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- Thread starter HineyBuck
- Start date
BuckShots
Banned
I talked to Lydell last night and he is in Cincinnati. He is ready for mini-camp and hopes to show that the Bengals made a great decision.
On another OSU note- Chris Vance called me this morning, he is in Columbus until Tuesday to see his new baby girl. He will then head off to New Orleans for their mini-camp. He has been in Birmingham rehabing a hamstring. They told him not to fly to Germany, that he would be better in off-season work-outs. He seems very excited about getting on the field.
Also- the speculation on the issues with EJ Underwood has been a little wrong. Because he took a few quarters off in the past- He has been forced to take 20 hours of credits with a C or better. He seems up-beat and has not missed class. Things look very good, and he should be ready for fall! There is some doubt in the OSU camp as to his ability to pull it off. But, he takes it as a life challenge and will work hard to show the critics wrong!
The True Insider
On another OSU note- Chris Vance called me this morning, he is in Columbus until Tuesday to see his new baby girl. He will then head off to New Orleans for their mini-camp. He has been in Birmingham rehabing a hamstring. They told him not to fly to Germany, that he would be better in off-season work-outs. He seems very excited about getting on the field.
Also- the speculation on the issues with EJ Underwood has been a little wrong. Because he took a few quarters off in the past- He has been forced to take 20 hours of credits with a C or better. He seems up-beat and has not missed class. Things look very good, and he should be ready for fall! There is some doubt in the OSU camp as to his ability to pull it off. But, he takes it as a life challenge and will work hard to show the critics wrong!
The True Insider
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BuckShots
Banned
I just got off the phone with Lydell....Cincinnati decided against giving any of the invites a contract. He was told to hang in there and keep working out. He is still VERY positive and his agent is working hard to get him into a camp. Tampa Bay is currently in camp and they have STILL expressed interest. They just want to see what has come into the pipe-line. He will definitely make camp somewhere. He is a FANTASTIC kid with a great heart. We all need to keep our fingers crossed for him...
The TRUE Insider
Oh yea......are we a little jealous Tibor? Come on man- This is all about Buckeye spirit and pride. I would hope that you would get that......I just want to be able to help the Buckeye Nation with a little news that is not in the papers..
The TRUE Insider
Oh yea......are we a little jealous Tibor? Come on man- This is all about Buckeye spirit and pride. I would hope that you would get that......I just want to be able to help the Buckeye Nation with a little news that is not in the papers..
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C'mon BuckShots! Lydell wasn't always a choir boy at OSU but he has never, never been accused of going after another man's camel!:)BuckShots said:
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PrepSports
1/30
COLLEGE RECRUITING
Nothing's For Sure
<!--startclickprintexclude--> Skip directly to the full story.
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--> <!--endclickprintexclude--> By ANWAR S. RICHARDSON [email protected]
Published: Jan 30, 2006
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TAMPA - Lydell Ross idealistically believed National Signing Day was the beginning of a football career that would eventually lead him to millions in the NFL.
It would have been hard to argue against him back then.
Ross rushed for 2,196 yards and 23 touchdowns at Gaither High School, setting a single-season Hillsborough County record in 2000. Including three playoff games, he rushed for 2,744 yards and 27 touchdowns, and was a first-team Class 6A All-State selection.
He also won the Guy Toph Award, given to Hillsborough County's top football player, The Tampa Tribune's Football Player of the Year award and The Tampa Tribune's Male Athlete of the Year.
On signing day, Ross reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out a buckeye in front of captivated media members and students, signifying he was going to play for Ohio State. He chose the Buckeyes over Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Auburn.
As Ross, arguably the most gifted football player in Hillsborough County history, stepped onto Ohio State's campus as a freshman, the simple four-year journey to the pros was supposed to begin.
"My head was on a swivel. I was 17 years old. I was on a huge campus and at a place with a great football tradition. I was there to do what my dream was, which was to play college and go to NFL," Ross said. "I wanted to take it all in. Everything was coming fast, it was a new setting, and I was away from home for the first time."
But before Ross could say Heisman, reality tackled him behind the line of scrimmage, like it will many members of this year's signing class.
They're Not All Success Stories
Wednesday is National Signing Day, a day when football players can sign college scholarships, a day when Ross led the 2001 class. Some athletes will pan out, while many will fall into an abyss and never be heard from again.
"I think as a recruiter, your goal is to always be 2-out-of-3 on good players that play for your school. That's a number I remember being told. You'd like it to be even better at a place like this," Florida football coach Urban Meyer said.
Ross was the head of this area's 2001 signing class, and although there are success stories, that year's crop had its disappointments.
Hillsborough's Andrew Williams, who signed with Miami after attending a junior college, was a third-round draft pick in 2003; former Jesuit kicker Xavier Beitia recently signed with the Bucs after being released from the Jets last year; Armwood defensive back Antwan Allen and Riverview running back Jahmile Addae are strong NFL draft possibilities this year.
However, four players have been arrested since signing scholarships. The lengthiest rap sheet belongs to former Armwood receiver Chris Murray, who verbally committed to Miami, but eventually changed his mind and signed with North Carolina State. Murray played sparingly for two seasons at N.C. State before quitting the team, and was arrested Nov. 7, 2005, for providing a false name to an officer, possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis, driving without a valid license and criminal mischief of less than $200.
There's No Exact Science
Of the 29 area players who signed in 2001, 10 never made it all four years (34 percent). Of the survivors, it is unknown how many graduated because academic records are private.
According to the NCAA's recent Graduation Success Rates, 64 percent of Division I football players are finishing with college degrees.
"A lot of kids don't understand what they are getting into," Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia said. "It's strictly business on the college level. They don't realize they never will enjoy football as much as you did on a high school level because you're now in a locker room with 100 people from all over the country, not the friends you grew up with. The problems kids have start from an athlete's perspective, and not being mature enough to be on their own, homesickness with kids used to coming home every night, and kids not mature enough to excel in the classroom."
Recruiting services also rank signing day classes, placing winning expectations on the top-ranked classes, but even they struggle to figure out locks from flops.
"It's an inexact science for us, college coaches and anyone else involved," said recruiting expert Jaime Newberg of Scout.com. "We can scout and do our homework, but at the end of the day, you just don't know how they will adjust. You can't measure heart, toughness, or if they can pick up the playbook. It's tough to figure out. We've had problems with it, colleges do, and so does the NFL. It happens to everyone."
Competition Is Fierce
The constant competition is a factor many players struggle with. Even though a high school athlete might have been the best player in his area, each competes against teammates who are highly touted, plus incoming freshmen who carry promise every year.
For instance, Ross rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State's 27-14 victory against Indiana as a freshman, becoming the youngest player in Big Ten history to rush for more than 100 yards.
Then a running back named Maurice Clarett showed up.
Clarett started as a freshman, leading Ohio State to a national championship, while Ross was relegated to a supporting role.
Ross resumed his starting position as a junior, but struggled to live up to his high school expectations. He had 193 carries, 826 yards and 10 TDs as a junior. In his senior year, Ross rushed 117 times for 475 yards and four touchdowns as a role player.
He was undrafted in 2005 and signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Chargers but was cut during training camp. Instead of pursuing his NFL dream, Ross returned to Ohio State as a student and is set to graduate with a communications degree March 19. His new dream is to land a public relations job with the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Bucs.
"College is a business because it makes money, but coaches are in the opportunity business," said Carl Franks, the University of South Florida's recruiting coordinator and running backs coach. "They are there to give young men an opportunity to go to school and get a degree. It doesn't matter if you're a true freshman or a fifth-year senior. The guy who is going to play is the person who earned it in practice and who we trust. We don't look at what year you're in. Having a starting job is not a player's birthright, but something that is earned.
"There is always a certain reality check kids have when they realize how hard you have to play in college football. We tell kids they will have to work harder than they've ever had to work before. We explain how much more demanding it will be, and sometimes they don't believe you because they don't know what it is until they go through it."
Teammates Can Ease Transition
To help freshman football players adjust, USF has a Big Brother program that pairs incoming freshmen with older teammates. Franks said it gives freshmen an accountability partner, plus a voice of reason if necessary.
The only voice guiding Ross right now is his own.
Ross said he initially missed playing football, but is looking forward to landing his first job as a college graduate. Signing day opened the football door, but the subsequent slam did not sour Ross' experience.
"The best will always play for a university. You have to expect that and be ready for it," Ross said. "My ultimate goal was to reach the NFL, and I made it there. It didn't work out, but now I'm focusing on my other goal, which is to get a college degree, and I couldn't be happier."
1/30
COLLEGE RECRUITING
Nothing's For Sure
<!--startclickprintexclude--> Skip directly to the full story.
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--> <!--endclickprintexclude--> By ANWAR S. RICHARDSON [email protected]
Published: Jan 30, 2006
<!--startclickprintexclude--> <script type="text/javascript">// var fo = new FlashObject("http://media.tbo.com/tbo/flash/apps/rssflashreaders/rss280x100.swf", "fotester", "280", "100", "7", "#fff"); fo.addVariable("RSSURL" , "http://tbo.com/rss/preps.xml"); fo.addVariable("channelTitleON" , "n"); fo.addVariable("channelLinkON" ,"n"); fo.addVariable("channelDescriptionON" , "n"); fo.addVariable("itemDescriptionON" , "n"); fo.addVariable("itemPubDateON" , "n"); fo.addVariable("cssBodyURL" , "http://media.tbo.com/tbo/css/rssBody.css"); fo.addVariable("cssTitleURL" , "http://media.tbo.com/tbo/css/rssTitle.css"); fo.addVariable("numberOfLinks" , "5"); fo.write("flashcontent2"); // </script>
<!--endclickprintexclude-->
TAMPA - Lydell Ross idealistically believed National Signing Day was the beginning of a football career that would eventually lead him to millions in the NFL.
It would have been hard to argue against him back then.
Ross rushed for 2,196 yards and 23 touchdowns at Gaither High School, setting a single-season Hillsborough County record in 2000. Including three playoff games, he rushed for 2,744 yards and 27 touchdowns, and was a first-team Class 6A All-State selection.
He also won the Guy Toph Award, given to Hillsborough County's top football player, The Tampa Tribune's Football Player of the Year award and The Tampa Tribune's Male Athlete of the Year.
On signing day, Ross reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out a buckeye in front of captivated media members and students, signifying he was going to play for Ohio State. He chose the Buckeyes over Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Auburn.
As Ross, arguably the most gifted football player in Hillsborough County history, stepped onto Ohio State's campus as a freshman, the simple four-year journey to the pros was supposed to begin.
"My head was on a swivel. I was 17 years old. I was on a huge campus and at a place with a great football tradition. I was there to do what my dream was, which was to play college and go to NFL," Ross said. "I wanted to take it all in. Everything was coming fast, it was a new setting, and I was away from home for the first time."
But before Ross could say Heisman, reality tackled him behind the line of scrimmage, like it will many members of this year's signing class.
They're Not All Success Stories
Wednesday is National Signing Day, a day when football players can sign college scholarships, a day when Ross led the 2001 class. Some athletes will pan out, while many will fall into an abyss and never be heard from again.
"I think as a recruiter, your goal is to always be 2-out-of-3 on good players that play for your school. That's a number I remember being told. You'd like it to be even better at a place like this," Florida football coach Urban Meyer said.
Ross was the head of this area's 2001 signing class, and although there are success stories, that year's crop had its disappointments.
Hillsborough's Andrew Williams, who signed with Miami after attending a junior college, was a third-round draft pick in 2003; former Jesuit kicker Xavier Beitia recently signed with the Bucs after being released from the Jets last year; Armwood defensive back Antwan Allen and Riverview running back Jahmile Addae are strong NFL draft possibilities this year.
However, four players have been arrested since signing scholarships. The lengthiest rap sheet belongs to former Armwood receiver Chris Murray, who verbally committed to Miami, but eventually changed his mind and signed with North Carolina State. Murray played sparingly for two seasons at N.C. State before quitting the team, and was arrested Nov. 7, 2005, for providing a false name to an officer, possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis, driving without a valid license and criminal mischief of less than $200.
There's No Exact Science
Of the 29 area players who signed in 2001, 10 never made it all four years (34 percent). Of the survivors, it is unknown how many graduated because academic records are private.
According to the NCAA's recent Graduation Success Rates, 64 percent of Division I football players are finishing with college degrees.
"A lot of kids don't understand what they are getting into," Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia said. "It's strictly business on the college level. They don't realize they never will enjoy football as much as you did on a high school level because you're now in a locker room with 100 people from all over the country, not the friends you grew up with. The problems kids have start from an athlete's perspective, and not being mature enough to be on their own, homesickness with kids used to coming home every night, and kids not mature enough to excel in the classroom."
Recruiting services also rank signing day classes, placing winning expectations on the top-ranked classes, but even they struggle to figure out locks from flops.
"It's an inexact science for us, college coaches and anyone else involved," said recruiting expert Jaime Newberg of Scout.com. "We can scout and do our homework, but at the end of the day, you just don't know how they will adjust. You can't measure heart, toughness, or if they can pick up the playbook. It's tough to figure out. We've had problems with it, colleges do, and so does the NFL. It happens to everyone."
Competition Is Fierce
The constant competition is a factor many players struggle with. Even though a high school athlete might have been the best player in his area, each competes against teammates who are highly touted, plus incoming freshmen who carry promise every year.
For instance, Ross rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State's 27-14 victory against Indiana as a freshman, becoming the youngest player in Big Ten history to rush for more than 100 yards.
Then a running back named Maurice Clarett showed up.
Clarett started as a freshman, leading Ohio State to a national championship, while Ross was relegated to a supporting role.
Ross resumed his starting position as a junior, but struggled to live up to his high school expectations. He had 193 carries, 826 yards and 10 TDs as a junior. In his senior year, Ross rushed 117 times for 475 yards and four touchdowns as a role player.
He was undrafted in 2005 and signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Chargers but was cut during training camp. Instead of pursuing his NFL dream, Ross returned to Ohio State as a student and is set to graduate with a communications degree March 19. His new dream is to land a public relations job with the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Bucs.
"College is a business because it makes money, but coaches are in the opportunity business," said Carl Franks, the University of South Florida's recruiting coordinator and running backs coach. "They are there to give young men an opportunity to go to school and get a degree. It doesn't matter if you're a true freshman or a fifth-year senior. The guy who is going to play is the person who earned it in practice and who we trust. We don't look at what year you're in. Having a starting job is not a player's birthright, but something that is earned.
"There is always a certain reality check kids have when they realize how hard you have to play in college football. We tell kids they will have to work harder than they've ever had to work before. We explain how much more demanding it will be, and sometimes they don't believe you because they don't know what it is until they go through it."
Teammates Can Ease Transition
To help freshman football players adjust, USF has a Big Brother program that pairs incoming freshmen with older teammates. Franks said it gives freshmen an accountability partner, plus a voice of reason if necessary.
The only voice guiding Ross right now is his own.
Ross said he initially missed playing football, but is looking forward to landing his first job as a college graduate. Signing day opened the football door, but the subsequent slam did not sour Ross' experience.
"The best will always play for a university. You have to expect that and be ready for it," Ross said. "My ultimate goal was to reach the NFL, and I made it there. It didn't work out, but now I'm focusing on my other goal, which is to get a college degree, and I couldn't be happier."
Upvote
0
Instead of pursuing his NFL dream, Ross returned to Ohio State as a student and is set to graduate with a communications degree March 19. His new dream is to land a public relations job with the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Bucs
This is the things you like to hear about. He didn't bitch and moan about what happened after his college career instead he did what was right and came back to finish up his degree. Congrats Lydell
This is the things you like to hear about. He didn't bitch and moan about what happened after his college career instead he did what was right and came back to finish up his degree. Congrats Lydell
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BuckeyeKid789
Guest
Kind of sad to me only because I want to see every Buckeye go to the NFL. I'm glad he's going to school though. So has he completely given up on the NFL and only focused on graduating or is he still working out and holding out hope for the NFL?
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jimotis4heisman
Banned
the reality is the ultimate goal isnt the nfl. it is to set up young men to be successfull in life, football is only one vehicle for this. most nfl careers are less than 3 years...BuckeyeKid789 said:
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Buckin' A
Veritas Aequitas
To help freshman football players adjust, USF has a Big Brother program that pairs incoming freshmen with older teammates. Franks said it gives freshmen an accountability partner, plus a voice of reason if necessary.
Not sure how many university's do this, but I think it is a great idea.
Not sure how many university's do this, but I think it is a great idea.
Upvote
0
wells
All-American
Ive seen him on multiple ocassions lifting at the RPAC, it appears he is doing good, and is still in good shape given the large number of metal plates he was lifting.
Im glad even though his future isnt with the NFL, that he still has one. Lydell has (minus the strip club incident) been a great buckeye, and will continue to do so. Best of luck to him.
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0
Wasn't it found that he didn't do anything wrong in that incident? That it was just a older version of some sort of club "currency" that they had?
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