Dispatch
OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
Players vote Smith team MVP
Monday, December 04, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Considering he is the runaway front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, it should have come as no surprise yesterday when quarterback Troy Smith was named Ohio State?s 2006 most valuable player in a vote of his teammates.
"When guys think of you at the highest of their thoughts, in terms of being a leader for your team, I think that speaks volumes for everybody around you," Smith said. "Even though they don?t say it every day, they are thinking it. And that means everything to me."
The senior from Cleveland Glenville led the Buckeyes to a 12-0 record, the school?s first outright Big Ten championship since 1984, and a spot in the national championship game on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz. Among other things, he passed for 30 touchdowns with just five interceptions and became the first OSU quarterback to beat Michigan three straight times since Tippy Dye in the late 1930s.
Smith was among several Buckeyes feted at the team?s annual appreciation banquet yesterday. Among them was senior cornerback Antonio Smith, a former walk-on who became a starter for the first time this season and was named first-team All-Big Ten. He won the Bo Rein Award as the most inspirational player. He also won the Agonis Club Award.
Other awards
The other team awards include:
Senior fullback Stan White Jr., the John W. Galbreath Award for excellence in academics; senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock, the Bill Willis Award as the outstanding defensive player. Pitcock, senior defensive tackle David Patterson, the Jim Marshall Warrior Award; junior Ted Ginn Jr., the Archie Griffin Award as the outstanding offensive player; freshmen Chris Wells, running back, and Donald Washington, defensive back, most outstanding first-year players.
Also, junior Antonio Pittman, the Rex Kern offensive back award; sophomore James Laurinaitis, the Randy Gradishar linebacker award; senior Drew Norman, the Ike Kelley special teams award; senior Brandon Mitchell, the Arnie Chonko defensive back award; senior Jay Richardson, the Jack Stephenson defensive lineman award; junior Anthony Gonzalez, the Paul Warfield outstanding receiver award; seniors Doug Datish and T.J. Downing, the Jim Parker offensive lineman award; and sophomore cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, the SAE homecoming award.
Pentello commits
Rocco Pentello didn?t hesitate when Ohio State offered him a scholarship this weekend on his official visit.
"I jumped on it," Pentello said.
The son of Westerville South coach Rocky Pentello, Rocco was a standout quarterback ? before suffering a season-ending broken ankle halfway through this season ? but was recruited by OSU to play safety. At 6 feet, 195 pounds with 4.4-second speed in the 40, he turned heads at the OSU summer camp in June and had been on the Buckeyes? radar since.
"I grew up around Ohio State, and now to think I?m going to be a part of it, it?s awesome," Pentello said. "It?s like a dream come true."
He became the 10 th commitment to a class that?s expected to number 18 or 19 on national letter of intent signing day in February. The only other noncommitted visitor during the weekend, defensive end Ben Martin of Cincinnati LaSalle, did not announce a decision. He also is considering Notre Dame, Tennessee and Florida, among others.