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OL Patrick Elflein (National Champion, 2017 PFWA All-Rookie Team, Arizona Cardinals)

'I LOVE OHIO STATE': ON PAT ELFLEIN'S DECISION TO RETURN TO THE BUCKEYES FOR HIS FIFTH SEASON

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Ed Warinner signed plenty of high-profile recruits throughout his career but never one like he did on Dec. 18.

That was when Ohio State redshirt junior offensive lineman Pat Elflein announced he'll return for his fifth season.

“It’s like signing a five-star recruit with three years of experience,” Warinner joked Tuesday during his media session for the Buckeyes’ Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl game against Notre Dame.

Warinner wasn’t too far off. After all, as a first-team All-Big Ten selection, Elflein was one of Ohio State’s best and most consistent players throughout a season filled with ups and downs.

Elflein addressed the situation Tuesday as well, saying his choice to return for his fifth season was stressful, but ultimately the correct one.

“There’s a lot of things that went into that. Talking with the coaches and my family, we just decided that the pros of coming back are greater than the pros of leaving right now,” Elflein said. “I love Ohio State. I love the coaches. I want to graduate and there’s still some things personally I want to accomplish here.”

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...o-return-to-the-buckeyes-for-his-fifth-season
 
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Mutliple Transitions Are Suiting Ohio State's Pat Elflein

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Pat Elflein's adjustment to his new roles will be pivotal for the Buckeyes in 2016

When Pat Elflein stepped back onto the practice field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for the first time after Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the Fiesta bowl, he had to undergo a few transitions.

The first was all but one of his fellow offensive linemen were gone.

“It was weird,” he said of that experience. “Just being with those guys for the past four years. Those are some of my best friends.”

While redshirt junior guard Billy Price returns in 2016, Taylor Decker, Jacoby Boren, and Chase Farris have all gone on to the next stage of their lives.

“But just not having – not just those guys, but it’s a different team,” Elflein said. “So it was different, but I like it now. Assuming that leadership role and just grabbing it by the horns and going with it.”

This was an adjustment, but not the only one Elflein made. After Boren’s graduation, Elflein was asked to make the move from guard to center. While offensive linemen shift around rather frequently, the center position requires a little different technique than the other four positions due to snapping the ball and such.

This means a lot of practice reps for Elflein

“Thousands,” he said. “A lot to make sure no matter what happens I’ve got that muscle memory of getting that ball back there, stepping right, stepping left, pass protecting, pulling. So take as much reps of that to get that muscle memory down, get that ball in the right spot every time.”

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...ansitions-Are-Suiting-Ohio-States-Pat-Elflein
 
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THE FINISHER:PAT ELFLEIN EMBODIES FAMILY MINDSET WITH INTENSITY ON FIELD

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IT IS MID-MARCH when a firm knock pounds Tom Phillips’ door. The Pickerington North football coach, working at the laptop in his office, knows who beckons. This is a routine part of spring break for Pat Elflein.

“He comes out, even when he's been at Ohio State, if he's on spring break he comes out here and lifts. He'll go out there and go (hit) the pads,” Phillips says. “Sometimes, I don't know if he understands the rest piece (of football).”

Elflein, the fifth-year senior and soon-to-be three-year starter on Ohio State’s offensive line isn’t one to allow that word to creep into his brain. Rest has never really be an option for him or anyone in his family.

“He is a warrior,” Phillips said. “That's one thing about Pat when he was here. He understands that grind because he was brought up that way. It comes from how he was brought up. Pat wasn't the kid that would drive to school. He's getting dropped off by mom and dad. He didn't have the luxury stuff.”

Born to Lisa and Ken, Pat is the youngest of four, all of whom began life in what the family calls “The Crete Factory” on Thurman Avenue or “at the south end” of Columbus as his mother calls it. The name comes from Ken’s concrete expertise. Pickerington locals know to call him if they have a project that requires the combination of broken stone or gravel, sand, cement and water.

Pat is determined to find success like his two brothers and sister, which he has done at Ohio State. The most athletic of the Elflein clan, Pat elected to stay in Columbus another year before he tries his hand in the professional football ranks, a decision he made with his family values and the way he parents raised him in mind.

Nine players from Urban Meyer’s 2015 team left early for the NFL and a stunning 12 were selected among the first four rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft. Pat, however, wasn’t one of them. His choice to stay put appears curious to some, but not those who know him best.

Best friends and fellow offensive linemen — “The Slobs”— like Taylor Decker and Jacoby Boren left because their eligibility expired. Cardale Jones, Jalin Marshall, Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas all turned pro early. Integral pieces from Ohio State’s 2015 offense will not don the scarlet and gray on Saturdays this fall.

But Elflein will. He stuck around because there is still work to do. He still has things to accomplish. He wants more of both himself and his team.

That is Pat. That is being an Elflein. The job isn’t complete until they say so.

“He's a finisher,” Phillips says. “Pat, he's very goal-oriented. He's analytical, he thinks things through and he doesn't jump on anything. I think that's a huge asset for him down the road in life.”

Pat Elflein’s story as an Ohio State linchpin is already written in stone, but its final chapter is set up to be the best yet. He stayed in school to finish what he started.

Lisa Elflein didn’t have a choice. She had to start her youngest in school a year early.

“We were very hesitant about starting him a year early,” she says. “The other two boys I started a year late, but Patrick was so big. I don't know where he came from.

“I was like, 'if he stays home and eats Honey Buns and cheeseburgers anymore, I'm going to be in trouble.'”

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...bodies-family-mindset-with-intensity-on-field
 
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Two-Minute Drill: OSU Player Updates - Oct. 3

Pat Elflein Updates


+ They don't practice the end zone celebrations. They did talk about Mike Weber trying to pick Pat up this week. Weber was unsuccessful in his first attempt following his long touchdown run.



Mike Weber Updates

+ On his attempt to pick up Pat Elflein following his touchdown run, Weber said that Pat was supposed to jump at least a little. They'll work on it and try it again eventually.

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...ana/Two-Minute-Drill-OSU-Player-Updates-Oct-3

Yeah, something tells me that's a really bad idea from the start......:roll1:
 
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Elflein has to get his snaps down. I understand that this is his first year at center, but it's messing up A LOT of what they want to do in the run and pass games. Studrawa and Warinner are both good coaches and it has to do with fundamentals.

It seems like one of those things they won't address until it costs the team something.
 
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Elflein has to get his snaps down. I understand that this is his first year at center, but it's messing up A LOT of what they want to do in the run and pass games. Studrawa and Warinner are both good coaches and it has to do with fundamentals.

It seems like one of those things they won't address until it costs the team something.
especially when we're shotgun every snap.. repetition and have him run gassers then snap to simulate game play. Or block Landers every play and snap lol
 
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