Under the Helmet – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 7, 2006
By Ashley Heilman
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John Mellencamp has a legendary song that rocked airwaves over two decades ago entitled “Small Town.” Its predictable lyrics croon of a man from a tiny community, who holds appreciation and respect for his hometown regardless of how far away his journey in life may physically take him.
The theme of that rock n’ roll melody could possibly be the anthem for Aaron Pettrey’s life, when his collegiate adventure started with an opportunity that carried him quite a distance from his own small town.
Tucked away in the rolling countryside of Kentucky is the town Pettrey likes to call home. Travelers driving through might miss the rural community in a simple blink of the eye, but it is the heart of his hometown not the size that matters to Pettrey.
“Raceland is real small,” Pettrey said of the Kentucky town from which he hails. “It has about 2,000 people and only one stoplight. There is a lot of support there for me. Everybody is always asking my parents how I’m doing up here in Columbus at school. It’s nice to know there are a lot of people behind me back home.”
After walking onto the team in the fall of 2005 and making an instant impact in the eyes of his coaches, a full scholarship was granted to Pettrey starting the following quarter. When he was still in high school, Pettrey always knew kicking was something he wanted to pursue in college and his dream finally became true. Joining the Ohio State football team turned his world upside down, but after a redshirt freshman year and working hard to earn a starting position for 2006, this small-town guy is doing just fine in the big-city spotlight.
He might have to drive a while from the Ohio State campus to find the familiar sight of a swaying wheat field, but with a little visualization and confidence, the Horseshoe might as well become his backyard.
“There is a big difference for me between Raceland and Columbus,” Pettrey said. “I try not to realize the size difference, and keep doing the same thing with my kicking that I’ve always done a thousand times. I just try to block out the people and just have a mind-over-matter thing.”
When he relocated from one city to another, Pettrey believed it was not necessarily the place where he stayed, but the company he surrounded himself with that would truly keep him content with his new situation.
“I try to keep a small-town feel and outlook even when I’m here,” Pettrey said. “I have a group of guys I stay with a lot, just like I would with my friends back home. Even with a ton of people around here, I like to keep that same small-town feeling.”
Pettrey also found a comfortable spot on the team with a fellow kicker who helped ease the transition between small town and big city.
“Josh (Huston) was the first guy I met when I got here,” Pettrey recalled. “He came over and kicked with me. Right at the beginning, he knew exactly what I was doing wrong and told me the things I needed to work on. Our personalities just clicked. We hung out a lot and got along real well. He just wanted to do everything he could to help me succeed and do the best I could here.”
Even though Huston has since graduated, Pettrey still makes it priority to call his friend and ask for his truthful opinion about his performance. Pettrey knows Huston is the one person who will cut to the chase when it comes to advice exempt of sugar-coated words.
“He calls me after each game and tells me what I did wrong and yells at me a bit,” Pettrey jokes. “But I love it. His advice only helps me along.”
Reflecting back on where he has started and how far he has come, Pettrey is grateful of the friendships he has made at Ohio State that have helped him acclimate to the big city of Columbus.
“I put a lot of hard work in and last year,” Pettrey said. “I struggled a lot in practice but Josh helped me out a lot with everything. His support was huge for me. It means a lot to follow in his footsteps, along with Mike Nugent. Now I’m just trying to find my niche.”
