Ohio State football: Defensive end won't return
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 3:03 AM
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Now two juniors are leaving Ohio State. But Alex Barrow, unlike fellow defensive end Vernon Gholston, isn't headed to the NFL.
"I enjoyed the time I had here in football, but I am ready for the next step in life," Barrow said yesterday.
A fourth-year player from Dublin Coffman, Barrow is scheduled to graduate in June with a communications degree. A job with a marketing, advertising or public relations firm is his immediate goal.
Barrow was considered one of the top prospects in Ohio when he signed with OSU in 2004; he was named the Dispatch central Ohio high-school lineman of the year in 2003.
He has no plans to pursue a professional football career.
"I did have that dream at one time, but what became important to me changed, and that wasn't a dream for me anymore," Barrow said.
When did it change?
"There wasn't a defining moment, it just came from a long thought process, a lot of going back and forth with myself, talking with others about it for quite a while," Barrow said. "It wasn't an epiphany.
"As big as football is around here, it is also important to get your degree and get out there on the job front. Football doesn't last forever."