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OC/WR Coach Brian Hartline (Official Thread)

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Which Buckeye had the greatest impact on the Ohio State history of the position he played?

  • Brian Hartline

  • Other (This is the wrong answer)

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Canton

4/24/06

Hartline hoping to mpact t OSU
Monday, April 24, 2006
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By JOSH WEIR[/FONT]
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24hartline.jpg

Brian Hartline​
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COLUMBUS It was Aug. 28, 2004, and Brian Hartline lay on the Fawcett Stadium turf, his senior season of high school football over as soon as it began.
The number in everyone’s mind that day was 2 — the number of broken bones in his left leg.
Fast-forward to Saturday’s spring game at Ohio State, and a new number has emerged for Hartline: 3, as in the third receiver spot in the Buckeyes’ offense.
Fully healed and confident, Hartline made a bid for the opening with a strong performance during the annual Scarlet and Gray game. The GlenOak graduate has come a long way since a Central-Hower player was blocked into him in 2004, creating a clean break of his tibula and fibula.
A crowd of 63,649 Saturday at the Horseshoe saw that he is indeed ready for the demands of Big Ten play.
“It was a blast,” said Hartline, who will be a red-shirt freshman in the fall. “You work hard to prepare yourself and think to yourself how not to screw up in a situation like this. This is the model for practice all through spring. To end it on a good note is always good. It’s definitely good in the coaches’ eyes as we head into summer.
“Hopefully I left a mark.”
He did with Coach Jim Tressel and senior quarterback Troy Smith. When the Glenville High School product was asked what receivers made an impression Saturday, Smith didn’t hesitate.
“Brian Hartline,” he said. “He caught the ball consistently and ran his routes they way they are supposed to.”
Hartline showed a little of everything. He caught a little hitch route from Smith, slipped a tackle and got 11 yards on the game’s opening drive. He got 15 yards across the middle on a pass from Rob Schoenhoft in the second quarter. In the third, he made a nice adjustment and went down to get a low throw from Schoenhoft.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder, who had no live game action last year, finished with game-highs of seven receptions and 88 yards.
The competition for the third spot is stiff. Fifth-year senior Roy Hall has played in many big games and sophomores Brian Robiskie and Albert Dukes both bring a lot of talent. Every indication is that Hartline has as good a chance as any to line up with starters Teddy Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez.
“I’d love to get out there in the W spot, the slot, with Teddy and Gonzo on the outside of me,” Hartline said. “That’s probably my realistic goal for this year.”
Staying positive
Hartline, who broke his collarbone during preparation for the Fiesta Bowl and was back in five weeks, had a rod drilled into his leg after the injury back in 2004. He recovered in time to win the 110- and 300-meter hurdle championships at the state track and field meet his senior year.
“I always thought things happen for a reason and I still think that,” he said. “That’s kind of the attitude I take. And really if you think that way, every situation has a good outcome.”
Horseshoe hype
Freshman Ross Homan’s play Saturday had some media members comparing him to A.J. Hawk. That kind of talk is a bit of an exaggeration at this point, but it’s clear Homan is special. Starting at the Will linebacker for the Scarlet, the 6-1, 237-pounder from Coldwater had eight tackles and a sack.
“Homan has been very productive from day one,” Tressel said. “That position is productive in the nature of our defense. Cie Grant was productive, and A.J. Hawk was productive. In the design of our defense, that position is going to get the opportunity to make plays. Now, can you make them? Ross Homan can make them.”
Early birds
Homan, running back Chris Wells and defensive back Kurt Coleman all graduated from high school early to enroll at OSU — a move that will pay dividends in the fall when they have a leg up on the incoming freshmen.
“I think I have a lot more confidence,” Wells said of his experience during spring practice. “It was overwhelming to me at first, everything was new. Now I feel like I have a grasp of everything.”
Each made a big impact on Saturday. Wells (6-2, 225) carred the ball 11 times for a game-high 48 yards. Coleman (5-11, 185) had an impressive interception, a pass break-up and two tackles. Coleman and Wells, who each enrolled for the spring quarter, don’t turn 18 until July and August, respectively.
Homan, 19, enrolled for the winter quarter and has already been on campus for 14 weeks. Tressel said he’s carrying a 3.7 grade-point average.
Future QBs
Todd Boeckman and Schoenhoft, who may be battling for the starting quarterback job in 2007, got extended playing time Saturday.
Boeckman got off to a rough start. Maurice Wells was tackled for a safety by freshman Todd Denlinger on the sophomore QB’s first play from scrimmage. The second play — after a 4:20 Scarlet drive that ended in a Ryan Pretorius 38-yard field goal — resulted in a sack by Jay Richardson.
Boeckman went 13-of-27 on the day with two interceptions, while Schoehoft — a redshirt freshman — also was up and down, finishing 9-of-28 with one pick. The pair will get a chance to compete with Justin Zwick for the back-up QB job in the fall.
Bulldogs in Columbus
McKinley offensive linemen Tyrell McDonald and Zach Slagle attended Saturday’s game. Both will attempt to walk-on at OSU this fall. Reach Repository sports writer Josh Weir at (330) 580-8426 or e-mail: [email protected]
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ABJ

4/25

Ohio State football

GlenOak graduate does more than just catch on

Hartline, a redshirt freshman, moves up depth chart at loaded receiver spot

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content --> COLUMBUS - Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline went into spring practice figuring that he was sixth or seventh on the depth chart. Moving up to No. 5 was his goal.
The redshirt freshman from GlenOak readjusted his sights after three weeks of drills that concluded with the Scarlet and Gray Game on Saturday.
``Now I want to be 3,'' he said. ``You can never be satisfied where you are.''
It is expected that Ted Ginn Jr. will be the starting flanker and Anthony Gonzalez the starting split end when the season opens Sept. 2 against Northern Illinois. Senior Roy Hall, the Brush High graduate who has 39 catches in three years, might get the first shot to be No. 3.
Hartline and sophomore Brian Robiskie served notice in the past month that they will be in the mix this fall. In the spring game, Hartline led all receivers with seven catches for 88 yards, and Hall added five receptions for 66 yards. Robiskie, the son of Browns receivers coach Terry Robiskie, had three for 59 yards.
``I think I had a good day,'' Hartline said. ``I had a lot more opportunities than the other guys, who were pulled in the first and second quarter. I work hard to do the small things like blocking; that's big for a receiver. I tried to take it as an opportunity to sell myself to the coaching staff. I think of it as an interview.''
Coach Jim Tressel said that Hall showed more confidence in the final five spring practices and that Hall, Hartline and Robiskie are ``coming along.''
Quarterback Troy Smith mentioned Robiskie and Hartline afterward and dreamed of spreading out the offense.
``We haven't even been in four wide receivers, yet,'' Smith said.
In making a case to be one of those four, Hartline said he listened to Ginn and Gonzalez. He said he can relate to Gonzalez, who redshirted in his first year out of Cleveland St. Ignatius.
``We compared ourselves, how our situation worked out,'' Hartline said. ``He got frustrated; so did I.''
Hartline has matured enough to realize what he gained in 2005. He said going against cornerback Ashton Youboty and safety Donte Whitner, who could be first-round picks in Saturday's NFL Draft, was a great learning experience.
When Hartline broke his leg in his senior year of high school, everyone still knew he had the speed to make it at Ohio State. He came back for the prep track season and won state titles in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.
``My first reaction was, `Oh, man, Ohio State,' '' Hartline said. ``But coach (Jim) Tressel said, `It's a bone. It will heal.' ''
Being mentioned in the same breath with Brian Robiskie doesn't bother Hartline, who met Robiskie at the Big 33 game in the summer of 2005.
``It should be fun. We may be a tandem in the future,'' Hartline said of the Chagrin Falls graduate.
Hartline couldn't hide his optimism after his first action in Ohio Stadium, even though it didn't count.
Asked what he gained this spring, Hartline said: ``I think I gained everything. But I'm being realistic. I'm going to keep fighting. We have a great receiving corps this year.''
Buckeyes
Smith said he planned to meet with Tressel on Monday so that he could ``start squeezing as much as I can out of his brilliant mind. We're beginning what I call my grind period as a quarterback. I have to be sharp as a knife.''... The Buckeyes' defensive line lost two starters but appears to have help on the way. Jay Richardson had four solo tackles, two for losses and two sacks. Vernon Gholston had three tackles, one for loss, and a sack. Lawrence Wilson of St. Vincent-St. Mary had four tackles, one for loss, a pass breakup and a sack. And Nader Abdallah (four tackles, one for loss, and a sack) also showed talent.
 
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Healthy Hartline hopes to catch spot at receiver with OSU
Sunday, June 25, 2006 By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

MINERVA - His left leg was snapped in two, below the kneecap. That is when, lying on the turf at Fawcett Stadium, the thought first entered Brian Hartline’s psyche.

He may never play football again, regardless of a full-ride scholarship to Ohio State. That was the first game of Hartline’s 2004 senior season at GlenOak High School.

“I was at a loss for words laying on that field,” Hartline said. “I knew something bad happened, and every thought you can imagine went through my head. I went from ‘I’ll be back’ to ‘I’m done’ to ‘Do I still have a scholarship?’ ”

Yes. No. Yes.

Hartline is back on the football field in a big way. The redshirt freshman is expected to compete for the No. 4 wide receiver position in the Buckeye offense this summer.

Hartline joined teammates Tony Gonzalez, T.J. Downing, Alex Boone and John Kerr as celebrity captains Saturday in the 25th annual Green Line Transportation charity golf outing at Great Trail Golf Course. T.J. Downing’s father, Walt, is Green Line’s vice president of sales.

It was a bit of an odd day, these Ohio State players helping out former Michigan players. Walt Downing was an All-American at Michigan and Roger Bettis, president of Green Line, played quarterback there. Saturday’s event raised more than $10,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Hartline seemed to enjoy himself the most. After he broke his leg, Hartline broke his collarbone running scout team offense in one of OSU’s final Fiesta Bowl practices in Columbus.

“There is a huge difference in him,” Gonzalez said of Hartline. “Mentally, he’s come a long way. He went through some things a redshirt freshman goes through. He doubted, not himself, but like all redshirts, he doubted his decision. Now his mind is so much better. He has a great attitude, and he works so hard.”

Hartline and Gonzalez talk about how the start of their Ohio State careers are similar. Gonzalez, like Hartline, came to OSU as a highly recruited receiver with top speed and better hands. Both redshirted. Both wondered if this was the right place for them.

Gonzalez had one of the biggest catches in Ohio State history last year, grabbing a Troy Smith prayer inside the 10 during the final minutes that led to a win at Michigan. Now he will be the Buckeyes’ No. 2 receiver.

And Hartline’s No. 1 mentor.

“I’m picking his brain all the time,” Hartline said. “He has such a great mind for the game, and he’s intelligent.”

There is only so much Gonzalez can tell Hartline. Ohio State is looking for a wide receiver since Santonio Holmes left a year early and became a first-round draft pick. Ted Ginn Jr. will move into the No. 1 spot. Gonzalez is No. 2, and Roy Hall is No. 3. Hartline and Brian Robiskie are in the mix at fourth wide receiver.

“I know who is ahead of me, and I know who I think I can beat,” Hartline said. “If I’m the No. 4 receiver, fine, but I have my goals set higher than that.”

Why not? Hartline had the best spring game of any receiver with seven catches for 88 yards. That summer-like day created a buzz among fans about Hartline.

His leg, for the first time since before it was broken, is 100 percent. His confidence is back as well.

“This is the best I’ve felt before a season in a while,” Hartline said. “Last year, my leg was fine, but it was in the back of my mind when the season started. Now, it’s not even a thought. I know where I am. I felt lost before. I felt lost at GlenOak in a way. I’m a wide receiver now, and that’s what I have to concentrate on.”

The confidence isn’t going to his head, either. Hartline is taking summer classes at Ohio State, and he is working a construction job about 15 hours a week.

“It’s not easy work, either,” he said. “I’ve done some cement work. ... It gives you an appreciation for getting a college degree. But it’s also an education. I’m learning to be handy and fix things.”

He’s got plenty of experience fixing those which are broke.

Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]
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http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=17&ID=293481&r=4
 
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Tony spent time on both sides for the scout team...Hiley was a receiver all the way. Not to say that Gonzalez wasn't viewed as an offensive threat in the future, just that he could help the scout team out on defense. Lyons did the same thing in 2004.
 
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Canton

What a way for Hartline to return

Sunday, September 3, 2006

[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]SPORTS SPOTLIGHT TODD PORTER[/FONT]


COLUMBUS - The last time Brian Hartline was on a football field in a game that mattered, he thought his left leg might fall off. Perhaps hoped it would. Just to take away the pain.
Not literally, but that sunny summer day in August 2004 at Fawcett Stadium is one Hartline won’t soon forget.
He spent countless hours, cried tears and dropped sweat in rehabilitation centers trying to get back. He had surgeries. Doctors placed pins in the leg to get the bones to grow back together.
Without the endearment of fans and their cheers, he worked hard to get back on the football field. He wanted to be the player he knew he could be.
All the work was geared toward Saturday. There never really was a doubt it would come, just the matter of when.
So in front of 103,896 fans at Ohio Stadium, awaiting the first offensive play of the season from the Ohio State Buckeyes, Hartline was on the field. He was starting as the fourth wide receiver in Ohio State’s shotgun, spread set.
Then there was the ball, as big as a blimp heading right at his chest. A roaring crazy college football stadium cheering, Hartline did what he is coached to do.
Don’t think.
React.
Be an athlete.
Make a play.
He caught the fastball from quarterback Troy Smith down the seam of the field, took a couple steps and was tripped up by cornerback Alva Hasbro. Had Hasbro not gotten to Hartline, he would have scored on the first play of the season.
Of course, none of this hit him until he got back to the huddle.
“Honestly, I had no idea the ball would be coming to me, because I’m not the first option,” Hartline said. “Troy read the defense, they rolled the safety down and I was the open guy. He made the right read and the right throw. I guess I just didn’t expect it to be me.”
It was.
And no one was more deserving of 15 seconds in the spotlight.
Given where Hartline came from, to where he is now, catching the first pass was fitting.
After breaking the tibula and fibula in his left leg during the first game of his senior season at GlenOak two years ago, no one has seen Hartline play a competitive football game. He was redshirted last year and had scout team duty. He separated his shoulder during bowl practice for the Fiesta Bowl.
Each week a year ago, though, he was the opposing team’s key receiver.
“You almost don’t feel a part of the team when you’re redshirted,” Hartline said. “To compete and feel a part of things again was a great feeling today.”
No one told Hartline he would start Saturday. He knew there was a decent chance because Head Coach Jim Tressel might opt to open the game in a four-wide set, bringing Hartline on the field.
After a change of possession, Hartline stood on the sideline in the offensive huddle with 15 other players.
Tressel yelled “red.” It’s the term used for the spread set.
Hartline’s heart fluttered.
He was back. He was on the field at Ohio Stadium starting the first game of the season for the country’s top-ranked team.
Hartline performed. It was his only catch. But he is not complaining.
“Just to get to this point where I can compete on Saturdays and play this great game and compete in every practice has been a long journey,” Hartline said. “When you think about it, how likely was I to get the first pass? I was the most inexperienced receiver on the field. It says a lot about Troy’s confidence in all of us.”
It says something else, too. Brian Hartline is back. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]
Click to expand...
 
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I was confused during the game because I wasn't aware that Hartline switched to #9, I thought that was very interesting, when did that change happen?
Click to expand...

It was done last week because Hartline would possibly be on the field at the same time with Antonio Smith during Special Teams. Brent Ullery gave up #9 to Hartline.
 
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