At 6 feet 4, 320 pounds, Ben "Big" Person could impose his will on a high-school football field the last couple of years.
"Well, most of the time," the Xenia product said.
But, Ohio State-bound, he knows that’s about to change. He got a taste of it last night in the Grange Insurance Ohio All-Star Classic in Crew Stadium. Another helping will come in three weeks when he plays for Ohio in the Big 33 Game in Hershey, Pa., against a Pennsylvania all-star team.
From last night on, the opposing defensive linemen he faces will be not only large but quick. Like Person, they’ve made the cut to the next level, where everyone is a former high-school all-star.
"You’ve got to step everything up," Person said. "In high school, you not only were usually bigger than everybody you were going against, but you were quicker and stronger, too. It was easy, almost.
"Here, it’s not going to be like that. This all-star game is great experience because it’s the closest thing you can get to college ball, playing against athletes who are headed to college."
For a major college-bound football player, it’s the equivalent of wading into a pool rather than doing a cannonball off the high board.
"Certainly when you’re playing in an all-star game you are going to play against a higher level of competition, no question, because it’s not just the game but also the practices," OSU offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said. "That helps you get more ready for any level you’re about to step up to. It’s no different than our guys here."
When recently drafted OSU offensive linemen Shane Olivea, Alex Stepanovich and Adrien Clarke returned from their minicamp workouts with their new NFL teams, Bollman said, they reported the competition was good, but it wasn’t culture shock.
"The reason is, in practice the last three years they’ve been playing against some of the best defensive linemen in the country in Will Smith, Tim Anderson and Darrion Scott. I guess you could say the element of surprise is somewhat diminished."
Earlier this year, offensive lineman Steve Rehring graduated from Lakota West High School (West Chester, Ohio) early so he could take part in Ohio State’s spring practice. He said afterward that it gave him a head start on adjusting to the new demands of his job, that even at 6 feet 8, 315 pounds, he knew he couldn’t rule the roost any more simply by his size.
"I think it was a big help for him," Bollman said. "The biggest thing is, he has seen the speed of the game a few months earlier than the rest of those guys have seen it."
Person’s getting-up-to-speed process also got an early start, and last week’s practice was just another facet.
"Everybody in this all-star game is from Ohio, and 90 percent of the kids who grow up in Ohio and play football, they want to play for Ohio State," Person said. "But there’s only 85 at a time that can play for Ohio State."
Ohio State can add only 20 or so new players each year, with some from out of state. The relatively large incoming class of 25 this year included only 16 players from Ohio.
"Only a very few get this opportunity to play at Ohio State," Person said.
The opportunity might as well come with a big target on the back, because Person could feel one there all last season after his early commitment to OSU.
"It was like that in every game in high school, but I thought it really helped me get better," Person said. "Every time I stepped on the field, everybody gave me their best shot.
"And if you watched Ohio State last year, every game they played, the opponent gave them their best shot. Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin — Wisconsin beat ’em, but those were some great games.
It was understandable, he said, considering the Buckeyes were coming off their first national championship in 34 years.
"Everybody wants a piece of you," Person said. "I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. I’m looking forward to that challenge."
