• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

LB Etienne Sabino (official thread)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Ohio State football: Long wait finally over for Sabino
Sunday, April 17, 2011
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

osufb-4-17-art-gkbcboro-1osufb4-13a-jpg.jpg

Eric Albrecht | Dispatch
Ohio State junior Etienne Sabino took a redshirt last season because of a glut at linebacker.

In the midst of yesterday's scrimmage at Ohio Stadium, Etienne Sabino was in his element.

He was yelling signals to his fellow Ohio State linebackers and pointing out changes to the secondary as the defense kept the offense out of the end zone - until a lightning bolt and heavy rain cut things short.

"He's definitely our leader right now in the middle of the field," cornerback Travis Howard said of Sabino. "He's the guy calling all the plays and making all the checks. He's a big part of our defense, and I am happy to see him actually out there, happy again, and able to make plays."

Last season, Sabino was beaten out by Andrew Sweat in August for the starting job at strongside linebacker and opted to redshirt. It was an unusual move for a healthy player going into his junior year.

But the idea was to give Sabino a chance to mature a little more - he was 17 as a freshman in 2008 when he came to Ohio State with Howard from the same high school in Miami - and to find an open zone in a glut of linebackers.

Sitting and waiting, Sabino found, was no joy ride.

"It was extremely difficult. I would say it was probably one of the hardest years of my life," Sabino said. "The toughest part was sitting on that sideline on Saturday and not being able to play. Obviously, you are pulling for your team, you want them to win. But you want to help them, as well."

Cont..
Click to expand...

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...ong-wait-finally-over-for-sabino.html?sid=101
 
Upvote 0
After being relegated to the sidelines, Etienne Sabino is making noise on defense
By Adam Hawkins
[email protected]
Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011

1879291275.jpg

Andy Gottesman / Multimedia editor
Etienne Sabino crosses into the end zone during the Buckeyes? 16-3 win against Purdue on Oct. 11, 2008.

Redshirt junior linebacker Etienne Sabino had an interesting road to a starting job for the Ohio State defense.

After Sabino lost the job to current senior Andrew Sweat last spring, he and the coaches decided a redshirt might be in the his best interest. The decision was difficult for Sabino to cope with.

"I would say it was probably one of the hardest years of my life," Sabino said. "The toughest part was sitting on the sideline on Saturday and not being able to play."

Injuries to OSU's defense and special teams units almost forced Sabino to give up his redshirt and play, but the team held out, giving him more time to grow.

Despite his yearlong hiatus being difficult, Sabino said it helped him develop as a player.

"I think I really got a better grasp of the defense as a whole," he said. "As far as with me redshirting last year, I really think that helped me in that sense."

With another year in the system, Sabino is projected to be a starter at middle linebacker this season, replacing last year's leading tackler, Brian Rolle, who recorded 76 tackles. Sabino said learning the defensive schemes has helped him progress as a linebacker.

"It actually slows the game down for you when you're out there and not thinking, and you can just react and know what you have," he said. "It just helps your game and your overall football knowledge."

As a junior, Sabino is expected to take on a leadership role for the Buckeye defense, and junior defensive back Orhian Johnson said he thinks Sabino has blossomed into someone the defense can rely on.

"He's definitely stepped up into that leadership role," Johnson said. "He's been showing his dedication a lot, and I just really feel like he's ready to let it all go and go out and perform."

Cont..
Click to expand...

http://www.thelantern.com/sports/af...e-sabino-is-making-noise-on-defense-1.2183846
 
Upvote 0
Buckeyes' Sabino knows his time has come
April, 21, 2011
By Adam Rittenberg


Ohio State kicked off spring ball in 2010 looking for a third linebacker to join standouts Ross Homan and Brian Rolle.

Just days into practice, the Buckeyes appeared to have found their missing piece: Etienne Sabino.

"He's the guy," linebackers coach Luke Fickell said after a workout last April. "This has been his best spring so far."

ncf_g_sabino_bl_300.jpg

Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Ohio State is counting on Etienne Sabino to step up at linebacker and help lead the Buckeyes defense.

A quick glance at Ohio State's 2010 stats shows Sabino had no tackles, no sacks, no interceptions ... and no games played. Before the season kicked off, Sabino and the coaches agreed that redshirting would be the best option.

Andrew Sweat, who outperformed Sabino in preseason camp, moved into the third starting linebacker position. Sabino spent Saturdays on the sideline.

"I did feel good about my situation last spring, but unfortunately several things happened," Sabino told me this week. "That's behind me, and I'm just looking forward to the future."

Sabino is once again a big part of Ohio State's plan at linebacker. The Buckeyes must replace multi-year starters in Rolle and Homan, and the spotlight once again has turned to Sabino, a 6-3, 242-pound junior from North Miami Beach, Fla.

"This is what you come here for, so it's very exciting," he said. "I feel real comfortable out there, and I think everything is just clicking right now."

Cont..
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/41133/buckeyes-sabino-knows-his-time-has-come
 
Upvote 0
Sabino ?Starving? To Stick
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Etienne Sabino knows all too well that there is no direct link between spring glory and fall triumph.

It was a lesson he learned the hard way.

The junior out of Miami took nearly every snap at Sam linebacker with the first-team defense last spring, but it took only a matter of days for it all to be undone in the fall.

Sabino had moved outside to learn a new position in order to work his way onto the field, but soon watched as his starting spot went to classmate Andrew Sweat instead.

?It was very hard for me last year but last year is over with and now I am looking forward to this year,? Sabino said Tuesday after practice.

?I am very excited.?

It was the same type of excitement Sabino felt going into last fall when he was sure his time had finally come after two years of learning behind veterans like James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman and Ross Homan.

?I think every player has that confidence. Coming out of high school you don?t come to a place like Ohio State to be a backup; to be on the bench your whole career,? said Sabino, who was the No. 1 ranked middle linebacker in the class 2008.

Cont...
Click to expand...

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2011/FallCamp/sabino.html
 
Upvote 0
Ohio State football: Wait is over for Sabino
Linebacker eager for game action after redshirting as junior
Tuesday August 16, 2011
By Bill Rabinowitz
The Columbus Dispatch

During preseason camp a year ago, Etienne Sabino looked around the Ohio State linebackers room, recognized the surplus of talent and saw the writing on the wall.

As much as it pained him, redshirting as a junior became his best option after Andrew Sweat beat him out for the starting strong-side spot.

This year, as Sabino looks around the linebackers room, he sees a different place. Two of last year?s starters, Ross Homan and Brian Rolle, are in NFL camps. Two other players expected to compete for playing time are also gone. Jonathan Newsome transferred, and Dorian Bell was suspended for the season.

That makes Sabino all the more crucial to Ohio State?s hopes of reloading a defense that lost seven starters.

The year off made him more than hungry.

?I?m like starving,? he said. ?Starving.?

Cont...
Click to expand...

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/08/16/wait-is-over-for-sabino.html
 
Upvote 0
Ohio State notebook: Sabino expects to play in opener
Monday August 22, 2011
By Tim May
The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State linebacker Etienne Sabino had his left arm in a sling yesterday at the team?s annual picture day, after breaking a bone in his hand in Saturday?s scrimmage, but said he still plans to be in the lineup in the season opener Sept. 3 against Akron.

?The doctor said I should be good to go. I just have to play with a cast on,? Sabino said. ?I?ll be out about a week or so.?

To aid the cause, the junior said, doctors added some hardware to help stabilize the fractured bone of his index finger during surgery yesterday morning at the Ohio State Medical Center. The injury happened early in Saturday?s scrimmage, not that Sabino noticed.

?Coming off a block, I think my hand got caught in a face mask,? he said. ?I kept playing because I didn?t think it was anything big. It ended up being broken.?

Coming off a redshirt season, the fourth-year junior has been part of the three-man starting corps at linebacker, taking the spot on the strong side next to middle linebacker Storm Klein and weak-side linebacker Andrew Sweat. With Sabino likely missing at least a week, the coaches probably will move Tony Jackson, Nate Oliver and perhaps freshmen Curtis Grant and Ryan Shazier more into the mix.
Click to expand...

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/08/22/sabino-expects-to-play-in-opener.html
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top