lvbuckeye
Silver Surfer
got this from dornstar on BN:
Ohio State fans haven't heard much about Katy, Texas star James Aston, but he's prepared to change that.
* * * * * * * *
The 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back heads into fall camp as a walk-on, which means a lot of people think he's probably little more than another practice body. But his credentials say otherwise.
Aston won the big school offensive player of the year award as a senior after rushing for 2,453 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns (IN TEXAS HS FOOTBALL'S TOUGHEST DIVISION). He was a second-team all-state choice and ended his career as Katy's all-time leading rusher -- in just two seasons of football.
He had scholarship offers for football from Auburn, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Virginia Tech, but there was a wrinkle -- he told schools he also wanted to wrestle. None were too keen on that, so the offers dried up.
But Ohio State will allow him to do both, and he begins his two-sport odyssey Aug. 7, when football players report.
"I'm just going in there to open some eyes," Aston said. "I know there's no proven back and I'm going in with the attitude of getting some playing time."
Aston has some attributes and isn't just a straight-ahead fireplug runner.
"James has a lot of athletic ability. He is a quick, shifty ball carrier who surprises many with his power," Katy coach Gary Joseph said.
Aston will take a redshirt on the wrestling mat this season but will enter the fray next year, likely at 197 pounds. Two-time All-American J.D. Bergman will be a senior at that point, so Aston will have an opportunity to learn from one of the best.
"I really love wrestling, but I love football, too," Aston said. "I really couldn't see myself without either one. I know at some point I'll probably have to choose, and I'll probably do that. Maybe after my sophomore year, whichever one I'm more successful at I'll stick with. But they're both fun."
Aston helped Katy win a state title his junior year, when he ran for over 2,100 yards, including 248 in the championship game.
When asked how he would describe his playing style, Aston said, "I think I run hard. I can carry a whole game, I don't get tired. I'm not real elusive, but I hit the hole hard and run hard. I also have good vision and pick the right spots."
Even in Texas, Aston knew quite a bit about the tradition of Ohio State football.
"I'm pretty familiar with the school and all of the great backs they've had," he said. "I've seen them on TV a lot in the last few years. They weren't actually one of my original choices, but I know a few of the wrestlers on the team and they talked highly of it. Then when they were the ones who let me do both sports, I really paid attention.
"Ohio State has a great offensive scheme, and that really plays to my strengths. We ran a power running attack very similar to what they run, so I should be able to make the transition."
Aston, who won three state wrestling titles and finished 134-4 -- his last loss came in the state tournament his freshman year -- said OSU coach Russ Hellickson was receptive to the young man doing both.
"He did both at Wisconsin, so he didn't think he could tell me that I couldn't," Aston said.
Aston is heading from one hotbed -- Texas high school football -- into another -- Ohio State football -- and said he'll be interested to see how they compare.
"Oh man, high school football in Texas is everything," Aston said. "Towns shut down, they have signs all over the place starting in the middle of the week. It's the place to be. It's like a huge event every single week."
Whether he plays or not, Aston is very interested in Ohio State's showdown with Texas on Sept. 10.
"I never liked Texas, so I'd be rooting for Ohio State anyway," Aston said. "My grandfather is in the Hall of Fame at A&M, so we don't think too much of the Longhorns."
That should be enough to endear Aston to OSU fans, shouldn't it?
Ohio State fans haven't heard much about Katy, Texas star James Aston, but he's prepared to change that.
* * * * * * * *
The 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back heads into fall camp as a walk-on, which means a lot of people think he's probably little more than another practice body. But his credentials say otherwise.
Aston won the big school offensive player of the year award as a senior after rushing for 2,453 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns (IN TEXAS HS FOOTBALL'S TOUGHEST DIVISION). He was a second-team all-state choice and ended his career as Katy's all-time leading rusher -- in just two seasons of football.
He had scholarship offers for football from Auburn, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Virginia Tech, but there was a wrinkle -- he told schools he also wanted to wrestle. None were too keen on that, so the offers dried up.
But Ohio State will allow him to do both, and he begins his two-sport odyssey Aug. 7, when football players report.
"I'm just going in there to open some eyes," Aston said. "I know there's no proven back and I'm going in with the attitude of getting some playing time."
Aston has some attributes and isn't just a straight-ahead fireplug runner.
"James has a lot of athletic ability. He is a quick, shifty ball carrier who surprises many with his power," Katy coach Gary Joseph said.
Aston will take a redshirt on the wrestling mat this season but will enter the fray next year, likely at 197 pounds. Two-time All-American J.D. Bergman will be a senior at that point, so Aston will have an opportunity to learn from one of the best.
"I really love wrestling, but I love football, too," Aston said. "I really couldn't see myself without either one. I know at some point I'll probably have to choose, and I'll probably do that. Maybe after my sophomore year, whichever one I'm more successful at I'll stick with. But they're both fun."
Aston helped Katy win a state title his junior year, when he ran for over 2,100 yards, including 248 in the championship game.
When asked how he would describe his playing style, Aston said, "I think I run hard. I can carry a whole game, I don't get tired. I'm not real elusive, but I hit the hole hard and run hard. I also have good vision and pick the right spots."
Even in Texas, Aston knew quite a bit about the tradition of Ohio State football.
"I'm pretty familiar with the school and all of the great backs they've had," he said. "I've seen them on TV a lot in the last few years. They weren't actually one of my original choices, but I know a few of the wrestlers on the team and they talked highly of it. Then when they were the ones who let me do both sports, I really paid attention.
"Ohio State has a great offensive scheme, and that really plays to my strengths. We ran a power running attack very similar to what they run, so I should be able to make the transition."
Aston, who won three state wrestling titles and finished 134-4 -- his last loss came in the state tournament his freshman year -- said OSU coach Russ Hellickson was receptive to the young man doing both.
"He did both at Wisconsin, so he didn't think he could tell me that I couldn't," Aston said.
Aston is heading from one hotbed -- Texas high school football -- into another -- Ohio State football -- and said he'll be interested to see how they compare.
"Oh man, high school football in Texas is everything," Aston said. "Towns shut down, they have signs all over the place starting in the middle of the week. It's the place to be. It's like a huge event every single week."
Whether he plays or not, Aston is very interested in Ohio State's showdown with Texas on Sept. 10.
"I never liked Texas, so I'd be rooting for Ohio State anyway," Aston said. "My grandfather is in the Hall of Fame at A&M, so we don't think too much of the Longhorns."
That should be enough to endear Aston to OSU fans, shouldn't it?
