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LB Curtis Grant (National Champion)

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Ohio State freshman LB Curtis Grant acknowledges a tough camp, but wants to avoid 2011 redshirt
Published: Thursday, August 25, 2011
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

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Terry Gilliam, Associated Press
"My expectation was to come in and keep working hard and try to learn the playbook in a week and a half and get on the field as much as possible," says OSU freshman linebacker Curtis Grant, considered one of last spring's top national recruits. "But after a couple weeks, it was like, 'come on, be realistic, these guys have been here a lot longer than you have, and they're going to know the playbook a lot better than you.'"

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five-star recruit Curtis Grant hit the practice field for preseason camp, and Ohio State linebackers coach Mike Vrabel started yelling. At any OSU practice during the early days on the field, it was easy to tell that the former NFL veteran was taking a major interest in his third-team middle linebacker.

"When I first got here, he was always telling at me," Grant said. "I was like, 'I'm not used to this, why are you telling at me 24-7?' But they said when they stop yelling at you, that's when they don't care about you. So now I take it as 'OK, coach cares about me, so I'm going to keep working hard.'"

Ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the nation by Rivals.com, Grant arrived in Columbus with the size -- 6-3 and 225 pounds -- and high-school highlights to warrant discussions about early contributions. Now, he may be an interesting redshirt discussion, though coach Luke Fickell said Thursday the coaches haven't yet mapped out which freshmen should play and which might sit out the year working on the scout team.

Grant, though, is honest enough to admit his career hasn't started exactly how he envisioned it.

"I had high expectations for myself, and when you don't reach those expectations you kind of get down on yourself," Grant said. "I kind of lowered them down a little bit, and I'm working each day to get better.

"I'm not going to lie. My expectation was to come in and keep working hard and try to learn the playbook in a week and a half and get on the field as much as possible. But after a couple weeks, it was like, 'come on, be realistic, these guys have been here a lot longer than you have, and they're going to know the playbook a lot better than you.'"

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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/08/ohio_state_freshman_lb_curtis.html
 
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Grant, a 6-3, 225-pound freshman, hasn?t cracked that list, but might soon, according to Fickell.

Fickell said that while Grant hasn?t progressed on special teams as fast as hoped, strides are being made. Fickell added that Grant could see more time at Sam linebacker, starting as early as this weekend.

?In hindsight, maybe we wish we would have put him at SAM (in August?s camp),? Fickell said.
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http://morningjournal.com/articles/2011/09/27/sports/doc4e82986156ba1754429039.txt
 
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Outstanding;2000800; said:
Does anyone else find these statements by Fick a little odd? While under the Tress administration, the progress started with special teams improvement, then you would see more time at your position of play.

Grant does look better physically. He showed up a little bulky, he looks like he has leaned out a little. I wish him the best.
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I don't think he is as careful with his words, obviously. There is some ambiguity to what he is saying. Maybe he is implying he thought he'd be seeing more play time sooner in the season, but he hasn't because it took him longer to progress.

Hard to say.

I'd like to see what he can do out there.
 
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Poe McKnoe;2000818; said:
Going to need some big bodies at LB in the Big Ten season...
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:huh: they have that now
plus, LB play overall has been sub-Silver Bullet standard. Would have liked to have seen him out there already, however.
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you'd be missing the current group if he was in . games aren't won with size and potential, which is all Curtis has for now. some guys make plays as youngsters when they arrive, but also make many mistakes that keep them from playing. others simply aren't ready mentally and physically right away. Curtis is the latter thus far.


He is a freshman adjusting to the immense uptick in competition and speed.
 
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