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Ohio State Insider: Russell tries to show off bravado, but it's intercepted by teammates
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday September 02, 2008

COLUMBUS -- Despite posting a shutout, Ohio State's defense once against didn't win the turnover battle for the Buckeyes in Saturday's 43-0 win over Youngstown State, with each team getting one.


OSU photo
OSU cornerback Anderson Russell.

Ohio State's biggest missed opportunity came when cornerback Shaun Lane jumped a route and dropped what might have been an interception return for a touchdown. Safety Anderson Russell, who earned a reputation last season for dropping interceptions himself, was there to share the grief with Lane.
"Oh man, I let him have it," Russell said. "Because everybody is making fun of me based off last year. Anybody drops one, I'm right there to say something about it."

But as four reporters interviewed Russell on Tuesday, linebackers Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis arrived to pose questions themselves, aiming to force Russell to remember his past. Laurinaitis grilled Russell about his comments two years ago, when Laurinaitis had five interceptions.

"You kept saying over and over, I think week by week, 'James, they throw the ball right to you, no wonder you get interceptions,'" Laurinaitis said, TV microphone in hand. "Having experienced the same things, yet having dropped those, what goes through your mind in situations like that?"

"You got lucky," Russell said. "All the ones they threw you were lollipops. I got bullets."

Then they all laughed. Oh, the joys of a shutout.

Ohio State Insider: Russell tries to show off bravado, but it's intercepted by teammates - Ohio State Buckeyes Football, Basketball, News, Blogs and Photos - cleveland.com