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RENEE SAUER | dispatch
Former Buckeyes player Brett Daly works with DNA samples in a Graves Hall laboratory. Daly was accepted to Michigan's medical school but spurned the offer when Ohio State's school recently accepted him.

Another prized recruit
OSU trumps Michigan again, but this time it's an ex-player with different goals
Sunday, June 8, 2008
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Even if he doesn't reach his goal of becoming an orthopedic doctor, Brett Daly has learned two valuable things in his four years as an Ohio State football player:

No. 1: When he has a gut feeling, go with it.

No. 2: He has friends in high places.

Both of those lessons, along with his customary practice of keeping his nose in his books when he wasn't practicing football, helped Daly move closer toward his goal. The former walk-on defensive lineman, who played primarily on special teams, will be a starter in medical school at Ohio State this fall.

"Following my gut is what brought me to Ohio State in the first place," said Daly, an Elyria native who tried Case Western for a semester before transferring to OSU in the spring of 2004. "Past experience and, again, following my gut is what's going to keep me here for med school."

Late in November, it looked like Daly was headed to the University of Michigan medical school. He interviewed with the screening board at Michigan the day before he and the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor for a fourth straight time. Several days later, he received a letter saying he'd been accepted.

It was a hallelujah moment because even if the Wolverines are OSU's rivals on the field, Michigan's med school has long been considered one of the top 15 in the nation. Plus, he had interviewed for acceptance to Ohio State's med school but was placed on the deferred list.

That's where the friends in high places came into play. OSU coach Jim Tressel long has been a fan of Daly, whose limited playing time belied his effort and focus.

"Brett Daly is the ultimate student-athlete, willing to do whatever his team needed," Tressel said. "His unselfishness and willingness to sacrifice will make him a superb physician."

Plus, Tressel wanted it known that Daly had been accepted by Michigan, "the team up north."

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Ohio State Football: Another prized recruit