DL Dalton Britt (Walk-on)

[Buckskin86]

OSU football: Clear Fork, Buckeye Central grads bid to become Buckeyes
By JON SPENCER ? News Journal ? May 11, 2009

Ohio State freshman Dalton Britt, a walk-on from Clear Fork High School, sacks quarterback Justin Siems during the Scarlet and Gray spring game in Ohio Stadium on April 25. (Submitted photo)


COLUMBUS -- Clear Fork grad Dalton Britt figured out a way to get his foot in the door. Buckeye Central alum Derek Erwin actually used his foot to get through the same door.

Facing odds almost as daunting as an American Idol contestant, the two north central Ohio athletes were among 12 non-scholarship players from a field of 108 candidates invited to join the Ohio State football team for its recently concluded spring season.

Britt, a freshman heavyweight on the OSU wrestling team, was a last-minute addition to Jim Tressel's squad and saw action at defensive end in the annual Scarlet and Gray scrimmage. He recorded a sack for the Scarlet in its 23-3 loss to the Terrelle Pryor-led Gray before a national record spring game crowd of more than 95,000.

"It's a whole different game," the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Britt said. "Coming from Clear Fork, I was one of the bigger guys in the area. Seeing some of the guys here, they're like freaks of nature. Now I'm just an average-sized guy."

Britt and Erwin probably won't know for several weeks if they will be asked to remain with the team for summer conditioning and fall camp. The coaching staff is on the road recruiting and evaluating. The staff will huddle up upon returning to campus to decide which walk-ons to retain.

It might work in Britt's favor that co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell has a wrestling background and is one of the greatest high school heavyweights to ever come out of Ohio. He knew since last winter of Britt's interest in joining the football team because Fickell's cousin is John Hiles, another heavyweight on OSU's wrestling squad.

Britt was spared the combine-like workout that serves as an audition for most walk-on candidates.

"Coach Fickell knows wrestling is so hard and knew I was in shape," Britt said. "I was running like a 4.8-4.9 40 (yard dash) and I'm able to bench press 225 pounds about 30 times.

"My plan all along was to come down here, wrestle for a season, then play football."

Britt found out he would join the squad just a couple of days before spring drills began.

"We had already wrapped up tryouts with the walk-ons, but when Dalton showed up one of our other walk-on defensive linemen had dislocated his elbow," assistant recruiting coordinator and Plymouth native Greg Gillum said. "We had a need and he took advantage of it and ran with it.

"He's a big body and we're glad to have him. If not for the injury to the other lineman, he probably would have had to wait until the fall or next winter to try out. But something bad happened and in through the door walked the answer."

Getting acclimated to major college football became an even bigger challenge for Britt because he was exclusively an offensive lineman in high school.

"When I was looking at schools, I sent Ohio State film of me on the offensive line because that's all I played," he said "But I knew because of all the huge guys on the offensive line down here, I'd have to switch up and play defense."

Britt, who plans to study nursing, said football practices aren't as grueling as what he endured during wrestling season.

"When I first got to school, we got into conditioning heavy," he said. "We'd run for 20 minutes during practice, then head over to the 'Shoe (Ohio Stadium) and run up to C Deck several times, then do a few 'buddy-carries' up to C Deck and then run around every stairwell on A Deck.

"Wrestling practices are so fast-paced. Practices were always 'live,' because they expect you to know your stuff. I knew, hands down, that wrestling here would prepare me for football. That was the gameplan all along."

Britt is excited about learning the ins and outs from one of the most experienced units on the team. With the exception of tackle Nader Abdallah, all the defensive linemen on the 2008 two-deep roster are back, including Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward, Doug Worthington, Todd Denlinger and the oft-injured but gifted Lawrence Wilson.

"Lawrence is a big motivator," Britt said. "Even though he's been injured and wasn't able to do much during the spring, he's always pushing the younger guys."

The biggest eye-opener is being across the line of scrimmage from the 6-6, 235-pound Pryor, the Big Ten's reigning Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.

"He's a big guy; he's right there with me size-wise," Britt said. "And he's getting a lot better. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do."

<b>OSU football:</b> Clear Fork, Buckeye Central grads bid to become Buckeyes | mansfieldnewsjournal.com | Mansfield News Journal

 

[ThirdGenBuckeye]

Derek is a classmate of mine, a real good kid. It was real exciting to see him make it through to the team.

 

[bigdog3300]

The thread title says Britt is an OL, but the article said he's been playing DE......is he splitting time or just a typo?

 

[Buckskin86]

Clear Fork grad Dalton Britt bonded with fellow OSU football seniors
Dec 9, 2012
Written by
Jon Spencer
News Journal

Clear Fork grad Dalton Britt runs thru the human Tunnel of Pride toward Ohio State coach Urban Meyer during Senior Day ceremonies before last month's game with Michigan. / Daniel Melograna/News Journal

BELLVILLE ? He arrived at Ohio State with no scholarship, no idea how he would be spending his fall Saturdays and no guarantee he would ever play football for the Buckeyes.

He?ll leave with four championship rings, three pairs of gold pants, one perfect season and ... ?a lot of great memories,? said 2008 Clear Fork grad Dalton Britt.

?Crazy? is the way the senior defensive tackle described a journey that originally brought him to Columbus to wrestle, led to a walk-on spot on the football team and concluded, four years later, with a victory over Michigan on an emotional Senior Day in Ohio Stadium.

?I can remember running out on the field for my first spring game (2009) before a record-setting crowd (over 95,000) and getting a sack in the game,? Britt said. ?Running out there on Senior Day and seeing my parents in the end zone meant a lot. My parents have given me everything you could ask for as far as support and being there every step of the way.?

After a congratulatory handshake from coach Urban Meyer during the pregame ceremony, Britt embraced his mother Sherry and father Bryon, handing his mom a bouquet of red and white carnations.

Written on both of Britt?s forearms was the name of his grandfather, Bill Cook, who passed away last spring. Cook played football for LSU and was an inspiration for his grandson.

Sherry Britt said her son is the spitting image of her father.

?I?m getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it,? she said. ?(Dalton) had tears in his eyes, too. He had both forearms wrapped up, to keep it a surprise. That made it even more touching.?

cont...

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20121209/SPORTS/312090022