Jami Jurich
Guest
If This Were a Movie: Is Jeremiah Smith the Henry Rowengartner of football?
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
If you told us Smith could throw a 100-mph thunderbolt like Rowengartner does in “Rookie of the Year,” we’d believe you.
Each week, we’ll analyze the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games as well) through the lens of cinema. If this game were the next “Remember the Titans,” “Space Jam” or “The Notebook,” what storylines would keep us talking? What would make us laugh, reach for the box of tissues, or have us on the edge of our seats? Grab your popcorn and get ready for pop culture references, a hint of snark, and a trip back in time to the Blockbuster Video days.
When Ohio State opened their season with a 52-6 victory over the Akron Zips, it marked the debut of someone who has been described by his coaches as a once-in-a-generation talent—true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith—and boy, did he prove he’s earned the “built different” comments.
Smith, as a true freshman on a team with a treasure trove of receiver options including Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, led the team in yardage, average yards per play and touchdowns. It felt a little bit like watching 12-year-old Henry Rowengartner pitch in “Rookie of the Year.” You almost can’t believe someone so young, so inexperienced, is doing what you’re watching them do.
But that’s exactly what happened when Rowengartner healed from a broken arm and started firing 100-mph thunderbolts for the Chicago Cubs in the film, a feat so impressive it requires viewers to suspend disbelief and choose to be along for the ride. With Rowengartner pitching, the Chicago Cubs (a historically tragic team, and I can say that as a lifelong Cubs fan who has stuck with them through everything) do the unthinkable—they start winning games.
Now, I don’t mean to imply that the Buckeyes are a historically tragic team, when we all know it’s quite the opposite. But Smith took the field yesterday and stood out in the same way Rowengartner does in the movie, not just getting the job done but, in Smith’s case, leading the team in receiving with 92 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.
Funnily enough, they both had to shake off the jitters before the superpowers came out too. Rowengartner gave up a home run on his first pitch, before ultimately earning the save, while Smith dropped his first pass, something he quickly shook off.
The thing that makes both Rowengartner and Smith different (besides their superhuman physical talent) is their ability to not just let those early mistakes roll off their back, but their ability to execute and create big plays with no experience at their current level. Rowengartner goes from Little League to the MLB overnight. Smith had never played in a college football game prior to today, but he led what many consider to be one of the strongest receiving corps in the country.
Not only that, but he did it with flair, capped with a spectacular one-handed catch to set up a touchdown for the Buckeyes in the third. In fact, if you look at ESPN’s highlights from the game, Smith is the playmaker in three of the four clips featured. He had six receptions—that means fifty percent of those were highlight-reel worthy.
That’s nuts no matter who your opponent is. He didn’t need to find his sea legs. They were there inherently.
Toward the end of “Rookie of the Year,” Rowengartner’s arm returns to normal. But while Smith’s talent doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, the other trait Rowengartner and Smith share is their ability to communicate with their teammates to get the job done. Rowengartner, for his part, lets his teammates know when his superhuman arm goes away, allowing the team to strategize. For Rowengartner, it was about the good of the team more than his own personal accolades.
Smith proved to be of the same mindset yesterday in his play on the field, and he said in postgame interviews, “I just wanted to come in and be a guy, just work and not just be about hype.” His hope was to impress his coaches and teammates.
Work he did, impress he did, and he—and his team—got the results to prove it. Smith has already proven he’s not out for himself. He’s here for the program, and boy are the Buckeyes going to reap the rewards of that combination of attitude and talent.
Unlike Rowengartner, Smith isn’t necessarily surpassing expectations. He’s merely living up to the hype that’s been there all along—he was the No. 1 recruit in college football for his class, after all. But that hype led to him being named CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year, and if he continues to deliver the way he is now, he, like Rowengartner, should take home the title given to the player with the most impressive debut season.
For what it’s worth, Rowengartner isn’t just named “Rookie of the Year” — the Chicago Cubs go all the way on his watch. If Buckeye fans are lucky, Smith just might be able to contribute to similar results in Columbus.
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
If you told us Smith could throw a 100-mph thunderbolt like Rowengartner does in “Rookie of the Year,” we’d believe you.
Each week, we’ll analyze the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games as well) through the lens of cinema. If this game were the next “Remember the Titans,” “Space Jam” or “The Notebook,” what storylines would keep us talking? What would make us laugh, reach for the box of tissues, or have us on the edge of our seats? Grab your popcorn and get ready for pop culture references, a hint of snark, and a trip back in time to the Blockbuster Video days.
When Ohio State opened their season with a 52-6 victory over the Akron Zips, it marked the debut of someone who has been described by his coaches as a once-in-a-generation talent—true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith—and boy, did he prove he’s earned the “built different” comments.
Smith, as a true freshman on a team with a treasure trove of receiver options including Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, led the team in yardage, average yards per play and touchdowns. It felt a little bit like watching 12-year-old Henry Rowengartner pitch in “Rookie of the Year.” You almost can’t believe someone so young, so inexperienced, is doing what you’re watching them do.
But that’s exactly what happened when Rowengartner healed from a broken arm and started firing 100-mph thunderbolts for the Chicago Cubs in the film, a feat so impressive it requires viewers to suspend disbelief and choose to be along for the ride. With Rowengartner pitching, the Chicago Cubs (a historically tragic team, and I can say that as a lifelong Cubs fan who has stuck with them through everything) do the unthinkable—they start winning games.
Now, I don’t mean to imply that the Buckeyes are a historically tragic team, when we all know it’s quite the opposite. But Smith took the field yesterday and stood out in the same way Rowengartner does in the movie, not just getting the job done but, in Smith’s case, leading the team in receiving with 92 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.
Funnily enough, they both had to shake off the jitters before the superpowers came out too. Rowengartner gave up a home run on his first pitch, before ultimately earning the save, while Smith dropped his first pass, something he quickly shook off.
The thing that makes both Rowengartner and Smith different (besides their superhuman physical talent) is their ability to not just let those early mistakes roll off their back, but their ability to execute and create big plays with no experience at their current level. Rowengartner goes from Little League to the MLB overnight. Smith had never played in a college football game prior to today, but he led what many consider to be one of the strongest receiving corps in the country.
Not only that, but he did it with flair, capped with a spectacular one-handed catch to set up a touchdown for the Buckeyes in the third. In fact, if you look at ESPN’s highlights from the game, Smith is the playmaker in three of the four clips featured. He had six receptions—that means fifty percent of those were highlight-reel worthy.
That’s nuts no matter who your opponent is. He didn’t need to find his sea legs. They were there inherently.
Toward the end of “Rookie of the Year,” Rowengartner’s arm returns to normal. But while Smith’s talent doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, the other trait Rowengartner and Smith share is their ability to communicate with their teammates to get the job done. Rowengartner, for his part, lets his teammates know when his superhuman arm goes away, allowing the team to strategize. For Rowengartner, it was about the good of the team more than his own personal accolades.
Smith proved to be of the same mindset yesterday in his play on the field, and he said in postgame interviews, “I just wanted to come in and be a guy, just work and not just be about hype.” His hope was to impress his coaches and teammates.
Work he did, impress he did, and he—and his team—got the results to prove it. Smith has already proven he’s not out for himself. He’s here for the program, and boy are the Buckeyes going to reap the rewards of that combination of attitude and talent.
Unlike Rowengartner, Smith isn’t necessarily surpassing expectations. He’s merely living up to the hype that’s been there all along—he was the No. 1 recruit in college football for his class, after all. But that hype led to him being named CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year, and if he continues to deliver the way he is now, he, like Rowengartner, should take home the title given to the player with the most impressive debut season.
For what it’s worth, Rowengartner isn’t just named “Rookie of the Year” — the Chicago Cubs go all the way on his watch. If Buckeye fans are lucky, Smith just might be able to contribute to similar results in Columbus.
Continue reading...