Following Ohio State’s 10th practice of the spring Thursday morning, Joey Bosa took off his shoulder pads and No. 97 jersey, placed it off to the side and walked over toward a throng of media members who were anxiously awaiting to hear from him.
When you're the Buckeyes' best defensive player, there's usually a few extra cameras and recorders waiting for you, especially since it was Bosa's first time speaking to the media this spring.
“You guys like the hair?” Bosa asked the crowd as he was noticeably sporting a new haircut — one much different than the free-flowing kind he had throughout all of last season.
It was playful in nature; that’s just Bosa’s style. He’s a laid back, carefree kid who really displays that in an interview setting.
But when Bosa’s on the field, he’s a totally different. He’s a nightmare for offenses to block at defensive end and opposing teams have to scheme specifically for him.
“It’s why I play football — go out there, have fun with my friends and hit the quarterback in the face,” he said following last season’s win over Cincinnati.
“I have my goals set and that’s just to get better and to be a great team again this year. I feel like if I just go out and work every day everything will fall into place.”– Joey Bosa
After a solid freshman season, Bosa exploded last year as a sophomore. He recorded 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss — both team bests — and was named both the Big Ten Defensive Player and Lineman of the Year. He was also selected as a unanimous first-team All-American.
But despite all of that success, Bosa feels next season — his third in Columbus — he still has plenty of room for improvement.
“I can’t really pick one spot of my game that I can get better at because I think I can improve at every part of my game,” he said. “That’s the plan, not just working on one thing but getting better in every aspect of my game.”
But where else can Bosa really improve? He’s received more individual accolades than he, or anyone, can count and his team has achieved the ultimate goal: winning a national championship.
“Just keep improving because obviously I can do better,” Bosa said. “I can always improve my game and we can win again so that’s always the goal.”
The thought of Bosa being better than he was last season is quite scary. But his position coach thinks it’s possible, too.
“We’re trying to improve him, that’s the biggest thing,” Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson said. “He wants to be a great player and great players want to find a way to improve. That’s what we have to get done.”
Bosa has been limited in contact drills this spring as head coach Urban Meyer has monitored the amount of competitive snaps some of the Buckeyes’ best players have gotten as part of the 2,000-rep club.
That doesn’t mean Bosa is just sitting out, though. He, along with fellow 2,000-rep club member Adolphus Washington, can be seen off to the side working individual technique drills while the other guys handle all of the hitting.
All of it is with the hope of Bosa becoming an even better player for the Buckeyes in 2015. If he is, Bosa could go down as one of the best defensive players in Ohio State history.
"I have my goals set and that’s just to get better and to be a great team again this year," Bosa said. "I feel like if I just go out and work every day everything will fall into place.”
