Please put all relevant Crying Jordan memes from last night's championship in the comments section. You might not like the Crying Jordan meme, but please don't impede those with senses of humor.
DECKER TALKS DRAFT PREP. When Taylor Decker left the tutelage of Urban Meyer and Ed Warinner to prepare for the 2016 NFL Draft, he knew LeChuck Bentley was guy to take his preparation to the next step
Decker trimmed fat, and barring a pre-draft snafu will be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. As Bentley stresses, however, there's more to playing offensive tackle in the National Football League than physical tools.
From bleacherreport.com:
Bleacher Report: So what brought you out here to train?
Taylor Decker: I knew about it because (Bentley) played at Ohio State and we wore the same number and one of my teammates from Ohio State (Corey Linsley) came here over the summer one year. Then I started seeing his stuff on social media and realized, yeah, he knows what he is talking about. So I was able to get his number and reached out to ask him questions about football stuff. It was like that and I kind of asked him if there was any way I would be able to come out here and train with you guys. Luckily, I was able to.B/R: So talk to me about the technical stuff that you have learned here.
TD: Just the subtle things, not things that you would think would make a big difference. How I was in my stance. He changed my stance up so I wasn’t so narrow in my stance and I didn’t have my toes pointed in so much so I can move laterally and redirect quickly, as opposed to what I was doing before. There were little footwork things. Like in college, I was stepping straightforward right at a guy, and (Bentley) explained it that you’re more powerful when you squat and lunge. You can’t lunge as much weight if you’re on one leg, so keep a good solid, base. On top of that, it was the diet and the supplements. I feel great, and obviously we’re going to be getting into more of the football stuff now that the combine is over.
Bentley's undercharges always know where they stand with him. Decker played under Urban Meyer so he was no stranger to blunt criticism. But Decker is a professional now, and can attack his craft as such. It's led to revelations in his studies.
B/R: So you’re working to fix the criticisms of you so that you can be a long-term answer in this league.
TD: Absolutely, (Bentley) will have us do drills out there, and then we’ll come in and watch guys do it on film and critique it. So here’s a guy who is a damn good player and here’s a drill we did and here’s him doing it in a game against a Pro Bowler or somebody like that on defense and you see it work. Having all the veterans, those Pro Bowlers, around here, that’s what I want to be. I want to be a Pro Bowler. I have high standards for myself. I was fortunate to win the Rimington-Pace Award (as the top offensive lineman in the Big Ten). The only other guys to win that at Ohio State were Orlando Pace, Korey Stringer and Bentley. I’m honored to be in that company. But I don’t just want to be a mediocre player. I would hate that. I love playing football. I have played football since I was in first grade. If I do something, I want to be good at it. I don’t want to just be a backup. I would hate that.
Spurned Kentuckians aside, how many young offensive linemen out there would love to be apart of a legacy like that? Makes you think.
FORMER TEAMMATES OPEN BBQ PIT. Miami Dolphin DB Chimdi Chekwa and his former Ohio State teammate, offensive lineman Bryant Browning, are joining forces to bring another BBQ spot to Columbus, which is one of the highest gifts of entrepreneurship one can bestow upon a community.
From dispatch.com:
Chimdi Chekwa and Bryant Browning are collaborating on the Pit BBQ Grill, a no-nonsense restaurant in the Northern Lights Shopping Center in the Linden neighborhood.
The restaurant, expected to open in late summer, will take over 2,500 square feet of space formerly occupied by the Northern Lights Variety Store on the south end of the center.
Chekwa, a former OSU cornerback who now plays for the Miami Dolphins, said the business model is based on backyard cookouts: the highest quality wood-fired meats, homemade sides and a signature sweet barbecue sauce that comes in traditional and spicy versions.
A model based on the backyard cookout—genius. Who among us doesn't love the mental image presented by "backyard cookout"?
Chekwa, though he'll spend the fall in Miami, mentioned he never envisioned he'd relocate to cold climate. Yeah, you and me both, buddy. You and me both.
Here's their future location on Google Maps.
SPENCE TO LB? Pro Football Focus released its full scouting report on Noah Spence, who I'm still counting as a Buckeye, haters be damned. Their analysis says Spence's best position is probably 3-4 outside linebacker, though he has the rush skills required to play 4-3 defensive end.
From profootballfocus.com:
Likely best as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but could put his hand on the ground and rush as a 4-3 defensive end.
[...]
What he does best: Good burst off the line of scrimmage. Fires off the ball and low and challenges the corner on offensive tackles.
[...]
Biggest Concern: May never be a good run defender (+0.6 grade in our 165 charted snaps; 0.0 is considered average). Lacks ideal length and power to set the edge.
My analysis is Spence is good at destroying people, and a good coaching staff will know how to use that. A great staff will craft its defense around those skills.
Spence, along with Cardale Jones, Tyvis Powell, Vonn Bell, and Jalin Marshall are going to be guys that I'm cheering to land in "the right spot." It could cost them money on draft night, but they'd earn back in the long run by landing in a spot in which they could thrive.
R.I.P. TO PAPA JOE'S. Missed this earlier in the week, but I know Papa Joe's maintains a discipleship among my readers, so I'd like to raise a belated Loko glass anyway:
Apr 3 in University District History: Iconic 70s and 80s South Campus bar Papa Joe's completely destroyed in early AM 4-alarm fire. In 1996.
— Univ Dist History (@UDHCMH) April 3, 2016
A four-alarm fire, eh? Damn, I guess they really did party at Papa Joe's.
KEEPING UP WITH THE HORSESHOE. Looks like Ohio Stadium won't be the only central/south campus landmark getting renovated this summer. The university will also be renovating one of my favorite spots.
From voice of Ohio State students, thelantern.com:
A central part of Ohio State’s South Campus is set to receive some renovations to the tune of an estimated $700,000, and construction could begin this autumn, according to Dan Hedman, a spokesman for the Office of Administration and Planning.
Renovations are set to improve the seating, drainage and pathways around the Browning Amphitheater, Hedman said. Additionally, there will be new electrical services.
Although Hedman said that construction will most likely start in the autumn, he also mentioned that the timeline of construction is subject to change based on the design of the renovation, as well as the overall scope of the project, which has not yet been finalized. The university is seeking $82,500 to be used during the design phase, and the designs could start being assessed as early the summer.
Did I ever perform there while in school? No. Did I ever see a play there? No. But it did make for a nice perch to watch the Mirror Lake jump, and for that it will always hold a special place in my heart.
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