Ohio State football: Bennett earns Meyer?s praise
By Tim May
The Columbus Dispatch Sunday June 17, 2012
Michael Bennett is used to in-your-face coaches at Ohio State from his high-school days in Centerville.
Anyone paying attention to Ohio State football knows by now that new coach Urban Meyer pulls few punches.
From calling the offensive line ?nonfunctional? at the beginning of spring drills, to saying the offense was a ?clown show? early but that it improved as time went on, he has let his feelings fly. But he?s the same when dishing deserved praise, too.
Take was the case last month when he spoke about the post-spring depth chart and what he saw as a slight to sophomore defensive lineman Michael Bennett.
?We?ve got him listed with Johnathan Hankins as a backup, and that?s not necessarily going to be the case in the fall,? Meyer said. ?We?ll rotate guys in, and our four best will be on the field. And it?s hard for me to say he?s not one of the four best, so we?ll move him around.?
Call that one of the benefits of the attitude Bennett took from that start in dealing with the in-your-face approach of Meyer, defensive line coach Mike Vrabel, who coached linebackers in 2011, and defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, who served as coach last season.
?One of the best things about this new coaching staff is they?re blunt with you,? Bennett said. ?They?re not trying to coddle you. They?re not trying to make you feel good. They will make you feel good if you?re doing a good job, but (if not), you?re going to hear it from them first, and they?re not going to try to protect your feelings.?
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Centerville grad impressing early with OSU
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
The sophomore from Centerville may have given up martial arts, but he?s still reaping some of the benefits. OSU center Corey Linsley has numerous battles with Bennett in practice and has to contend with some of those Taekwondo techniques.
COLUMBUS ?
Ohio State defensive lineman Michael Bennett was active in Taekwondo growing up, progressing into a second-degree black belt. But by the time he reached age 14, he decided he?d had enough.
His goal through all the open-handed strikes and cracking boards with barefooted kicks was always just to become more coordinated as an athlete.
?I think the biggest thing it did was give me a little bit more discipline and a little bit more body control,? he said. ?It was a long time ago, but at that age, you?re kind of more awkward.?
The sophomore from Centerville may have given up martial arts, but he?s still reaping some of the benefits. OSU center Corey Linsley has numerous battles with Bennett in practice and has to contend with some of those Taekwondo techniques.
?I think that?s the reason that separates him from a lot of guys. You can see it on film and you can definitely see it on thmartie field. His hands are a lot faster. They?re faster and he strikes them. He?s not just flailing his hands out there. He knows where to put him. And with his hips and everything, they?re loose. He?s a very flexible guy.
?He?s a great player. If you don?t consider him that yet, he?s definitely going to prove it.?
Bennett has been lining up with the first team in practice at defensive end but is versatile enough to play inside. He tied for second on the team in sacks last season with three while playing all 13 games.
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