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'05 TX RB James Aston (former OSU walk-on; transferred to Texas State)

I think the type of body control that comes with being a successful wrestler can make him a dangerous running back if he has the vision and can adjust to the speed at this level. He gives us an opportunity to let Russell concentrate on safety and not worry about the looming possibility of having to play running back too.

Welcome aboard, big guy. Good luck at fall camp.
 
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I am actually a graduate of Katy High School and had the pleasure of watching this kid from the time he was in 8th grade. His father was a power lifter and has had james in the weight room from the time he was in junior high. If I remember correctly he came into school (9th grade)benching over 300 lbs. By all accounts you will not find a harder worker. Katy High School is a perinial power in 5A texas football and has won or competed for 5 or 6 state championships since '97, winning 3 or 4, can't quit remember. When i played for them in 98 and 99 we were a top 15 team in the nation. People don't hear much about katy because they don't produce all that many college prospects but make no mistake being the all time rusher for the tigers is quite an accomplishment. As far as wrestling goes, I think that his senior year most teams just forfited his match so as to avoid pinnings. I have to say that after hearing this I have just become a buckeye fan. Oh and on a side note, the man that wrote this artilce(nick), has a tatoo on his arm of a baby blue oil derrick with the words love ya blue underneith.

Oneshot said:
Second Team honorable mention in 5A Texas Highschool football is nothing to scoff at...

But he's only a 2 star recruit? Uhh... weak players from TX this year?
he is a white runningback, its easy to discount them,

also Katy High School does not promote their football players very much concentraiting instead on winning highschool football games
 
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Rivals $

5/6

According to James' coach, the newspaper article was premature and James has not signed with tOSU. He is still deciding between tOSU and Iowa State..both schools have agreed to let him try football in the wrestling off-season. Coach has full confidence that James could succeed at tOSU.
 
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Talked to a couple long time followers of the Katy Tigers today. First of all the Tigers compete in class 5A, which is the division where the largest schools in Texas play. Katy is a traditional powerhouse and won the state championship Aston’s junior year. Creating a relationship with the school definitely can’t hurt. Katy has produced numerous division 1 college athletes and both people I spoke to said Aston would be in the top 3 best athletes the school has ever produced. He is also the all time leading rusher in school history.

Both said Aston is a “tireless worker”, “great person”, “good student” and was a “special player”. He’s a very powerful runner with great balance and would not tire no matter how many times he got the ball. However, they both would be surprised if Aston ever plays football for Ohio State. Despite being a sensationally high school football player, they believe Aston was an over-achiever and doesn’t have much room for improvement. Additionally, he’s probably not quick enough to play halfback and not big enough to play fullback.

He is supposedly very stubborn (in a good way) and if someone tells him he can’t do something, he will work himself to death until he proves them wrong. The people I spoke with said it’s not wise to bet against the guy because of his heart, but in their opinion, he doesn’t have a lot more potential to reach on the football field. They said he’s an elite, national caliber wrestler and thought he would end up at Oklahoma State or Iowa State on a wrestling scholarship. Aston was not a highly sought after football prospect by any of the schools in the area despite his on the field success.
 
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High Lonesome said:
also Katy High School does not promote their football players very much concentraiting instead on winning highschool football games

ummmm...you mean by not selling posters of the kid at the school and on the internet? :roll2:


18X24katyposter2004.jpg
 
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http://www.dispatch.com/football/football.php?story=dispatch/2005/05/07/20050507-E5-02.html&chck=t
OSU RECRUITING
Athlete from Texas will play two sports
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Determined not to give up either football or wrestling, Texas high-school standout James Aston decided to come to Ohio State and try to do both.

Aston, a running back from Katy, has committed to OSU on a partial wrestling scholarship and also will get a chance to walk onto the football team this fall, his mother said yesterday.

"His dream is to do both," Cori Aston said, "so we focused on schools that offered both. The football coaches (at OSU) seemed very open and willing (for him to walk on)."

She said the wrestling letter of intent should be signed today or Sunday. Iowa State was the only other school James Aston was considering seriously, she said.

Aston will not get anything close to a full scholarship from the Buckeyes wrestling team, but Cori Aston said the family was willing to make the financial sacrifice.

If James Aston plays even one down of football, he would have to be counted against the team’s 85-scholarship limit.

"We decided a long time ago never to allow money to sway our decision where he would end up," Cori Aston said. "Life would have been so much easier if he was a one-sport athlete."

James Aston, 5 feet 9, 210 pounds, is a three-time state champion in wrestling, winning at 171 pounds in 2003, 189 in 2004 and 215 this year.

He rushed for 2,452 yards last fall and 4,634 yards in two years. The Tigers won the 2003 Class 5A Division II state title.

Cori Aston said her son would come to Columbus this summer and work out with the football team.

"If the football coaches really like him, it works out well for everyone," she said. "That’s what we’re betting on."


[email protected]
 
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well i have never seen anything like that from katy, however they do have a different head coach from when i was there. Gary joseph was the d-coordinator when i was there, to tell you the truth im glad to see that type of hype about someone. its about time. I saw someone mention getting a relationship with the school. Katy has put two or three offensive linemen in the nfl and i think that Eric Heitman was a starting guard last year for the 49rs. I would agree with everything that texas buck had to say about this kid. Honestly though, if quinten griffen can be an nfl running back then i really don't know why james can't have success in college

oh yeah and for the record i never said that they didn't ever promote players, they just don't do it as much as other schools around the state
 
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Thinking this through kid is really a preferred walk-on with two strikes against him. Any PT you get from a traditional walk-on is pure gravy. I believe JTs rule for walk-ons is that they get a schollie if they make the two deep.

Since Aston is on a wrestling schollie and would count against football if he hits the field at all he would not be an option to use on special teams or for spot play. He has to hit a much higher threshold to see the field. The chances of him doing that at RB are somewhere between 0 and nil.
 
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I dunno about those odds dude....
As someone who has actually seen Aston in action, in his final game where he rushed for 298 yards on the Clear Lake Falcons, He's alot better than they give him credit for. In the game, which Clear Lake won 35-34 in overtime, Aston WAS Katy's offense. I go to Lake, and this guy was a nightmare in the 4th quarter and overtime. It was only pure luck that the Katy coaches are too stupid to give it to him for a 3 yard, game winning 2 pt conversion, instead the elected to go to the air, where they were picked off easily.
Buckeyes are getting something special, the only reason he wasnt recruited too heavily is because he wanted to pursue Wrestling and showed little interest in playing football.... guess he changed his mind.
Just dont let him throw, Lake picked him off in the endzone to stop a crucial scoring drive in the second half:)
 
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