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LB John Kerr (official thread)

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I heard the same rumor but never a confirmation. Unless OSU or Kerr say something on the record it can never be more than rumor. IMO that means that in fairness we have to dismiss it as unfounded.
 
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Buckeyes linebacker Kerr works so he can play
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</td> <td nowrap="nowrap"> June 22, 2006
By Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Dennis your opinion!
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<!-- T9521694 --><!-- Sesame Modified: 06/22/2006 19:53:02 --> <!-- sversion: 2 $Updated: yvonnej$ --> [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] COLUMBUS, Ohio -- John Kerr didn't tell them who he was. Parking cars at Hyde Park was a prime gig mixed with prime rib. Steak place. White-table-cloth place. Beautiful women and powerful men emerged from those cars. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "You don't let them know," Ohio State's linebacker said. "It's a good way to get yourself in trouble." [/FONT]
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="175"> After transferring from Indiana to Ohio State, John Kerr is not eligible for financial aid due to a Big Ten rule. (Provided to SportsLine) </td> <td width="15">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] In this football-crazy city, a Buckeye parking your car is more than an oddity. It could be an NCAA violation waiting to happen. The transfer from Indiana was savvy enough to know that revealing his true identity in this town could result in a hundred-dollar handshake. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] See: Smith, Troy. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Ohio State is no different from the other power programs. For the most part, players are privileged. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] For the most part. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] John Kerr hasn't played any meaningful football since 2002. Worse, Kerr has had to pay for his privilege. A 50-year-old Big Ten rule prohibits players who transfer within the conference from receiving financial aid. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] In other words, no scholarship. The biggest star can become a glorified walk-on scrounging for tuition money. Kerr was that star, leading Big Ten freshmen in tackles in 2002 at Indiana. But he didn't like coach Gerry DiNardo, and frankly, the coach didn't like him, later blasting Kerr during Big Ten preseason media days. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "My mom read (the statements) to me," Kerr said. "There's no reason to ever get into that. That's not a classy thing. I didn't like the way he ran his program so I left." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] It hasn't been easy going from hell to heaven. Kerr has made ends meet by parking those luxury sleds, taking out loans and working construction. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] It's not going to be easy when he finally plays consistently. Kerr is one of three new starters at linebacker trying to replace arguably the best group in school history -- A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Playing in their shadows, Kerr is going to face snap (by snap) judgments from Buckeye Nation. Through it all, he doesn't want, or need, your pity about having to work his way through college. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] But he does realize players are at an automatic disadvantage when they sign that letter of intent. [/FONT]
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[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "I think it's kind of ridiculous ...," the senior from Strongsville, Ohio, said. "How many 18-year olds do you know who can make a decision that is going to be a lifelong decision, and is going to be a good one?" [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Good point. They don't tell you when you sign the letter that you are an indentured servant. Coaches have the hammer, able to revoke that scholarship at the end of each academic year. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Those same coaches screamed recently at new NCAA legislation that allows fifth-year grad school students to transfer without penalty. It was a small victory for the laborers in this industry. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Big Ten's intra-conference transfer rule is one of the most restrictive policies in college athletics. It's meant to be that way. The coaches get what they want. They don't want to lose a player and eventually get beaten by him. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Only a handful of players have had the money or guts to try it. Jeff George was one of those glorified walk-ons, going from Purdue to Illinois. Luke Recker, too, going from Indiana to Iowa (via Arizona). [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We all recruit, we all live in the same region, we compete," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said. "We want people to be free to do what they want, but we choose to restrict ourselves on the aid issue." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Back in 1956. The world has changed. The Big Ten mentality hasn't. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Kerr couldn't have known what was coming when his star rose at Indiana. He had to sit out the transfer year in 2003. In 2004 and 2005 he played sparingly, on special teams and backing up the star linebackers. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "I'll put it this way. John comes to play football," his father, Bill, said. "All of his frustrations will be taken care of this fall." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Bill Kerr estimates the annual bill to educate his son comes to $25,000 when you factor in tuition, room and board. John has taken out loans, which will be paid off more easily if he lands an NFL contract some day. If not, consider his career the ultimate character builder. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Bill's kid worked 50-60 hours a week during the summer doing construction, literally digging post holes at times. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] And players complain about offseason conditioning? [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Like thousands of other kids in the state, Kerr always wanted to be a Buckeye, but Ohio State never offered. The kid didn't pick up football until the ninth grade. By the time he was a senior at powerful St. Ignatius, Kerr had become a hitting machine, making 230 tackles and becoming defensive player of the year for the state champions. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] A bit undersized at 6-feet-1, 250, Kerr went to Indiana. The Hoosiers continued to lose, but he was all over the field, getting double-digit tackles in a four-touchdown loss to Maurice Clarett and Ohio State. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] That was a big day. If nothing else happened, Kerr showed the Buckeyes he could play. There should be no argument about his ability to work. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "If you're stuck in a situation like I had, you can be one of the leading tacklers in the Big Ten and be miserable," he said. "I'm a normal student now. It's definitely weird." [/FONT]
 
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Hell must be freezing as I type this! Dennis the menace writes a decent article?!:yow1:

Johns working his butt off and I hope he gets every opportunity this fall to live up to his dream, and then takes it!
 
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Bestbuck36 said:
Hell must be freezing as I type this! Dennis the menace writes a decent article?!:yow1:
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maybe it's just me, but this front page seems like a not-so-subtle cheapshot.
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="ctopcap">Jim Tressel has A.J. Hawk's replacement in John Kerr. (Getty Images)</td></tr><tr><td height="10">
</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td class="ctoptxt1"><!-- Sesame Modified: 06/23/2006 10:50:51 --> <!-- sversion: 5 $Updated: ekay$ --> Because he transferred from one school to another within one of the most restrictive conferences in the country, <content_ref category="COLUMN" idref="9521694">Ohio State</content_ref> LB John Kerr is paying his own way. Dennis Dodd says Kerr hopes for a big return in 2006. Full story</td><td>
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Re: "A bit undersized at 6-feet-1, 250, Kerr went to Indiana. The Hoosiers continued to lose, but he was all over the field, getting double-digit tackles in a four-touchdown loss to Maurice Clarett and Ohio State."


OK, how is 6' 1'' and 250 lbs "a bit undersized" for a linebacker?
 
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Look a little (very little) bit deeper at this article. This isn't Dodd writing a story about John Kerr overcoming anything. This is Dodd taking another shot at the Big Ten. Taking shots at a rule that is in place for a damn good reason. As much as I hope Kerr has a great year, I don't feel sorry for him. He gets to play in a stadium, for the team that he's always loved. Even if he does have to pay tuition. He made the decision not to leave the Big Ten.
 
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PAYING TO PLAY
OSU linebacker John Kerr gave up a scholarship to fulfill his dream
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State linebacker John Kerr is as chivalrous as the next guy, but it may not have seemed like it for the past three years.
He has been paying his way through school since transferring from Indiana after the 2002 season. That has meant sacrifice and some humbling moments.

"My girlfriend has paid for a lot of meals for us for a long time," Kerr said. "Little things, like (teammates asking), ‘Hey, let’s go out to eat,’ or, ‘Let’s go to Easton.’ "I can’t. It’s a tough thing, but it’s worth it."

He says that without hesitation. He believes that the lessons he has learned and the character he has developed make it so.

To the average nonscholarship student, it might not sound like hardship. Millions of people have done what Kerr is doing: cobble together tuition and living expenses through savings, parents, loans and jobs.

It’s just that big-time college football players normally don’t sweat that stuff. They aren’t paid a salary, but as Kerr said, , "When you get a $1,200 scholarship check every month, you don’t have to worry about finances. You can blow money and still have money left."

And to think Kerr actually chose this road. When he left Indiana, he knew that staying within the Big Ten meant giving up his scholarship.

But his family had always been big Ohio State fans. So even though Kerr was not heavily recruited out of Cleveland St. Ignatius High School by the Buckeyes (they already had some pretty fair linebackers), going to OSU was a natural.

He had to sit out 2003 as a normal transfer year, then was relegated to scout-team duty in 2004 because of problems with transfer-related paperwork.

Last year, he played mostly on special teams and only sparingly on defense behind A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel.

It was three years of purga- tory. And it was even tougher on Kerr because he had been a star in high school and at Indiana, leading the Hoosiers in tackles in 2002.

"It was a little bit of a humbling experience," Bill Kerr, John’s father, said. "It has changed him a little bit that way. He had the opportunity to build a lot of character."

John said, "You don’t appreciate it as much (when on scholarship). When I was at Indiana and I didn’t have to pay for anything, you don’t appreciate it at the same level. When you start working every single day just so you can have a roof over your head and open a book so you can be eligible, it builds character, perseverance, persistence.

"And you just realize, ‘Hey, life’s hard.’ A lot of guys don’t get that in college when they get their college paid for."

Sitting out is one thing. But being a nonscholarship player means not eating at the team training tables. And it meant getting a job.

Kerr has worked parking cars at Hyde Park Grille and pouring concrete for road projects around the city.

"I had to grow up," he said. "When you’re actually paying your own way, things get serious. You take the leap from being a child to manhood. It was scary at first when you don’t have that scholarship check and I couldn’t say, ‘Hey, Dad, I need cash.’

"When those two avenues are gone and you need cash, the only thing you can do is look in the mirror. You grow up quicker."

Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock admires Kerr not only for the persistence of paying his own way but for not getting down despite not playing for most of the past three years.

"It had to be real hard on him," Heacock said. "But he never lost his focus on what he was trying to get done. He’s always upbeat and has a great attitude."

Finally, Kerr should get a chance to play this season. With all three 2005 starters gone, Kerr is penciled in as the starting middle linebacker. He will turn 25 in September.

Heacock said the plan is to have a seven-man rotation for three spots but that seniority gives Kerr an edge.

To say Kerr is ready is an understatement. This fall is his last season, and the years of living on the financial edge have sharpened his focus.

"When you realize, hey, I’ve dropped 60,000 bucks to fulfill a dream, you never go halfway, never take the easy way out," he said. "I don’t want to waste that investment."


[email protected]
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http://www.columbusdispatch.com/football/football.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/16/20060716-E1-00.html
 
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