<H1 class=red>Kerr doesn't mind the waiting in line at OSU linebacker
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Scottsdale, Ariz.- John Kerr is going to play in a bowl.
Practicing Tuesday with the No. 4 team in the country on a perfect day, Kerr will take that. Not much about his college football life has gone perfectly, but standing on the field at Pinnacle High School six days before the Fiesta Bowl, the former St. Ignatius star was not going to wish his career away.
In 2002, Kerr led Indiana in tackles as a freshman linebacker. Wondering about where he fit in with the Hoosiers, he transferred to Ohio State and wound up sitting out both the 2003 and 2004 seasons. This season, he has played on every area of special teams, and when the Buckeyes take the field against Notre Dame, Kerr knows that he will get to hit someone. That is something.
"I'm not ever going to look back and be regretful about anything, because this is where I was supposed to be," Kerr said. "Everybody's dream is to go in there and start right away. That was my will, but that wasn't the coaches' will. They had what they wanted, and I had to sit out for two years, and that's a long time. They had to fill spots. I just have to be patient and keep working hard."
In 11 games, the Cleveland native has made 13 tackles, 13th on the team.
After the bowl, the junior will have one season left to finish his career the way it began, as a starter. Currently the backup behind A.J. Hawk at weakside linebacker, all he has to do is win the job replacing one of the greatest linebackers in school history.
"Anybody [following] A.J. has huge shoes to fill," Kerr said. "You don't get A.J. Hawks every day. So I'll just take it as a challenge to see what I can do. Hopefully I can someday do as well as he did."
The former Ohio defensive player of the year will not be handed that job. Even while sitting out, he has seen the steps he has taken since his days at Indiana, when he led the team with 114 tackles as a run-stopper who didn't really comprehend pass coverages.
Now he knows. No matter how often people from high school wonder what is happening with his OSU career, on this day in Arizona, Kerr was not going to deal in might-have-beens.
"To be honest, things are going well," Kerr said. "I play football for one of the best schools in the country in an atmosphere that most people can only dream about. I get to play on Saturdays, maybe not in the capacity in which you would hope, but I still get to be part of a great team and a great community.
"I earned a lot of accolades as a freshman. But it's nothing that I can't achieve as a senior."
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