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CPD

4/20/06

OHIO STATE SPRING FOOTBALL Terry

<H1 class=red>Glenville grad to turn versatility into a field day

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Thursday, April 20, 2006

Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus- Glenville grad Curtis Terry is the ideal player for the Scarlet and Gray Game.

"He's very versatile, and that's the thing we love about him," said defensive lineman David Patterson, the senior spokesman for the Scarlet squad that selected Terry on Wednesday during the Buckeyes' annual draft to determine the spring game rosters. "He can play all three linebacker positions, he can play [defensive end], he can fill any of the gaps where you might be short and he's a great special teams player."

Those factors helped Terry go ahead of projected starter James Laurinaitis when it came time to select strong side linebackers. But Terry's con tributions won't end Sat urday.

In the crowded line backer competi tion for the three open starting spots, Terry had been plugged into the role Bobby Carpenter assumed last season as a hybrid linebacker/defensive end. Terry, who will be a junior in the fall, and Chad Hoobler sometimes leave their linebackers drills to work with the defensive ends. It's a return to his roots for Terry, who was a pass-rushing defensive end for the Tarblooders his senior season.

And it should get him on the field.

"He's a little bit like Carpenter," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said of Terry's pass rush skills. "He's very instinctive."

His teammates noticed. Enough pride rides on the Scarlet and Gray Game each year that the seniors saddled with drafting the two sides don't just pick their friends.

"You can definitely say picking these guys is based on what we saw in the spring," said offensive lineman T.J. Downing, one of the Gray captains.

So what could be gleaned this year after the two sides for Saturday's game at Ohio Stadium were selected?

Well, the Scarlet team chose to make punter the first position drafted, so incumbent A.J. Trapasso, the No. 1 overall selection, must be far ahead of the alternatives. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson from Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary, the Gray team's initial No. 1 selection, must be ripping people up.

Despite his demotion after a DUI, tackle Alex Boone, the first offensive lineman taken, still has the faith of his teammates. Running back Erik Haw must have admirers, because he was the first running back chosen, with Mo Wells second, Chris Wells third and starter Antonio Pittman out of the game while still recovering from a hamstring pull.

The seniors already were assigned to teams; Troy Smith will quarterback the Scarlet, though by Jim Tressel decree he'll play only the first quarter.

Rob Schoenhoft will back him up, while the running backs will be Haw and Chris Wells, the starting receivers Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Hartline.
Quarterback Justin Zwick, also playing only the first quarter, will lead the Gray, with Todd Boeckman behind him. The running backs are Maurice Wells and Joe Gantz, the leading receivers Ted Ginn Jr., Roy Hall and Brian Robiskie.

That means Terry, 6-2, 234 pounds and still listed second team on the depth chart, will chase to start the game, a preview of what he hopes to come.

"Bobby [Carpenter] was so great, and he knew everything," Terry said. "That's what I got from him - learn everything, because you never know what you can be called upon to do."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479