OL Nick Mangold (Jets pro-bowler)

[wadc45]

Since we got a good thread going on the Salley 5 Questions, here is the Nick Mangold Q&A from the official site...

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.collegespor...081005aaa.html

Aug. 10, 2005




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Q: You enter your second year in a leadership role on the offensive line. Is there anything you would change this season now that you have another year under your belt?
A: "I would say spending more time watching film and stressing that to the other guys."

Q: You make all the calls on the offensive line. Compare the calls you make to other positions on the field ... is it similar to a quarterback calling for an audible?
A: "I have to get up there and make the right call, because if I don't, nothing will be blocked properly. Guys will be assigned to the wrong linebackers and the play will more than likely go nowhere. My calls are as important as any other position. It is a lot like the quarterback reading the defense and determining if he needs to audible or not. I make those same types of calls for the offensive line."

Q: Your offensive line coach Jim Bollman compares you to former All-American LeCharles Bentley. How does that make you feel?
A: "Well, that is awfully nice of him. I would love to be in the company of such an outstanding player, but I don't think I am there yet. I watch a lot of LeCharles on film. If I play half as good as he did, we would be in great shape. I am honored just to be associated with him."

Q: Your recruit class included three others that are expected to start on the offensive line this season in Rob Sims, T.J. Downing and Doug Datish. How have the four of you grown as a group and how important is the growth to a successful and cohesive offensive line?
A: "That is huge coming in to this season. Your offense can only be as good as everyone communicates with one another. We are from the same class and have spent tons of time together. The way we hang out and get along correlates to the field. I am excited to play beside those guys this season."

Q: You were a second-team All-Big Ten award winner last season and a finalist for the Rimington Award. Aside from team success, what are your personal goals for your senior year?
A: "I would love to be an All-American. First team All-Big Ten would be great too. I also would like to win the Rimington just to be able to attend the banquet and be in the company of so many talented players."



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Q: Favorite movie
A: "My Top 3 are Dumb and Dumber, The Big Labowski and Gladiator."

Q: Favorite Actor
A: "Owen Wilson"

Q: Favorite Actress
A: "Jessica Simpson"

Q: Favorite music group?
A: "Metallica" Q: Favorite Food?
A: "It's a classic ... spaghetti."




<HR align=left width="90%" noShade> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Q: You were able to play some significant minutes your freshman season during the run to the 2002 National Championship. How did that experience speed up the collegiate learning curve for you?
A: "That year was absolutely fantastic for me. That was a great opportunity to play with some great offensive lineman. It helped build a great base for me and has helped me gather all of the information that has been thrown at me. Now, I am at the point where I know everything like the back of my hand and I can get more intricate and study deeper. Without that opportunity, I would not be at the stage I am now."

Q: You are called upon to pull from the center position several times during a game. How much harder is it to pull as a center?
A: "It makes it more difficult for sure. Even though you are pulling, you worry most about getting the snap to the quarterback normally. But other than that, it is just like pulling from the guard position. Although it's challenging, I love to pull."

Q: Your bio says that you lettered multiple times in wrestling and track and field in high school. How successful were you on that mat?
A: "Not as successful as I would have liked to have been. I got a concussion midway through my senior season and had to sit out the rest of my career. I did make it as far as regionals, I think. I won two or three tournaments during my career though."

Q: You threw the shot put during high school. There seems to be quite a correlation between "big" football players competing in throws. How do the throw events help you in football?
A: "Balance is the biggest thing. The shot helps you with your footwork the most. It also helps incorporate some explosion as well."

Q: Talk about your mindset the night before games. What do you focus on the most?
A: "We have meetings the night before and I just review my assignments and get mentally prepared. Before we go to bed, I just relax and talk with the guys and whomever I am rooming with that night. I just try to clear my mind for the game. It is a period of focus and relaxation at the same time."

Q: What is your favorite memory from the 1980s?
A: "Well, I was born. That is kind of a big one. But, I would have to say the Guns `n Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle" stands out most. I think that was from the late 80s.

Q: What about the 1990s?
A: "It would have to be Dec. 31, 1999 - New Year's Eve - before the turn of the century."

Q: You have traveled to Australia and New Zealand with your dad? What was your favorite experience on that trip?
A: "It was amazing being able to go to such exotic places, but spending that time with my dad was the best part. He worked and traveled a lot when I was growing up, so having two weeks to hang out with him definitely was the highlight of the trip."

Q: What is your favorite part of home football games at Ohio Stadium?
A: "I know it sounds a bit like a cliché, but it is running out if the tunnel before games. You are in the tunnel and you can't see anything, but you can hear the crowd. You know what is coming when you run out, but each time it is a high like no other." Q: How long did it take you to learn the verses to Carmen, Ohio?
A: "I got it down in the first day. We had to learn it in camp as freshmen. I learned it quickly, so I could go and eat dinner."

[Buckeye86]

I love reading these, it makes the wait between now and the first game a little less painful. Just a little bit though.

[westbrock]

I didn't know where else to post this, but I think it's interesting. Sorry if it's been mentioned somewhere else already. Mangold's sister is playing on the offensive line for Kettering Alter's JV squad. Her name is Holley, and she's 5'9'' and 276. There's an 8/17/05 article in the Dispatch about her. She hopes to make varsity someday.

[iambrutus]

Q: What is your favorite part of home football games at Ohio Stadium?

A: "I know it sounds a bit like a clich鬪but it is running out if the tunnel before games. You are in the tunnel and you can't see anything, but you can hear the crowd. You know what is coming when you run out, but each time it is a high like no other."

that has to be one of the coolest feelings!

[BB73]

Here's an SI.com article on the OL.


Nick Mangold and the Buckeyes' offensive line will try not to duplicate last season's 61 rushing yards a game in a 3-3 start.
AP



si.com

In the line of fire
Despite struggles, Buckeyes' OL say they're unified
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- They're usually the biggest guys on the field, so it's no wonder that they make such easy targets.

When things go wrong for Ohio State's offense, the first group that fans and talk-radio callers attack are the offensive linemen.

"That's kind of one of the pitfalls of the position," said center Nick Mangold. "You know when you're a young kid going into it that you're not going to get as much attention -- and as much credit -- as the quarterback and the running back. You become used to not being considered the mainstay people."

Based on the way things have gone for the past couple years or so, those critics have had a lot to reasons to blame the line.

The 2003 team, a year removed from a national championship, declined in several key offensive categories -- gaining a full yard less each time the Buckeyes ran the ball.

Then the 2004 team stumbled out of the blocks on offense during a 3-3 start. Against Marshall, Ohio State netted 79 rushing yards. The next week against North Carolina State, it was 64. When the Big Ten season began, the trend continued: 97, 99 and 27 yards rushing in three losses to begin conference play.

"When you're at Ohio State, you're expected to run the ball and you're expected to run the ball well," said tackle Steve Rehring. "What Woody Hayes did around here was run the ball. So that starts with us up front. If we don't make our blocks up front, the running backs can't make their cuts and the runs that they need to make. We have to look at it that we have to do better."

Rehring, a massive 6-foot-8, 329-pound sophomore, blames inexperience and youth for the rocky start. He said that once the youngsters got some playing time, things turned around.

Whether it was a green group gaining experience or a series of weaker teams, the Buckeyes did turn things around in the second half of the year. Three times they rushed for more than 200 yards and three times they passed for at least 180 yards.

"A year ago we started out as individuals and sort of came together at the end," Mangold said. "This year we're starting where we finished, and coming together as one."

This year's front will feature seniors Rob Sims, Andree Tyree, Mangold and tight end Ryan Hamby, with juniors T.J. Downing and Doug Datish also in the mix along with sophomores Rehring and Kirk Barton and freshmen Jim Cordle and Alex Boone.

Coach Jim Tressel said he's satisfied with the progress the linemen have made this August.

Antonio Pittman, expected to get the nod as the starting tailback, has been impressed by what he's seen, too.

"A year ago compared to this year, they're bigger and they got a lot stronger," he said. "They're more versatile. Rob can play tackle or guard. Steve's playing some guard and tackle, Nick is playing center and guard and Doug Datish is playing center guard and tackle. Last year's line didn't really have that much movement and there really wasn't that much depth."

Whether they're as improved as they appear will be tested starting Saturday when they take on Miami (Ohio) in the season opener at Ohio Stadium.

Despite the anonymity that clings to him and his linemates in victory and the scorn they get after a loss, Mangold said other teammates are aware of what the line contributes.

"Inside the framework of the team, the team knows what the line does, knows how important it is to the success of the team -- to do the job up front," Mangold said.

If he had a son, though, might he not push him to be a defensive lineman? To avoid the slings and arrows and get a little more credit?

"No way," Mangold said. "I don't like those guys too much."

[OSUBucks22]

DDN

Found this article today about female football players in the Dayton area. There was one of particular note:

• Holley Mangold
Holley Mangold starts on the offensive line for the Alter High School junior varsity football team.
The sophomore, whose family and coach did not allow her to be interviewed for this article, is the sister of Nick Mangold, a former All-Ohio lineman at Alter and now a senior starting center at Ohio State.

That's great! I'm sure big brother is giving her some pretty helpful pointers!

[BuckeyeNation27]

schollie?

[FCollinsBuckeye]

Originally Posted by OSUBucks22

Holley Mangold starts on the offensive line

Starts on the O-line?!

There's definately a good number of women taking up kicking on HS football teams (there's two here in Fort Collins), but I didn't think I'd see linewomen!! Good for her, and I hope she can push around the competition!

[Brutus1]

There was a write-up somewhere else about this. It may have been BN.
She must be pretty tough, if she's an OL.

[RugbyBuck]

Sign her up for OSU women's rugby.

[ScarletInMyVeins]

NBC4's Mindy Drayer talks with Nick about the matchup with Iowa, his siblings, life after college, and the long hair style.

You can see the video HERE

[BB73]

Congrats to Nick on being named a finalist for the Rimington award, given to the nation's finest center. LeCharles Bentley won this award in 2001.

rimingtontrophy

DALLAS, TX (December 1, 2005) --- Finalists for the Dave Rimington Trophy presented to the outstanding center in college football are Mike Degory, the University of Florida, Greg Eslinger of the University of Minnesota, Mark Fenton of the University of Colorado, Nick Mangold of The Ohio State University, Dan Mozes of the University of West Virginia, and Marvin Phillip of the University of California.

2005 Rimington Trophy Finalists

Mike Degory/Florida
Greg Eslinger/Minnesota
Mark Fenton/Colorado
Nick Mangold/Ohio State
Dan Mozes/West Virginia
Marvin Philip/California

The winner of the 2005 Rimington Trophy will announced on Thursday, December 8, 2005 and is selected by determining the consensus All-American center pick from four existing All America Teams.

While more than a dozen All-America football teams are selected annually, the Rimington Trophy committee uses these four prestigious teams to determine a winner:

American Football Coaches Association
Walter Camp Foundation
Sporting News
Football Writers Association of America

Because the selectors of these four All-America teams can place centers in a "mix" of offensive linemen that includes guards and tackles, their 11- man first teams can often have two centers. Our policy is to count all players that play primarily the center position for their respective teams as centers, even though they maybe listed as guards or tackles on the four All American teams.

The center with the most first team votes will be determined the winner. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with most second team votes will win. If there is a tie with first team votes, then the center with most second team votes will win. If there is still a tie, the winner will be determined by the Rimington Trophy committee.


The winner will be honored at the awards banquet at the Rococo Theater in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 7, 2006. The featured speakers at the banquet will be Legendary Coach John Gagliardi and Heisman Trophy Winner John Cappelletti.

About the Rimington Trophy

The six-year old trophy (Nebraska’s Dominic Raiola, Ohio State's LeCharles Bentley, Miami’s Brett Romberg, Virginia Tech’s Jake Grove, and co-winners Michigan’s David Baas and LSU’s Ben Wilkerson are past recipients) is presented by Canon, USA, Black & Decker, Mid American Energy Holdings and Power Sentry. Since its inception the Rimington Trophy Award has raised over $450,000 for the award’s benefactor, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is hosted by the Boomer Esiason Foundation that to date has raised over $40,000,000 for CF Research.

Rimington the award's namesake was a consensus first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and 1982 - years in which he became the John Outland Trophy's only double winner as the nation's finest college interior lineman.

2005 marks the first year that the Rimington Trophy is a part of the National College Football Awards Association.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

12/30/05

Nick Mangold: 'Still just beautiful and blond'

By Tom Archdeacon
Dayton Daily News
PHOENIX | He wore his new, red Fiesta Bowl jogging suit zipped up tight beneath his chin, like a turtle neck. His large hands, cupped together peacefully next to the microphone, bore the nicks and scars of a season in the college football trenches.

But if you slipped behind the skirted table where Nick Mangold, Ohio State's starting center and senior captain, sat on an elevated stage and held court four days before the Buckeyes' game here with Notre Dame, you noticed he wore flip flops and you saw the way that golden mane of hair fell onto his shoulder blades.

Business at hand and yet relaxed. That's the way it looked Thursday, the way it sounded.

In a 45-minute session — often showing that puckish sense of humor — Mangold talked about how he got his football start in Centerville and his greatest glory right here in the Arizona desert.

He talked about his sister Holley, who plays offensive line at Alter High. He talked about A.J. Hawk's love life, Jim Tressel's long hair and Maurice Clarett's absence.

He told how he turned his back on Notre Dame, why he's in no hurry to leave Ohio State, and how, if a pro career doesn't work out, he plans to be Hawk's pool boy:

What it's like being a center, looking at life upside down and through your legs?
"It gets a little dizzy sometimes ... (laughter). They say it takes a special breed to play the position, but I just fell into the job my seventh grade year. Our guy broke his arm, and they asked if anyone could snap the ball and I've been there ever since. I might dream about being a wide receiver, but I'm not arguing. It's worked out pretty well."
Are you surprised how fast your OSU career went?
"It's unbelievable. ... My mom's been collecting things the past four years — pictures, memorabilia and stuff — and when I was home at Christmas I had a chance to go back and look at some of it. It's amazing to see the pictures from that first Picture Day. How ungodly young I looked ... (laughter) How I was scared, crying."
What was your hair like in those first pictures?
"Definitely shorter, but still just beautiful and blond."
How about Tressel — they say he had long hair in '70s?
"Yeah, long hair and a sweater vest."
Going to a Catholic school — Alter High — didn't you consider Notre Dame?
"My mom — being from a good Catholic family — wanted me to go to Notre Dame when they offered a scholarship. Her whole side of the family did. They really didn't know anything about football, they just knew the storied history, the tradition and what a great school it is. With the legends that came through there, it's one of those mystical places.
"But my dad's side, all being from Ohio, they wanted me to go to Ohio State, and I'd always been a Buckeyes fan. And once my mom realized what I was becoming a part of, she was happy about Ohio State, too."
What was it like, winning the national title here in the Fiesta Bowl in your freshman year?
"There's no better way to finish off a national championship than in a game like that — hard-fought, two overtimes, everyone drained. I remember being with a bunch of guys in the middle of the field, hugging, trying to soak it all in.
"I remember coming back to Centerville, seeing how many people had block O's on their clothing, seeing the look of excitement on so many people's faces and realizing how much it meant to so many people.
"And I think the further and further away from it you get, the more you appreciate just how special it was."
Ever think what might have been had Maurice Clarett played with you guys all four years?
"He was such a great running back, he could make any offensive line look great and it would have been nice. But as we finish this season, I wouldn't trade Pitt (Antonio Pittman) for Maurice. Pitt's been such a great guy. He's real quiet, real humble and when he gets done, he gives credit to us. When a guy does that, it makes the line work that much harder for him. It makes you love him a little more."
Speaking of good teammates, what about Hawk? You two played together for the Centerville Wee Elks and now live together back in Columbus.
"There was just something about him way back when we were kids. It's not like he was benching 225 when he was 6 years old or anything, it was a cumulative kind of thing. Everybody used to talk about him when we'd sit in school before practice. 'What's A.J. gonna do today?' And once he got to high school, it got more solidified. There was just an air that said greatness."
When did the guys at OSU see it?
"Freshman year he cut his forehead during camp, and they had to hide his helmet so he couldn't practice. He wanted to be out there so bad, and the guys all saw it."
How about Hawk in love? There's a lot of talk about his relationship with Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn's sister, Laura.
"She's a sweet girl. It's unfortunate for them that we're playing Note Dame and they're thrown into the spotlight. (starts to smile). A.J. doesn't like talking about anything, much less this. Even when we're sitting at home, you bring up the Laura thing and he starts squirming. ... But seriously, I can tell he's happy. Right now he's a happy guy."
You and Hawk — even though you'll both be drafted in the NFL next spring — don't seem in a rush to end your college careers.
"Sure I'll remember the games and the scores and when I got in, but the memories that will make me smile the hardest and most are being with these guys. It's like a brotherhood and I don't want to leave that."
You don't plan on leaving A.J. anyway, do you?
"I want to be A.J.'s pool boy. His grocery shopper and gardener, too. Hopefully, I won't have to do it for a couple of years, but I always want to have that door open. He doesn't believe me, but one day, wherever he's playing, there'll be a knock at the door and there I'll be."
As for another football player, what about Holley?
"She's a tough girl and she loves football. I kind of stay out of it so no one says she's doing it 'cause she's Nick Mangold's sister. But (laughing) I like to beat up on her when I get home just so she remembers I'm bigger, stronger ... and got better footwork."
What legacy would you like to leave at Ohio State?
"That we fought hard, that we all loved Ohio State and we left behind a sense of tradition for all the young guys to carry on."
Any last words?
"Well, I hope A.J. lands in some place warm. A pool boy in Wisconsin — that might be a little rough."

[LoKyBuckeye]

"Well, I hope A.J. lands in some place warm. A pool boy in Wisconsin — that might be a little rough."

sorry Nick, I want AJ in Green Bay

[BuckBackHome]

It is so hard to say which player I am going to miss the most off the team. Nick is at the top of that list. He is the epitome of what an OSU football player should be.