to how Hamby, the football player, is expected to use the field as his palette. He is required to envision an image before it is created.
“I enjoy art in general,” Hamby said. “If you take the time to look at a piece it is really fascinating.”
While he has trouble drawing a stick figure, he can still understand his brother’s passion for art.
“It is amazing to me how someone can sit down and do that type or work,” Hamby said. “But I appreciate what my brother is able to do, because I enjoy having his art in my home. Adding a great painting to a room makes it so much better.”
While art has become an important part of Hamby’s life, football remains the first priority. Hamby came to Ohio State to dedicate his time and talent to the football team, but before his college days, Hamby split his time between football and basketball in high school.
“I absolutely love basketball, but choosing football was an easy choice,” Hamby said. “I was a good high school player and I was able to get rebounds, but my stepfather wanted me to concentrate on football, because there was more opportunity.”
Ryan’s stepfather, Steve Michalski, knew from the time Hamby was in fifth grade he would shine as a football player.
“I could tell from the time Ryan was 11 years old what his future would be,” Michalski said. “He was better than some of the high school kids at the time.”
Hamby attended Cincinnati’s Moeller High School with Matt Sylvester, who plays forward for the Buckeye basketball team. Hamby and Sylvester played on the same team at Moeller.
“Matt and I had a good relationship in high school and are still friends in college,” Hamby said.
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“I want to have the reputation of being a consistent athlete and someone who the coaches and players could rely on,” Hamby said. “I maybe would have liked to have a few more catches and touchdowns, but I will never look back and say I have any regrets.” |
In the offseason, Hamby tries to make free time to shoot hoops with Sylvester.
“Matt and I still go play basketball when we have time off during the spring,” Hamby said. “It is always fun and good for both of us for conditioning.”
During Hamby’s red-shirt freshman year he was able to accomplish something that very few athletes have accomplished: win a national championship.
“The national championship was an amazing experience,” Hamby said. “It was a great season and to have the coaches have enough confidence to put you in as a red-shirt freshman and to play behind a great athlete like Ben Hartsock was incredible.”
The former Ohio State tight end and Hamby were able to form a relationship that most athletes in competition for a position do not form.
“Ben took me under his wing and always helped me with any questions I had about football,” Hamby said. “We became great friends and still keep in touch today.”
Hartsock will call Hamby and wish him luck with his games and if he is in town they will go to dinner together.
“Hartsock is one of those guys I will always keep in touch with,” Hamby said.
In the 2004 season, Hamby achieved another great accomplishment when he scored his lone touchdown of the year in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
“It was very cool to score against Cincinnati, because all my friends and family were there,” Hamby said. “Any athlete would say it is awesome to score against their hometown.”
In his fifth year with the Buckeyes Hamby has a few goals to accomplish before his final farewell to Ohio Stadium. In addition to the annual goal of qualifying for a Bowl Championship Series game, Hamby also hopes to achieve the goal of leaving OSU with the legacy of being a good, one-of-a-kind player.
“I want to have the reputation of being a consistent athlete and someone who the coaches and players could rely on,” Hamby said. “I maybe would have liked to have a few more catches and touchdowns, but I will never look back and say I have any regrets.”
Hamby is very grateful for his experiences in suiting up for the Scarlet and Gray.
“Most people can’t look back and say they have been through what I have been through as a four-year letterman,” Hamby said. “It is only a limited number of players and I will always be thankful for that.”
Hamby’s goal after graduation is to have the opportunity to play in the National Football League.
“I believe I have a chance to play in the NFL, but if it does not work out, I will not be upset because I will still have coaching,” Hamby said.
Hamby hopes to become a high school teacher and football coach so he can educate kids on the art of making plays. Hamby is majoring in sports management to enhance his understanding of athletics and hopes to apply this knowledge to his future students.
“I idolized my high school football coaches and thought they had the best job,” Hamby said. “Teaching during the day and coaching football at night would be the perfect job for me.”
Hamby’s mom believes coaching football is the perfect position for her son after his football career.
“Ryan would make a great coach and would have a lot to give to the athletes,” Debbie Michalski said. “He has been through a lot of experiences with football and has lived through it so he will be able to relate very well with the kids.”
Although there is not a lot of money involved in high school athletics, Hamby is not concerned with the financial aspect of the job.
“I want to be a high school coach because it is what I am passionate about and I never saw my high school coaches complain since it is what they loved,” Hamby said.
Having played at both the high school and collegiate level, Hamby understands the positive and negative aspects of each stage. Hamby would like to coach high school because it would allow more time for family and offers a great environment.
“There was always something amazing about Friday night football,” Hamby said. “There is no better atmosphere.”
Hamby’s heart is with high school football, but if the opportunity presented itself, Hamby also would take a position in college coaching. Hamby’s objective is to coach; he is not concerned as much with the level.
“I can’t see myself ever walking away from the game,” Hamby said. “I will always need to be a part of it.”
Hamby would like to dedicate his time to teaching physical education. Although Hamby describes himself as a competitive person, he likes to be around a relaxed environment.
“You can go to gym class and feel like a kid again,” Hamby said. “I could see myself telling the kids we are going to play basketball today and shooting hoops with them.”
With the season coming to a close, Hamby plans to make every minute of every game count. While it might not be the end of his football career, it will be a closure to his time as a Buckeye. Hamby is taking his final games in stride and prepared for whatever may lie ahead. He always will keep fond memories of a national championship, supportive teammates and end zone receptions. Hamby will continue to paint the outline of his life, slowly adding color and texture for a richer and deeper meaning. While Hamby had had many athletic accomplishments in his five years, none of it could have been possible without his positive attitude and outlook on life.
“I am proud of Ryan for excelling in football, but it is who he is on the inside that I am most proud of,” Debbie Michalski said. “I will always remember Ryan’s first touchdown, but it is who he has become that I treasure the most.”
In the words of Vincent van Gogh, “As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints is a step forward.”
Once an artist commits himself to his passion, it will forever be apart of his life as will football in Hamby’s life.
