CPD
OSU's Smith honored, but fatigued, too
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Gators should have greeted Troy Smith as his gate.
If Urban Meyer was smart, his Florida team would have been waiting when the Heisman Trophy winner deplaned Tuesday wearing a new black Heisman jacket and carrying a brown garment bag. Anyone who saw and heard Ohio State's senior quarterback might have installed Florida as the favorite if the national title game had been moved up 27 days.
"I think it's enough about me," Smith said wearily at an airport news conference just before noon, minutes after stepping on Ohio soil for the first time as the winner of the 72nd Heisman Trophy. "I think the last couple days have been not too much for me to handle, but enough for me to handle. Now it's time to get back to the people who I think are really responsible for me being in this situation."
The support crew actually went to meet him. Fellow captains David Patterson, Doug Datish and Quinn Pitcock were invited as Smith's guests to attend Monday's official Heisman dinner in New York, and he was ready for the backup.
"With all the things he could be thinking about, he still took time to think about his teammates," Patterson said. "When he got up to speak at the banquet, one of the first things he said was he wanted to thank his fellow captains, and I was just filled with joy and pride and I really respected him. Sometimes when people get put in a situation like that, it's easy to get caught up in the moment, but he stayed grounded. He just knows what's important."
The captains had watched Saturday's announcement of Smith's win separately - Datish in his living room, Patterson at teammate Jay Richardson's graduation party, Pitcock as he prepared for his own banquet as a Lott Trophy finalist. But they converged in New York on Monday and were dragging together Tuesday.
"I just flew out one day and I'm kind of tired," Datish said, marveling at Smith's seven-day tour, which started when he flew to Florida last Wednesday for an awards show. "At the end of it, it's hard to see the really positive aspect of this, but I think after a couple days he'll get his rest and think about the relationships he made and lasting benefit of this experience."
With Justin Zwick taking the first-team practice snaps at quarterback in his absence, Smith's head was already back on the Gators.
"We've been talking about it," Datish said. "He's been surrounded by people who want to praise him so much, but I think he wants to get back to work with us."
Said Smith: "I've heard a million clicks of the camera, so many flashes of light, I'm immune to it all by now. . . . I feel bad because I haven't been there with my teammates and they've been battling through some practices. I need to make them up and I will, but it starts with rest, though."
The only one who didn't come back with Smith was Mr. Heisman himself. In 1995, Buckeye running back Eddie George flew on the plane with his Heisman Trophy on the seat next to him. But before the trophy arrived in Columbus, one of its fingers was bent. So the decision was made to have the two Heismans - one for Smith, one for the school - shipped back.
So all Smith has to worry about is getting himself in shape for Ohio State's next practice on Thursday. There's a team workout scheduled for today, but the Buckeyes might want to let him sleep through that one.
