Victory Bell Rings One More Time for Graduating Buckeyes
By John Porentas
There won't be a football game in Ohio Stadium until next fall, but the victory bell will still ring one time this spring.
"That's one of the only times the victory bell rings," said OSU Head Football Coach Jim Tressel.
"It rings when we win football games, but it rings on graduation day for every Ohio State student," Tressel said.
This time around there were will be 10 Buckeyes who have heard the victory bell ring on game days, but who this time around will be in the stadium for commencement ceremonies to hear that Victory Bell as they receive their degrees. They include Jason Caldwell (Exercise Science), Mike DeMaria (Criminology), Simon Fraser (Criminology), Dustin Fox (Communications), Maurice Hall (Communications), Mike Kne (Human Development/Family Sciences), John McLaughlin (Biology), Joe Montgomery (Sociology), Kyle Turano (Sociology), and Will Smith (Criminology).
"These guys will hear that one louder and clearer than any other victory," said Tressel.
It's always a great moment when degrees are conferred, but for three in the group of football players, the day will be extra special.
Joe Montgomery's last season at Ohio State was 1998. Montomery played in the NFL for the New York Football Giants, then returned to Columbus to pursue a career in business and broadcasting. Montomery returned to school this spring and finished his degree, a full seven years after his last day as an OSU football player.
"It's not about when (you get it done), it's about if you do it," said Tressel.
"Joe Montgomery got it done, just like Eddie George was back three years ago and Mike Vrabel was back last year. We have that outreach program in which it doesn't matter how long you've been out and we take care of it financially. We work very hard that ultimately these guys are going to be graduates," said Tressel.
At the other end of the spectrum, current OSU safety Brandon Mitchell will be granted a degree in political science this spring, just three years after beginning his college career. Mitchell was able to accomplish that feat by taking course-loads of 20 credit-hours per quarter fall, winter, and spring quarters, then adding 12 more hours each summer. His aggressive approach to school led him to a quick graduation.
"My first quarter I actually took 17 hours, and it just didn't seem like enough for me," said Mitchell of his course loads.
"I felt like I wasn't taking enough classes and I had too much free time. I thought well, if I can handle another class, why not take it," Mitchell said.
"School kind of comes easy to me. School comes a lot easier than football to me."
Mitchell, who redshirted his freshman year, has two more years of athletic eligibility remaining at Ohio State. He plans to make good use of that time.
"I'm going to grad school in communications in the fall," said Mitchell, who added that ultimately he has his sights set on law school,
"That's scary," said OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock of Mitchell's academic achievement.
"He's got two more years of eligibility. He's going to have his masters when he leaves here, all paid for."
OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel commented on Montgomery and Mitchell's divergent paths to a degree.
"I think that what happens what they need to have done at different stages and in situations where they have different opportunities," said Dick Tressel.
"Brandon Mitchell realized early on that he'd like to get an advanced degree and that he could have it all paid for. Joe realized that after he gets out of the league that he had some unfinished business and he wanted to get it done. I think it's great that Ohio State puts guys like that in that situation, to pay his tuition to come back and get his degree. Not everybody will do that," Tressel said.
Also earning a degree is defensive lineman Will Smith whose story is unique for a very different reason.
"I'm real excited about Will getting his degree, because he's one guy that maybe doesn't need it," said Heacock.
"He's a first-round draft choice playing for New Orleans, to see a kid like that come back really sends a good message to our young kids that a degree is important. I'm real excited that he came back for it," Heacock said.
"It would be easy for Will Smith to say 'What do I need that degree for?' I don't know that that's going to make a difference in too many job searches in his life," added Jim Tressel.
Despite the fact that he is already a millionaire several times over, Smith did come back to earn his degree, fulfilling a promise he made to his grandmother who raised him.
"I think that was a big part of it," said Heacock.
"When we recruited him, we sat in her living room and met with her. She really raised him, and she was very clear that she wanted him to get a degree. I think that was important to Will, Him coming back to get his degree sends so many positive messages. He doesn't really need it, but he made a promise and he kept it, and now he can tell younger guys that it's important and point to his own degree as proof of how important he thinks it is."
