08-16-2009, 06:58 AM
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Head Coach
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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Buckeyes well-stocked with speed on the edge
Sunday, August 16, 2009
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Kyle Robertson | DISPATCH
Ohio State defensive lineman Thaddeus Gibson
Watching Thaddeus Gibson and Nathan Williams go through pass-rushing drills leaves a lasting impression.
Or as fellow Ohio State defensive lineman Lawrence Wilson put it: "They come off the edge, and they come off the edge fast."
Ohio State has had a player of such caliber often; NFL first-round draft pick Vernon Gholston comes quickly to mind. But going into this season, Gibson, a junior, and Williams, a sophomore, offer OSU a threat off the edge that is just as lethal no matter which one is on the field at the Leo position.
"I tell him all the time, 'Nate, we can really be a force,' " Gibson said. "With that being said, he's buy-buy and locks in on everything the coaches tell him, just like I'm buy-buy to anything the coaches tell me.
"We're locked and loaded. We have a feeling this is going to be a big year for the defensive line, and we need everybody. If me and Nate can go out there and do it together, that's something we definitely will do."
Solomon Thomas, their fellow Leo, said Gibson and Williams are blessed with innate talents. They include a quick first step and, to use a football term, "good hips," which means they can change direction faster than the average man.
"And a lot of it is desire -- I would put them both in the category of being mean dudes on the football field," Thomas said. "When they go out there, they're not nice guys. They have an attitude about 'em and an edge to 'em."
Thomas smiled because, lest OSU fans forget, he's the one who had seven sacks in the team's jersey scrimmage in April. While Williams watched because of offseason surgery and Gibson was having a decent day, Thomas leapt into the picture.
"I think when you talk about the Leo group, Nate and Thad, I've gotta throw myself in there, too, not to be cocky at all," Thomas said. "Thaddeus Gibson does have the No. 1 spot, but we also have different packages where there are two Leos on the field, and it's really going to come down to me and Nate fighting it out there."
Don't count out Keith Wells, either. The lean, tall Georgia native also had to watch during the spring while he recovered from shoulder surgery. But he has the potential of making it a four-way tussle because he shares many of the qualities of the other three.
"Nate, Solly, Keith, Thaddeus -- they are men among boys when it comes to that speed and that strength," defensive tackle Doug Worthington said. "So it should be very interesting to see what they can do on the field this season. The competition is there, which should make them all better.
"You can see it in practice. If somebody slacks, the coaches have no problems putting somebody else in there, and not arguing or hollering at 'em to do it. It's more like, 'Get Thaddeus out and put Solly in.' Or, 'Get Nate out and put Keith in.' "
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Buckeyes well-stocked with speed on the edge
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