Home Stretch – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2005
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Today, Butch Reynolds is back where he started – Ohio Stadium.
As a freshman at Ohio State in 1986, Reynolds climb to status as world-class sprinter began when he ran in his first Jesse Owens Track Classic, here in Ohio Stadium. Although he finished fourth that day in the 400-meter dash, Reynolds’ journey to three Olympic Games and an 11-year run as world record holder commenced.
By the 1987 season, Reynolds had posted the top U.S. time in the 400 meters and decided to leave school to pursue a professional career in track and field. He came back to Columbus several times during the next decade, returning to Ohio State for two tours as a track assistant coach and also received his degree in “The Shoe” in 1991.
Then, by the end of 1998, Reynolds’ Olympic “itch” inflamed again and he set off for Atlanta to train for his fourth Olympic appearance. Despite falling shy of the 2000 Sydney Games, Reynolds went back to his hometown of Akron, Ohio regarded as a hero. He used his status as a public figure to start the Harry “Butch” Reynolds Care for Kids Foundation, which core objectives include “portraying to youth the importance of education, humanistic values, sportsmanship and the respect for oneself as well as others.”
With the foundation, Reynolds was able to set his focus on another driving force in his life – helping people.
“It has always been important to me,” Reynolds, who retired from track before returning to Akron, said. “It is the way I was brought up and live my life. If you give back, it all comes back to you three-fold.” After four years in Akron, Reynolds has come back again to Ohio State. Although he is working with a new sport and in a capacity he has never held, Reynolds is back for the same reason and the only way he knows how – to help others.
“To comeback as an assistant football coach is the only way to comeback,” Reynolds said. “You cannot get more top-of-the-line than Ohio State football. To have the opportunity to work with such an outstanding group of young men is such a positive thing for me and my family.”
Reynolds return is a positive thing for the Buckeyes as well, because Reynolds flat out knows speed. As just one of three men to hold the world record in the 400 during the last four decades, Reynolds is in rare company in the world of sports.
The previous 400 world mark of 43.86 seconds was held by U.S. hall of famer Lee Evans, who set the standard in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
In 1987, Reynolds started his chase of the longest-standing world record at the time. He blazed a 44.10 on his home track at the Jesse Owens Classic that season, which stood as the top international time and, more importantly, let the world know he was within striking distance of Evans’ mark.
At the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials, Reynolds cruised to the top U.S. time in 43.93 and to within less than one-tenth of a second of Evans’ time.
Then in a warm up meet for the 1988 Seoul Olympics in Zurich, Switzerland, it happened. Reynolds not only bested Evans’ world mark, but shattered it, timing a 43.29.
“August 17, 1988 at 8:40 p.m.,” Reynolds said. “Every now and again, I look back and celebrate that date. It was a dream come true. I think I am just as proud as a former record holder now.”
Reynolds, who held the world standard until 1999, went on to win the silver medal in the 400 in Seoul, and helped the 4×400-meter relay to the gold. Later, Reynolds qualified for the 1992 Olympics and broke the 44-second barrier again at the 1996 Olympic Trials at the age of 32, which is perceived to be ancient in “track years.”
Although most of the athletes he works with on the Buckeye football team are too young to remember Reynolds’ career, they know who he is and realize the significance of his accomplishments.
“This is a hard group to impress,” Reynolds, who was an all-Ohio wide receiver and defensive back at Akron Hoban High School, said “Most of them were real young when I was in my last Olympics in ’96, but they realize that I know speed and they listen.”
The athletes may not recall exactly what Reynolds did at the height of his career, but Ohio State football head coach Jim Tressel is plenty familiar with Reynolds track record. In June, he hired Reynolds to give the Buckeyes an added edge in the speed department.
“His knowledge and expertise will benefit all of our players,” Tressel said. “More and more in college football, speed is the element that separates the good teams from the great teams. We have good speed on this team. I believe Butch can help us become a team with great speed.”
Reynolds has incorporated his decades of track experience to enhance Ohio State team speed, but he also knows “football speed” and “track speed” differ.
“I don’t train them I like I trained for the quarter mile,” Reynolds said. “I train them to attack and breakdown their 10-20-50-yard bursts. I am here to instill form, concentration, technique and to condition there minds. Olympics come every four years. In football, it is like having the Olympics every week. They need to be able to maintain that high level of concentration and technique in front of 105,000 people every Saturday.”
Having spent many days himself performing in front of thousands at Ohio Stadium during his track career, Reynolds looked forward to running in “The Shoe” for the first time in 10 years when the Buckeyes opened up against Miami last week. That day, however, was much different than turning those four familiar corners of the 400. This time, Reynolds found himself sprinting alongside 100-plus players and coaches through the OSU Marching Band as the team charged onto the field.
“It was just awesome,” Reynolds said. “That is the reason you come back. What a feeling. It was like being in Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony in 1996 and seeing Muhammad Ali light the torch.”
