Recovering Carpenter hopeful of chance to play
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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PHOENIX — Just after Ohio State’s practice ended yesterday, a youngster with the local Boys & Girls Club approached linebacker Bobby Carpenter for an autograph.
"You’re the guy who got hurt in the Michigan game, aren’t you?" the boy asked, and Carpenter winced and nodded as he signed.
That’s not how the senior from Lancaster wants to be remembered — hopping off the field in Ann Arbor after suffering a broken bone in his lower right leg on the Buckeyes’ first defensive play.
"You always want your last play to be on your terms," Carpenter said.
But based on how he felt yesterday, six days from the Fiesta Bowl on Monday, he might have to deal with that reality.
Carpenter did some jogging and light cutting. He clearly isn’t ready yet, and he knows it.
"I felt a little better today than what I expected," he said. "I’m not where I need to be by any means."
Coach Jim Tressel said the team would have a good idea whether Carpenter will play by Thursday or Friday.
"I think the medical people’s plans were to get him out here, work him out a couple days and then take an X-ray, and I think that’s still their plan," Tressel said.
But Carpenter gave a deadline of Saturday.
"I guess the final decision will probably be on the 31 st or two days before (the game), see what I can do, and if I can’t do what I need to do then, then it probably won’t be effective," he said. "So try to make (the decision) then. Detach emotion from everything and have the trainers and doctors really look at it and see what they think is best.
"There’s been greater things accomplished in four days than what I need to do, so that’s kind of the way I look at it."
Carpenter said his last X-ray showed the bone was healing well. He doesn’t think the decision to play will have to do with risking further damage. It’s a matter of whether he physically can do his job.
"It’s more of, ‘Can I run? Can I cut? Can I do what I need to do to play and be successful out there?’ " Carpenter said. "You can’t worry about getting hurt on a football field. I’m just concerned with me being able to go out and perform the way I need to perform."
Ohio State can win without him, as proved in a 25-21 victory over Michigan in which the Buckeyes limited the Wolverines to 32 rushing yards and 255 total.
But Carpenter, 6 feet 3 and 255 pounds, is devastating as a rush end in Ohio State’s nickel package, leading the team with eight sacks.
In his absence, freshman linebacker James Laurinaitis plays in the base defense. In the nickel, defensive ends Lawrence Wilson and Jay Richardson would see more time.
Carpenter’s availability might not be the deciding factor in the Fiesta Bowl. But it certainly would provide a more fitting end to a stellar college career than that hop-hop-hop scene from Ann Arbor.
"If that was my last play, that’s something I have to deal with," he said. "But hopefully, I’ll have the chance to right the ship a little bit and go out walking off the field on two feet at least."
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