Houston Chronicle
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Buckeyes' Youboty has it covered
Klein alum ready for Notre Dame's pair of tall WRs
By DALE ROBERTSON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
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TEMPE, ARIZ. - The ambivalence was mutual. Texas showed lukewarm interest in Ashton Youboty, and he wasn't all that intrigued by what the Longhorns had to offer, either. Youboty might have been a Texas high school football star, playing for Klein High School less than three hours from the UT campus, but his heart was elsewhere.
"I grew up watching the Big Ten, and that's where I wanted to play," he said. "If I had a choice, it was going to be Ohio State or Penn State."
Youboty had a choice and he picked the Buckeyes, then coming off a national championship season. He believed he could play right away in Columbus, whereas he assumed he'd get lost in the shuffle in Austin had he tried to force the issue with the Longhorns. Texas seemed well-stocked at cornerback.
So Youboty, who had spent his formative years in the Philadelphia area after his family fled the civil strife in his native Liberia, committed to the Buckeyes early on, then finished at Klein a semester early in order to report to Ohio State in the spring before his freshman season. That would serve as an abbreviated redshirt year. He won a roster spot as a true freshman, backing up a first-round NFL draft pick, Chris Gamble.
Three years later, this much we know: The Horns got along just fine without Youboty, and the Buckeyes All-Big Ten cornerback has prospered without them.
Second-ranked Texas gained a shot at the national championship against top-ranked USC on Wednesday in the Rose Bowl, in large part because the Horns squeaked past Ohio State in September. But the fourth-ranked Buckeyes' consolation prize is a rare showdown with its famous Midwestern neighbor, fifth-ranked Notre Dame, in tonight's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Close to a title shot
One of Youboty's friends, former Klein teammate Robert Killebrew, is a sophomore linebacker for the Longhorns. To be sure, he wishes Killebrew well. Otherwise, he has no rooting interest save for his Buckeyes. Youboty will watch the Rose Bowl because he's a student of football, not because he cares who wins. Whatever the outcome, it always will stick in his craw that Texas escaped Columbus with a 25-22 victory mainly on the strength of one acrobatic touchdown catch by Limas Sweed with 2:37 remaining in the game.
"Texas knows we beat them (physically)," he said. "If we score one or two more touchdowns instead of kicking field goals, nobody would be talking about Texas right now.
"But that was a great game to play in, a lot of fun. I wasn't disappointed at all because as players, as Ohio State Buckeyes, we did all we could to win that game. We just came out on the wrong side."
As they also subsequently would against third-ranked Penn State, falling 17-10 in Happy Valley despite another masterful defensive effort.
Behind the Lombardi Award-winning linebacker, A. J. Hawk, the Buckeyes wound up leading the nation in rushing defense. But that always put extra pressure on Youboty's secondary.
"Teams looked forward to passing against us," he said. "They knew they weren't going to run."
Buckeyes defensive backs held up well enough for Ohio State to finish fifth nationally in total defense, creating an intriguing matchup here against the Fighting Irish's potent passing attack.
First-year head coach Charlie Weis was the offensive brain behind New England's three Super Bowl titles the past four years, and his creative O's translated well on the college level, where he inherited another high-quality quarterback named Brady.
Brady Quinn and his two standout 6-5 receivers, Maurice Stovall and Jeff Samardzija — the only collegiate pair in 2005 to both catch more than 10 touchdown passes — will make it a most interesting evening in the desert for the 6-1 Youboty, whose prowess and experience require he always takes the wide side of the field.
"Lots of ground to cover," he said, "but the coaches know I like the challenge."
Eager to learn
Although he's not the quickest of corners, he combines superb instincts with fearless tackling and an intellectual approach to the game. "If I didn't have to go to class," he said, "I'd spend all day watching film."
Secondary coach Tim Beckman joined Jim Tressel's staff this season after coaching at Bowling Green. He was immediately impressed with Youboty, as a player and a person.
"You're lucky in this profession when you get kids like Ashton to work with," Beckman said. "You really love to coach them. His knowledge of the game sets him apart. He doesn't have 4.4 (40-yard dash) speed, so he'll use what he does have. He puts in the extra time.
"With another year of improvement, he could be a first-round draft choice. He's just got to work on his ball skills."