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DDN
12/10
Buckeye star Hawk opens up
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
Ohio State's A.J. Hawk was booked solid with public appearances during his three days on the awards circuit in Orlando, Fla.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> He visited patients at the Arnold Palmer Hospital, lunched with Butkus Award officials, made an appearance at Universal Studios and gabbed with Regis Philbin on stage at MGM Studios for ABC-TV's All-American show — and that was just a single day of activities.
He's been so busy that he's had to rise before dawn to get his cherished workouts in, hitting the fitness room at his hotel at 5 a.m. to make up for the practices he's missing.
"I'll always work out," Hawk said. "I enjoy it. Even if I'm on vacation, I'm still going to do it.
"I don't sleep much anyway, so it doesn't bother me."
The Centerville native took a break Friday to discuss a host of topics, including the burglary of his rented house, his romance with the sister of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and the playful jab Penn State football coach Joe Paterno took at Ohio State.
Speaking with ESPN analyst and former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit, Paterno cracked, "It sure is great to be interviewed by a guy from Ohio State who can speak English."
Hawk laughed with the rest of the audience at the Home Depot College Football Show.
"That was fine," Hawk said. "I just love listening to him talk. He just says what's on his mind."
Although he's more apt than Paterno to measure his words, the Buckeyes' star doesn't always insist on keeping his guard up with the media.
• On whether he considers his three-city tour for awards functions this week a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:
"It's hard to think that when they have you running around all day doing things. But my parents always do a good job of reminding me of that. This is special, I realize that. It's an honor to be here."
• On his speech at a juvenile detention center in Houston before the Lombardi Award ceremonies:
"I just told them: 'Stay positive. Don't get down on yourself. Don't let people try to label you. If you start believing what people tell you, you're going to start acting that way. Find a role model you enjoy being around and try to act like them.' "
• On being forced to wear a tuxedo at each event:
"I think they look horrible. I've been fitted for tuxes five times in three days. ... If I do get married, I'm not wearing a tux, I know that. Or if I do, I can just give them the measurements from this week."
• On Dublin, Ohio, native Laura Quinn, whom he met through mutual friends and began dating four months ago:
"She's really easy going. She can talk to anyone. She wanted to be here (in Orlando) to support Brady, and I know that was a big help for him.
"She's hilarious. She talks, and I listen. That's how it works."
• On whether she'll have conflicting emotions during the Fiesta Bowl:
"People try to say that to her, but she's just glad we're playing each other. If we didn't, she would have had to go to both games, and she didn't know how she would work that out."
• On whether marriage is in the works:
"I haven't thought about that at all (laughing). I have to worry about beating Notre Dame first."
• On his eagerness to face the Irish even though it would mean increased scrutiny of his private life:
"I figured it was just a matter of time (before the relationship became public). I know it makes it a story because we're playing them. (But) I wanted to play them just because I knew how big a game it would be. It's one of the biggest games of the bowl season. And I even wanted to go out to the Fiesta Bowl. This will be my third time, but I enjoy it out there a lot."
• On ND's high-powered offense:
"They give Brady a lot of control. And when you have a smart quarterback like that, you can do a lot. He can make checks at the line and do what he needs to do. As a defense, it makes it tough to stop — especially with the talent they have at running back and receiver. They have great skill guys.
"But our coaches will come up with a good game plan. It will come down to who plays harder and who's left standing."
• On whether fellow linebacker Bobby Carpenter will recover from a fractured leg in time for the game:
"I think he will. ... If everything goes just right, he'll be ready. I know he wants to play. He's doing a good job riding a (stationary) bike to stay in shape."
• On learning that the traditional dinner fare at one event was seafood:
"I'm allergic to lobster and all shellfish. I ate lobster one time in my life in Florida and my eyes blew up. I ate one shrimp a couple summers ago, and my eyes blew up. I like beef."
• On the burglary over Thanksgiving break of the house he rents with teammate Nick Mangold:
"I would have loved to have been there when they were doing that. I would have loved to have walked in on them. That might have made news for a different reason."
• On being suspected of
breaking NCAA rules after having had $3,000 in cash stolen from his bedroom safe:
"Of course, people are going to look at it and try to take it the wrong way — people that don't know me. I understand that. I would, too, if I was on the outside looking in."
• On the demands that come from gaining national fame:
"It's awkward at times to go around and meet people. I'm not a politician, I'm a football player. But I'm used to it by now."
• On his father, Keith, helping to fend off persistent agents:
"I don't answer my cell phone anyway — especially if I don't know who it is. I don't even listen to their messages. But I really like that my dad is taking care of that for me. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have him."
• On whether he felt pressure to cut his hair to make a favorable impression on the awards committees:
"Who would I be if I conformed to them? People look at it weird now because no one has it. But back in the day, that's how everybody wore it."
Contact Doug Harris at 225-2125.
12/10
Buckeye star Hawk opens up
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
Ohio State's A.J. Hawk was booked solid with public appearances during his three days on the awards circuit in Orlando, Fla.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> He visited patients at the Arnold Palmer Hospital, lunched with Butkus Award officials, made an appearance at Universal Studios and gabbed with Regis Philbin on stage at MGM Studios for ABC-TV's All-American show — and that was just a single day of activities.
He's been so busy that he's had to rise before dawn to get his cherished workouts in, hitting the fitness room at his hotel at 5 a.m. to make up for the practices he's missing.
"I'll always work out," Hawk said. "I enjoy it. Even if I'm on vacation, I'm still going to do it.
"I don't sleep much anyway, so it doesn't bother me."
The Centerville native took a break Friday to discuss a host of topics, including the burglary of his rented house, his romance with the sister of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and the playful jab Penn State football coach Joe Paterno took at Ohio State.
Speaking with ESPN analyst and former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit, Paterno cracked, "It sure is great to be interviewed by a guy from Ohio State who can speak English."
Hawk laughed with the rest of the audience at the Home Depot College Football Show.
"That was fine," Hawk said. "I just love listening to him talk. He just says what's on his mind."
Although he's more apt than Paterno to measure his words, the Buckeyes' star doesn't always insist on keeping his guard up with the media.
• On whether he considers his three-city tour for awards functions this week a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:
"It's hard to think that when they have you running around all day doing things. But my parents always do a good job of reminding me of that. This is special, I realize that. It's an honor to be here."
• On his speech at a juvenile detention center in Houston before the Lombardi Award ceremonies:
"I just told them: 'Stay positive. Don't get down on yourself. Don't let people try to label you. If you start believing what people tell you, you're going to start acting that way. Find a role model you enjoy being around and try to act like them.' "
• On being forced to wear a tuxedo at each event:
"I think they look horrible. I've been fitted for tuxes five times in three days. ... If I do get married, I'm not wearing a tux, I know that. Or if I do, I can just give them the measurements from this week."
• On Dublin, Ohio, native Laura Quinn, whom he met through mutual friends and began dating four months ago:
"She's really easy going. She can talk to anyone. She wanted to be here (in Orlando) to support Brady, and I know that was a big help for him.
"She's hilarious. She talks, and I listen. That's how it works."
• On whether she'll have conflicting emotions during the Fiesta Bowl:
"People try to say that to her, but she's just glad we're playing each other. If we didn't, she would have had to go to both games, and she didn't know how she would work that out."
• On whether marriage is in the works:
"I haven't thought about that at all (laughing). I have to worry about beating Notre Dame first."
• On his eagerness to face the Irish even though it would mean increased scrutiny of his private life:
"I figured it was just a matter of time (before the relationship became public). I know it makes it a story because we're playing them. (But) I wanted to play them just because I knew how big a game it would be. It's one of the biggest games of the bowl season. And I even wanted to go out to the Fiesta Bowl. This will be my third time, but I enjoy it out there a lot."
• On ND's high-powered offense:
"They give Brady a lot of control. And when you have a smart quarterback like that, you can do a lot. He can make checks at the line and do what he needs to do. As a defense, it makes it tough to stop — especially with the talent they have at running back and receiver. They have great skill guys.
"But our coaches will come up with a good game plan. It will come down to who plays harder and who's left standing."
• On whether fellow linebacker Bobby Carpenter will recover from a fractured leg in time for the game:
"I think he will. ... If everything goes just right, he'll be ready. I know he wants to play. He's doing a good job riding a (stationary) bike to stay in shape."
• On learning that the traditional dinner fare at one event was seafood:
"I'm allergic to lobster and all shellfish. I ate lobster one time in my life in Florida and my eyes blew up. I ate one shrimp a couple summers ago, and my eyes blew up. I like beef."
• On the burglary over Thanksgiving break of the house he rents with teammate Nick Mangold:
"I would have loved to have been there when they were doing that. I would have loved to have walked in on them. That might have made news for a different reason."
• On being suspected of
breaking NCAA rules after having had $3,000 in cash stolen from his bedroom safe:
"Of course, people are going to look at it and try to take it the wrong way — people that don't know me. I understand that. I would, too, if I was on the outside looking in."
• On the demands that come from gaining national fame:
"It's awkward at times to go around and meet people. I'm not a politician, I'm a football player. But I'm used to it by now."
• On his father, Keith, helping to fend off persistent agents:
"I don't answer my cell phone anyway — especially if I don't know who it is. I don't even listen to their messages. But I really like that my dad is taking care of that for me. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have him."
• On whether he felt pressure to cut his hair to make a favorable impression on the awards committees:
"Who would I be if I conformed to them? People look at it weird now because no one has it. But back in the day, that's how everybody wore it."
Contact Doug Harris at 225-2125.
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DDN
12/11
Penn St. junior lands Butkus
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
ORLANDO | Ohio State's A.J. Hawk didn't win the Butkus Award — Penn State's Paul Posluszny claimed the prize — but that didn't diminish Jim Heacock's opinion of the senior from Centerville.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> The Ohio State defensive coordinator spoke on Hawk's behalf at the ceremonies Saturday night and called him the best all-around player the school has ever produced.
"I've been in coaching for 30-some years," Heacock said, "and A.J. is the most complete football player I've ever been around. Not just coached — the best I've ever been around.
"If I was making a football player today and said, 'This is what I'd like,' he has all those qualities."
Hawk was only the third Buckeye to be a finalist for the Butkus since its inception in 1985, joining Andy Katzenmoyer (who won as a sophomore in '97) and Chris Spielman (who was beaten out by Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth in '86).
Posluszny had two more tackles than Hawk, but the Buckeyes' star had more tackles for losses (13-11) and sacks (7.5-3.0).
The Penn State junior was shocked to have been chosen.
"I thought A.J. was a dead-lock cinch to win it," Posluszny said. "He's the best linebacker in college football, in my opinion."
Hawk was gracious afterward, hugging Posluszny and saying, "You deserved it."
Although he didn't take home the hardware, Hawk found Heacock's high praise satisfying enough.
"I value the words of my coaches more than anything else," he said.
12/11
Penn St. junior lands Butkus
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
ORLANDO | Ohio State's A.J. Hawk didn't win the Butkus Award — Penn State's Paul Posluszny claimed the prize — but that didn't diminish Jim Heacock's opinion of the senior from Centerville.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> The Ohio State defensive coordinator spoke on Hawk's behalf at the ceremonies Saturday night and called him the best all-around player the school has ever produced.
"I've been in coaching for 30-some years," Heacock said, "and A.J. is the most complete football player I've ever been around. Not just coached — the best I've ever been around.
"If I was making a football player today and said, 'This is what I'd like,' he has all those qualities."
Hawk was only the third Buckeye to be a finalist for the Butkus since its inception in 1985, joining Andy Katzenmoyer (who won as a sophomore in '97) and Chris Spielman (who was beaten out by Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth in '86).
Posluszny had two more tackles than Hawk, but the Buckeyes' star had more tackles for losses (13-11) and sacks (7.5-3.0).
The Penn State junior was shocked to have been chosen.
"I thought A.J. was a dead-lock cinch to win it," Posluszny said. "He's the best linebacker in college football, in my opinion."
Hawk was gracious afterward, hugging Posluszny and saying, "You deserved it."
Although he didn't take home the hardware, Hawk found Heacock's high praise satisfying enough.
"I value the words of my coaches more than anything else," he said.
Upvote
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ShakerBuck
Hall of Fame
AJ not winning the Butkus is unexplainable? But the fans know the truth.
Folks on this board would have lost a lotta vCash if there was a vBet on this award thats for sure...Geez
AJ did finish 6th in heisman race...pretty descent for a defender
Folks on this board would have lost a lotta vCash if there was a vBet on this award thats for sure...Geez
AJ did finish 6th in heisman race...pretty descent for a defender
Upvote
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sandgk
Watson, Crick & A Twist
Classy, no, make that very classy -
and congratulations to Poz on getting his hands on an award even he figured would be out of his reach.
- Humor in the face of adversity, way to show your good character AJ.Back to classy, no make that very classy.
I think some of the Poz love-fest comes on the heels of the SI Bio piece that was done on him. Voters who may not have had a chance to see all his game film had a nice run-down of his actions on and off the field from that article. Oh well, there is one remaining chance for the voting folk to redeem themselves in my eyes.
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sandgk
Watson, Crick & A Twist
I agree with you, a lot of people would have lost money. Honestly though, these awards are often a beauty contest. That is one reason why, even though the Heisman had Bush written all over it, I didn't drop a vCash dime on the Heisman vBet. You simply never know what is going to attract the voters' attention.
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I'd like to suggest that everybody be aware that their posts on a subject like this are available for fans of other programs to see.
Please consider what it looks like from the outside - we've often been 'entertained' by how irate fans of other sites react - but we also form opinions about the levels of knowledge and class for fans of other programs when reading their posts.
We're all entitled to express our opinions. I'm just asking that we be aware of how things may look to others.
Thanks for reading - I'll dismount from my high horse now.
Please consider what it looks like from the outside - we've often been 'entertained' by how irate fans of other sites react - but we also form opinions about the levels of knowledge and class for fans of other programs when reading their posts.
We're all entitled to express our opinions. I'm just asking that we be aware of how things may look to others.
Thanks for reading - I'll dismount from my high horse now.
Upvote
0
BuckeyeKid789
Guest
I'd like to suggest that everybody be aware that their posts on a subject like this are available for fans of other programs to see.
Please consider what it looks like from the outside - we've often been 'entertained' by how irate fans of other sites react - but we also form opinions about the levels of knowledge and class for fans of other programs when reading their posts.
We're all entitled to express our opinions. I'm just asking that we be aware of how things may look to others.
Thanks for reading - I'll dismount from my high horse now.
Alright.
Upvote
0
Folanator
Brawndo's got electrolytes...
I'd like to suggest that everybody be aware that their posts on a subject like this are available for fans of other programs to see.
Please consider what it looks like from the outside - we've often been 'entertained' by how irate fans of other sites react - but we also form opinions about the levels of knowledge and class for fans of other programs when reading their posts.
We're all entitled to express our opinions. I'm just asking that we be aware of how things may look to others.
Thanks for reading - I'll dismount from my high horse now.
Thanks Roy Rogers.
Love,
Tonto
PS No bash against POZ, but that was an award for Jo Pa. He should have been on stage.
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SanAntonioBuck
RIP Our Friend and Hero
Thanks Roy Rogers.
Love,
Tonto
PS No bash against POZ, but that was an award for Jo Pa. He should have been on stage.
That should read The Lone Ranger!
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thackattack
Poison in a Pretty Glass
That should read The Lone Ranger!
Wait, what about Victor? You know, the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse....
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