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Rolle to play for Buckeyes
By Chris Umpierre
cumpierre@news-press.com
Originally posted on December 14, 2006
Brian Rolle was so excited he couldn?t sit still. Ohio State?s Jim Tressel, the head coach of the nation?s top-ranked college football team, was sitting on his couch in his living room.
Tressel and two of his assistants spoke with Rolle, an Immokalee High senior linebacker, for about an hour when Tressel said he had to leave to catch a flight.
?Listen, coach,? Rolle said.
Rolle?s mother dropped her head and started sobbing. She knew what her son was about to say.
?I?m a Buckeye,? Rolle said.
Rolle?s mother and two sisters yelled in joy, swarmed Rolle and sobbed on his shoulder.
Rolle verbally committed to Ohio State on Tuesday night. The 5-foot-11, 216-pound senior, who is ranked as the 27th-best outside linebacker in the nation by rivals.com, also had scholarship offers from Wisconsin, Florida and LSU.
Tressel, whose Buckeyes will play Florida for the national championship next month, jumped up when Rolle committed.
?I was going to give him a handshake but then he hugged me. It was like a father-son hug,? Rolle said.
Rolle said he picked the Buckeyes for a number of reasons. He visited the campus last month and attended Ohio State?s nationally-televised game against then-No. 2 Michigan.
?I clicked with those guys. Meeting the players was great,? Rolle said. ?Academically, it's a great place to be. Football is good everywhere but you can't always get great academics.?
Florida coach Urban Meyer was scheduled to make a home visit to Rolle today, but Rolle said he was going to call Meyer Wednesday night and tell him about his verbal commitment. His commitment to
OSU is non-binding until Rolle signs a letter of intent.
?I?m not changing my mind,? he said.
Rolle led Immokalee with 125 tackles and was a major fixture on a defense that recorded school records for shutouts (six) and fewest points allowed (36). He was the runner-up for the Dairy Farmers Mr. Football Class 3A Player of the Year.
Recruiters questioned whether Rolle was big enough to play in Division I. Rolle admitted questions about his size bother him sometimes. He pointed out that rivals.com wrongly lists him as 5-foot-10, 202 pounds.
?They make it seem like I can?t be as good as most guys because of my height,? Rolle said. ?I play better than some 6-foot-3 guys anyway.?
Indians coach John Weber said Rolle is one of the most highly recruited players he has ever had.
?When you?ve got LSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Florida after you, they must think a 5-10 kid can play in Division I,? Weber said. ?I don?t think (his size) is going to make a difference. I think he?s going to be a great success because he?s a tremendous worker.?
