OHIO STATE FOOTBALL INSIDER
<H1 class=red>Night lessons are plus for OSU's Gibson
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Saturday, August 12, 2006
Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus -- Euclid's Thaddeus Gibson has at least one edge while trying to emerge from the forest of Ohio State linebackers during preseason camp.
The freshman is rooming with a starter, getting nightly lessons from Marcus Freeman.
"Right now, I'm rooming with Marcus, who's playing the same posi tion, so I learn a lot of things every day," Gib son said. "I've just got to work my way back up, and I have no problem with that."
The Buckeyes' depth chart lists Freeman, a sophomore, as the starter at the weakside linebacker spot held down by A.J. Hawk last season. Senior John Kerr is the starter in the middle with sophomore James Laurinaitis the starter on the strongside. Junior Curtis Terry, from Glenville, is listed as the strongside backup, with senior Mike D'Andrea the backup in the middle and freshman Ross Homan the backup behind Freeman.
During the spring game in April, Homan was on the field after enrolling in January at Ohio State, while Gibson was watching from the stands. Homan, battling a hamstring injury, admits that early start put him ahead of the game, and it's the young players who learn the defense that will land on the field.
"It's real hard, but at the end of each meeting, we'll keep the true freshmen afterward and go back over the scripts and practice films," coach Jim Tressel said. "They have to understand they aren't going to grasp it all.
They'll be way behind, but what we'll do in the scrimmage [next Saturday] is put them in defenses and offenses they know and let them play football.
"What we always say to freshmen is that the key to playing as freshmen is how soon can you learn the system, and then let your physical abilities take over."
Behind the top six, Gibson is part of a group with fellow freshman Tyler Moeller, junior college transfer Larry Grant and sophomore Austin Spitler.
Freshman Mark Johnson, recovering from a shoulder injury, is planning to redshirt, while junior Chad Hoobler said he's been moved to defensive end. Gibson said he does not want to redshirt.
"It's a lot of things they throw at you," Gibson said, "but every night I go over everything we learned that day with Marcus. It's intense, like you want to be sharp on everything you do. And on your repetitions, you have to make the best of them. There's a lot of talent, but it's whoever wants it the most."
If the jersey fits:
Thursday's photo day, which was forced to the indoor practice field by rain but ended with a team picture at Ohio Stadium, was the coming out party for the new jerseys that upset some fans when the design was unveiled earlier this year. So shed your tears, if you choose, at the gray shoulder stripe now missing from the scarlet home jerseys.
But the players were talking more about the tight fit of the new uniforms, which is catching up with what other teams had already gone to and should cut down on the amount of material available for opponents to grab when attempting to tackle or hold the Buckeyes.
"They are very tight," said receiver Ted Ginn Jr. "Wind can't get through it and people can't grab you as easily with a tight jersey. You can just get away."
The jerseys leave little to the imagination, for 220-pounders and for those players tipping the scales at well over 300 pounds.
"I like them," Freeman said. "You have to make sure your stomach is looking good and you have to make sure you eat right. The offensive linemen can't really do anything about that, though."
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