LB Austin Spitler (official thread)

[BuckeyeKilla]

Heakcock said that Spitler and Terry have really stood our so far this spring.

http://theozone.net/football/2006/Springball/differentcamps.htm

Though Heacock says he won't settle on first and second units at all until after spring ball, he did say that a couple of players have caught his eye in the early going.
"Homan looks awfully good. Curtis Terry looked awfully good yesterday," said Heacock on Saturday. "(Austin) Spitler looks great. Spitler had a great off season. He looks good and he's going to be a good football player for us."

 

[jwinslow]

OSU Picture Archive

Desmond Williams (center) of Michigan State is wrapped up by Austin Spitler (left) and Brian Hartline (right) of Ohio State during the first half.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Everytime he sees the field he is around the ball and making plays.

 

[Buckskin86]

Linebacker learning he can't look, think
Thursday, April 19, 2007 3:49 AM
By Tim May

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/co...4/19/osufb19.ART_ART_04-19-07_E1_DS6E77E.html

 

[BB73]

JT made some positive comments about Austin recently.

ozone.Fallcamp

Getting Noticed: Fall camp is a place where a player can get noticed and maybe earn a position. The players who have the best chance of doing that are those who have already caught somebody's eye in spring ball. OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel said there is a player that falls into that category on the defensive roster at OSU.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Austin Spitler [/FONT]

"A guy like Austin Spitler, who I thought had a fabulous spring," said Tressel.

"You turn on the film and say 'Man, that guy deserves a chance to play.' That's one of the guys who comes to mind. Probably not too many guys who cover us are walking around with Austin on the tip of their tongue, but don't sell him short. I think there are some guys who are anxious to show (what they can do)."
Cont'd ...

 

[Buckskin86]

Spitler making move

Middle linebacker Austin Spitler, a third-year sophomore from Bellbrook, has been getting some snaps with the first-team defense and could supply star James Laurinaitis with a few breathers.

"He's a great kid ? and tough," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "He's the kind of guy you want on the field because of his toughness."

The 6-foot-3, 242-pound Spitler appeared in all 13 games last season, primarily on special teams.

"He's kind of a throwback because of his toughness," Heacock said. "He's so competitive and just a winner. You want him involved in your defense as much as you can."

Junior Marcus Freeman and senior Larry Grant are starting at outside linebacker, while sophomore Ross Homan also is in the mix.

Senior Curtis Terry will complete the rotation at linebacker when he returns from an ankle injury.

OSU ready for the night shift; QB needs work

 

[BGriffBuckeye]

With Spitler's emergence now, and Gibson taking reps at DE... anybody think Mark Johnson slides to SLB?

 

[daddyphatsacs]

Man.......this guy is a backup? Our LB's are going to be flat out nasty.

 

[Jaxbuck]

The 6-foot-3, 242...

Man, he was 216 in post #1

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Man, he was 216 in post #1

...and benched 225 lbs. 21 times

...and squated 500.


You think there's any chance he's stronger than that now, by a little bit???

ouch

 

[Buckskin86]

Spitler in the mix

Middle linebacker Austin Spitler tied for the team lead in tackles against YSU with seven while subbing for All-American James Laurinaitis, and the OSU coaches plan to keep the sophomore from Bellbrook busy all year.

"It's a long season, a physical season, and (there are) a lot of night games," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "We feel like we have to spell James at times to try to get him on an upswing so he's playing his best football at the end of the season.

"Austin is going to get plenty of playing time just rolling through and taking some of the load off James."

Tressel worked his way up through ranks

 

[BB73]

Austin was awarded the Jack Tatum hit of the week against Kent State.

ozone.front page

October 15, 2007 2:45 PM

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Austin Spitler [/FONT]

Football: The winner of this week's Jack Tatum Hit of the Week Award is Austin Spitler.
Spitler was a surprise winner of the award. Two hits were nominated by the coaching staff, both by Trevor Robinson on special teams plays, but according to a press release by Ohio State, Spitler was put into contention by "a groundswell for his nomination from the floor (of the team meeting room)." Once his play, also a special teams play on kickoff coverage, was placed in nomination it was voted the winner by a vote of the team.​

​

 

[RB07OSU]

Man, he was 216 in post #1

He was a mean 216 in high school though...the only time he hit me he broke my finger. Anyways, it's great to see how much Austin has progressed and how he has proven many wrong (especially local coaches who were very surprised when he got an offer).

 

[t_BuckeyeScott]

Seeing Austin Spitler play for the Buckeyes is weird for me. I was somewhat of a friend with his older brother, Scott, at Xenia High School. Good guy. The whole time I had no idea that his littler brother was much of a player. I still wonder why he went to Bellbrook.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Special teams a plus for Spitler

For Bellbrook grad, backing up a star like OSU's Laurinaitis means making the most of any playing time you get.

​

By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

COLUMBUS ? Austin Spitler and James Laurinaitis were on the same official recruiting visit to Ohio State. They play the same position, although Laurinaitis is a junior All-American linebacker while Spitler redshirted and stands behind him on the depth chart.
But Spitler, the sophomore from Bellbrook, is making his name in other ways.


The Buckeyes named Spitler the special teams player of the week after he participated on every kicking unit in OSU's win against Wisconsin last Saturday.



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