Happy to be out of spotlight
Pickerington Central star commits to Ohio State
By JOE ARNOLD
Sports Writer
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PICKERINGTON - Any other recruit might have taken it as an affront or as a slap in the face in what has become the me-first attitude in big-time college recruiting. But Jamie Wood kept quiet and let Terrelle Pryor have his moment under the lights at Value City Arena on Feb. 24.
Wood, a junior at Pickerington Central, joined the nation's top football recruit at an Ohio State basketball game in February, and the buzz of Pryor's appearance alongside Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel spread through the arena like a scarlet wildfire.
The crowd of 19,000 gathered for Ohio State's game against Wisconsin cheered Pryor's name in what was a collective "We want YOU!" appeal.
The scene, if anything, encapsulated Wood's outlook not just on his oral commitment to play for the Buckeyes in 2009 but the view of himself as well.
"I'll take a scholarship to Ohio State whatever way it comes," Wood said this past week. "I value it as much as the most famous guy would. I have no problem being under the radar, as long as we get it done on the field."
Only those intimately familiar with Central's football program knew Wood's overall impact on the Tigers. Often times, his name was third or fourth on their list of potential Division I recruits.
But not anymore.
"They saw film on him and liked his size and skills," Central coach Jay Sharrett said of the Buckeyes. "And what he fits what they were needing. They like the way he runs and plays man-to-man."
