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Anonymity is a Good Thing
Drew Norman
Oct. 28, 2006
By Scott Dodge
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All eyes become fixed upon the majestic quarterback as he gracefully drops back to pass. People hold their breath as he releases the ball and watch it sail through the crisp autumn air toward a speedy receiver in full stride downfield. The ball is caught for a touchdown sending 105,000 fans into ecstasy as people shout about how they love the quarterback and receiver, noting each player by name.
"A lot of specialists like me are kind of obscure, and that's the way I would like to keep it,"
Drew Norman, the long snapper for the Buckeyes, said. "They say if someone knows your name, then you have made a mistake."
Usually the long snapper is not a position which comes to mind when thinking about football. At least it is not at other schools. But at Ohio State, where there is a strong emphasis on the kicking game and field position, it is one of the most important positions on the field.
Norman, a fifth-year senior, enjoys the role he plays for the Buckeyes. He loves coming on the field knowing the pressure is on him to deliver the most accurate snap he can to the punter. He loves being a part of special teams when the Buckeyes pin the opponent deep in their own territory. And he especially loves being the first person to touch the ball on a game-winning field goal. However he might not be where he is today be it not for encouragement from his childhood friends.
In 1995, Norman, then 12 years old, was in the sixth grade. He loved to play football but found playing time a little hard to come by. One of his friends suggested he try to be the long snapper for his local Pee-Wee team. The friend noticed Norman had a knack for delivering an accurate snap from distance.
"I thought of it as being a good way to get on the field and get some playing time," Norman said. "I had messed around snapping to some of my friends before. They told my coach I knew how to do it when he was looking for some one to long snap. So I guess I owe them a big thanks."
In addition to his long-snapping duties, Norman also played running back and linebacker at Indian Valley High School in Dennison, Ohio. With a student body of only 400, playing multiple positions was common practice for most of the Indian Valley team. He knew he wouldn't get a scholarship to a Division I school as a running back so he came up with a plan.
"I really wanted to play Division I football," Norman said. "And I knew the best chance I had was to try and walk on as a long snapper. So that is exactly what I did."
Norman made the Buckeye squad in 2002, but did not see on the field action until the final game of the 2004 season. His first play as a college football player came in the played 2004 Alamo Bowl when the Buckeyes beat a very good Oklahoma State team 33-7. Norman came in and centered for the last punt of game. Since then, he has been the Buckeyes' starting long snapper and has played in every game.
Ohio State's glorious football past is something not lost on Norman. One of the reasons he wanted to play for the Buckeyes was to become part of one of the most storied programs in college football. Norman realizes the honor involved in putting on the scarlet and gray every Saturday.
"It is really something special to wake up Saturday knowing you will be walking into Ohio Stadium to play in front of some of the most passionate fans in the country," Norman said. "I absolutely love walking through Skull Session before games then walking to the stadium. Giving your all is never a question because you feel required to give everything you have and to put the work in for the fans, and everything
OSU stands for."
An
OSU football player is constantly reminded of the past. Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, the Buckeyes indoor training complex, there are banners high on the wall of Ohio State's historical triumphs. Some might feel those banners create a burdensome weight of expectation. Norman feels the opposite.
"I see Ohio State's past as something for our team to strive for," Norman said. "It is something I feel obligated to try and emulate."
Being the center on a key punt requires an immense amount of focus and concentration. One way Norman hones those skills is by playing golf. Norman enjoys trading the din of Ohio Stadium for the serene setting of a local golf course. He finds ways to take bits and pieces from each sport and integrate them into each other.
"I can't even imagine the amount of focus it must take to close out the back nine of a major when you're winning by a couple strokes," Norman said. "Those guys have to block out everything even when they know all eyes are watching them. The amount of pressure is unbelievable. But the great ones are able to focus on the task at hand and not worry about anything else."
Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 golfer, is someone Norman admires for the way he handles himself as a player.
"Tiger Woods is just so competitive and focused," Norman said. "He also displays that killer instinct few players have. That's why his Sunday record is so good. You can just look in his eyes and he's got that look that shows he's come to play. He only has to make a few good shots early on and the people he is playing against say, `Uh-Oh, Tiger is here to play today.'"
Norman thinks the Buckeyes are beginning to develop one aspect of Woods' game - that instinct that makes a winner. Coming through in the clutch is something which separates good teams from champions.
"As a team we are starting to develop a killer instinct," Norman said. "If we can make a couple big plays early in the game people will say, `Uh-Oh, Ohio State is here to play today.' It puts them on the defensive because they are worried about what we are going to do instead of what they need to do and they don't play as well as they can."
Norman feels an excellent example of that sense was the game against Penn State which the Buckeyes won 28-6.
"Penn State is a perfect example," Norman said. "We had two great teams slugging it out in an old fashion Big Ten battle. It was a very even game and the conditions were not the best. But we put ourselves in a position to make some big plays in the fourth quarter to put the game away. I think you have to treat every game like that. Every game in the Big Ten will be close and we need a great fourth-quarter performance if we are going to keep getting victories. I think that was a big step that we took."
Norman said the Buckeyes need to act as if they do not know the score.
"We need to try to win each quarter regardless of what the scoreboard says," Norman said. "Execution is key. I think the best way to do that is to act as if we don't know the score. Winning a Big Ten game is not easy, and we need to play with the same amount of focus in a blow out as we would in a tight game. We know what needs to be done and realize the game isn't won until we have more points than our opponent and the clock reads zero."
With the Buckeyes' high-powered offense,
Drew Norman may find his playing time become scarce once more. However, this time he will be more than happy to stay on the sidelines, that is, until he is needed to snap for extra points.
LS Drew "Chucky" Norman (official thread)
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