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Running Mate
When it comes to having a right-hand man, Ohio State's Doug Datish is the one you want
Practice had ended more than an hour ago. The offensive line's postpractice film study with offensive coordinator Jim Bollman at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center came and went. But Doug Datish was still there and he was not alone.
Late afternoon turned into early evening and Ohio State's senior center continued to rewind, play and rewind again the Buckeyes' practice video of their scout defense running Bowling Green's favorite defensive blitzes. Bollman had already gone over all of them, but there sat Datish flanked by young Buckeyes Kyle Mitchum, Tyler Whaley, Ben Person and Jon Skinner.
As Datish explained the details of Ohio State's protection against each Falcon blitz scheme, his young teammates nodded their heads and the cycle of novice to veteran repeated itself again.
Several years ago, Datish was in their shoes. Today, he is an Ohio State co-captain and every day shows why he is one of the Buckeyes' unsung heroes. His extra film study and tutoring are just two examples of the type of leader he is and why the OSU offense is in good hands in part because of the man who controls the football first on every play.
"We try to be the constant force," Datish said of his offensive line comrades. "We know the guys behind us have the ability to make big plays at any time, but only if we do our job consistently up front with protection. We take pride in everything they do."
With the likes of Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez filling up the highlights this season, Datish and the offensive line have a lot to be proud of. Their run toward a national championship has come in part because many of them have taken the step from being a follower to a leader.
"My role has evolved," Datish said. "I don't think many guys come in and become a leader right away. When I was younger, guys like Shane Olivea, Alex Stepanovich and Adrien Clark were the leaders and I learned from them. Even through last season playing alongside Nick Mangold allowed me to learn from one of the best."
While he might have been taking notes of the work Mangold was doing, Datish had to focus on his own job, too. As a sophomore in 2004 he started at guard and last season as a junior he started at left tackle. Last spring, though, he made another move, this time to replace the All-American Mangold in the middle of Ohio State's offensive line.
It was a move necessitated out of importance to the OSU offense.
"The center is much like the quarterback of our offense," Bollman said. "And Doug does everything and makes all the calls all the other guys like Alex Stepanovich and Nick Mangold have done. Doug runs the show for us and was able to draw on all the experience he already had from not only starting at guard and tackle, but from backing up Nick the last two years."
Smith, Ohio State's quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate, has taken snaps from both Mangold and Datish and said the Buckeyes would not be undefeated if it were not for Datish.
"Doug is one of the most important guys on our offense," Smith said. "We place so much responsibility on our center, but to the naked eye a lot of people couldn't tell that. But without a doubt, he is our anchor."
No matter which spot along the offensive line Datish has called home through the years, a couple pieces of advice have stuck with him. The first came from Olivea, whose "two kicks and play" slogan referenced the importance of using good footwork to start each play, but then letting experience and natural ability take over. From Stepanovich, Datish remembers his advice of "don't be a robot," which told him he could not "be programmed - you just have to react."
The ability to start for the Buckeyes at three different spots along the offensive line is a testament to just how well-rounded Datish is as a football player. That was not lost on folks who cover college football on a national level, who named Datish to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given annually to the nation's top center.
"Doug is just a great athlete," Bollman said. "He runs unbelievably well, hustles and works hard. And he is probably our most consistent offensive lineman so far this season. Through the years, he has always been very attentive and a fast learner. Doug is just a good student."
With that statement, perhaps Bollman was hinting at his center's academic achievement. Datish earned a bachelor's of science degree in history from Ohio State last winter and now is taking graduate classes in military history. After pursuing a career in the National Football League, he intends to put his degree to work as an analyst for the National Security Administration or the Central Intelligence Agency.
"Since I was a little kid, I have always been really interested in that field," Datish said. "`Patton' is `my favorite movie, but I can name all of them."
His interest in military history is well-documented by his teammates and is just as much a part of Datish's persona as his tutoring and leadership.
"Doug can name any historical fact you could think of," Cordle said. "He is just a smart guy. Not many guys graduate early. Doug definitely leads our offensive line. Teams are throwing everything at us, but he keeps it all together."
Datish fits the analytical type to the hilt. Even in the most chaotic of situations, he is soft-spoken and supporting. Couple that with his presence at 6-foot, 5-inches and 295 pounds and the Buckeyes have someone they want to look to for leadership.
"Doug has the ability to pick things up naturally," Bollman explained. "He has always helped the younger guys get organized and understand the structure of what we're doing. He does a very good job of that."
The attitude and personality Datish takes is partly a credit to his coach, too, and it is something Datish has tried to incorporate into how he approaches being a leader among his teammates.
"Coach Bollman is cerebral," Datish said. "He's not a yeller and a screamer. He just tells you in simplest terms. Every time I talk to the guys, I try to do that, too, and explain it like he would. Not that he has never yelled at me before, everyone needs that once in awhile, but that's not how he is."
The same goes for Datish, who does not need to yell to get his point across. He is among the many Buckeyes who let their play on the field do the talking for them. Early in his career at Ohio State, it was something Datish first learned from former Buckeye Will Smith, the 2004 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
"Going up against Will every day in practice only made me better," Datish said. "I still haven't played against any player as good as Will. And with him, I also saw how a leader carries himself in practice, in games and in the locker room."
Datish brought with him to Ohio State a resume of success and a passion for the Scarlet and Gray, considering his father, Mike, played for the Buckeyes in the mid 1970s. At Howland High School, he started the first game of his freshman year - at both offensive tackle and defensive end - and every game after that, winning Associated Press Division II Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. Datish still talks to his high school coach, Dick Angle, almost every week.
As his career at Ohio State comes to an end, Datish's versatility and captainship might be what he is remembered for most by the coaches and the fans. But for the Buckeyes who remain, he will be remembered for his leadership and, especially for Ohio State's offensive line of the future, his extra tutoring and patience.
"I think he probably enjoys being the leader of our offensive line more than anything else," Cordle said. "He was able to make the transition from guard to tackle and then from tackle to center, so he knows all the fine details of all the spots and is able to relay those to me and all the other young guys. I knew he would be good, but he has become great."
The film study session ends and Datish walks out of the meeting room. He engages an assistant coach in a bit of World War II trivia, making the transition from coach-speak to sounding like a contestant on Jeopardy! in just a few seconds.
It is all in a day for Datish, who may someday be crucial to national security in Washington, but today is vital to protection of a different kind - the kind that helps score points for the Buckeyes.
"In our opinion, Doug isn't an unsung hero," Smith said. "He's just a hero."
Running Mate
When it comes to having a right-hand man, Ohio State's Doug Datish is the one you want
Practice had ended more than an hour ago. The offensive line's postpractice film study with offensive coordinator Jim Bollman at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center came and went. But Doug Datish was still there and he was not alone.
Late afternoon turned into early evening and Ohio State's senior center continued to rewind, play and rewind again the Buckeyes' practice video of their scout defense running Bowling Green's favorite defensive blitzes. Bollman had already gone over all of them, but there sat Datish flanked by young Buckeyes Kyle Mitchum, Tyler Whaley, Ben Person and Jon Skinner.
As Datish explained the details of Ohio State's protection against each Falcon blitz scheme, his young teammates nodded their heads and the cycle of novice to veteran repeated itself again.
Several years ago, Datish was in their shoes. Today, he is an Ohio State co-captain and every day shows why he is one of the Buckeyes' unsung heroes. His extra film study and tutoring are just two examples of the type of leader he is and why the OSU offense is in good hands in part because of the man who controls the football first on every play.
"We try to be the constant force," Datish said of his offensive line comrades. "We know the guys behind us have the ability to make big plays at any time, but only if we do our job consistently up front with protection. We take pride in everything they do."
With the likes of Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez filling up the highlights this season, Datish and the offensive line have a lot to be proud of. Their run toward a national championship has come in part because many of them have taken the step from being a follower to a leader.
"My role has evolved," Datish said. "I don't think many guys come in and become a leader right away. When I was younger, guys like Shane Olivea, Alex Stepanovich and Adrien Clark were the leaders and I learned from them. Even through last season playing alongside Nick Mangold allowed me to learn from one of the best."
While he might have been taking notes of the work Mangold was doing, Datish had to focus on his own job, too. As a sophomore in 2004 he started at guard and last season as a junior he started at left tackle. Last spring, though, he made another move, this time to replace the All-American Mangold in the middle of Ohio State's offensive line.
It was a move necessitated out of importance to the OSU offense.
"The center is much like the quarterback of our offense," Bollman said. "And Doug does everything and makes all the calls all the other guys like Alex Stepanovich and Nick Mangold have done. Doug runs the show for us and was able to draw on all the experience he already had from not only starting at guard and tackle, but from backing up Nick the last two years."
Smith, Ohio State's quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate, has taken snaps from both Mangold and Datish and said the Buckeyes would not be undefeated if it were not for Datish.
"Doug is one of the most important guys on our offense," Smith said. "We place so much responsibility on our center, but to the naked eye a lot of people couldn't tell that. But without a doubt, he is our anchor."
No matter which spot along the offensive line Datish has called home through the years, a couple pieces of advice have stuck with him. The first came from Olivea, whose "two kicks and play" slogan referenced the importance of using good footwork to start each play, but then letting experience and natural ability take over. From Stepanovich, Datish remembers his advice of "don't be a robot," which told him he could not "be programmed - you just have to react."
The ability to start for the Buckeyes at three different spots along the offensive line is a testament to just how well-rounded Datish is as a football player. That was not lost on folks who cover college football on a national level, who named Datish to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, given annually to the nation's top center.
"Doug is just a great athlete," Bollman said. "He runs unbelievably well, hustles and works hard. And he is probably our most consistent offensive lineman so far this season. Through the years, he has always been very attentive and a fast learner. Doug is just a good student."
With that statement, perhaps Bollman was hinting at his center's academic achievement. Datish earned a bachelor's of science degree in history from Ohio State last winter and now is taking graduate classes in military history. After pursuing a career in the National Football League, he intends to put his degree to work as an analyst for the National Security Administration or the Central Intelligence Agency.
"Since I was a little kid, I have always been really interested in that field," Datish said. "`Patton' is `my favorite movie, but I can name all of them."
His interest in military history is well-documented by his teammates and is just as much a part of Datish's persona as his tutoring and leadership.
"Doug can name any historical fact you could think of," Cordle said. "He is just a smart guy. Not many guys graduate early. Doug definitely leads our offensive line. Teams are throwing everything at us, but he keeps it all together."
Datish fits the analytical type to the hilt. Even in the most chaotic of situations, he is soft-spoken and supporting. Couple that with his presence at 6-foot, 5-inches and 295 pounds and the Buckeyes have someone they want to look to for leadership.
"Doug has the ability to pick things up naturally," Bollman explained. "He has always helped the younger guys get organized and understand the structure of what we're doing. He does a very good job of that."
The attitude and personality Datish takes is partly a credit to his coach, too, and it is something Datish has tried to incorporate into how he approaches being a leader among his teammates.
"Coach Bollman is cerebral," Datish said. "He's not a yeller and a screamer. He just tells you in simplest terms. Every time I talk to the guys, I try to do that, too, and explain it like he would. Not that he has never yelled at me before, everyone needs that once in awhile, but that's not how he is."
The same goes for Datish, who does not need to yell to get his point across. He is among the many Buckeyes who let their play on the field do the talking for them. Early in his career at Ohio State, it was something Datish first learned from former Buckeye Will Smith, the 2004 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
"Going up against Will every day in practice only made me better," Datish said. "I still haven't played against any player as good as Will. And with him, I also saw how a leader carries himself in practice, in games and in the locker room."
Datish brought with him to Ohio State a resume of success and a passion for the Scarlet and Gray, considering his father, Mike, played for the Buckeyes in the mid 1970s. At Howland High School, he started the first game of his freshman year - at both offensive tackle and defensive end - and every game after that, winning Associated Press Division II Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. Datish still talks to his high school coach, Dick Angle, almost every week.
As his career at Ohio State comes to an end, Datish's versatility and captainship might be what he is remembered for most by the coaches and the fans. But for the Buckeyes who remain, he will be remembered for his leadership and, especially for Ohio State's offensive line of the future, his extra tutoring and patience.
"I think he probably enjoys being the leader of our offensive line more than anything else," Cordle said. "He was able to make the transition from guard to tackle and then from tackle to center, so he knows all the fine details of all the spots and is able to relay those to me and all the other young guys. I knew he would be good, but he has become great."
The film study session ends and Datish walks out of the meeting room. He engages an assistant coach in a bit of World War II trivia, making the transition from coach-speak to sounding like a contestant on Jeopardy! in just a few seconds.
It is all in a day for Datish, who may someday be crucial to national security in Washington, but today is vital to protection of a different kind - the kind that helps score points for the Buckeyes.
"In our opinion, Doug isn't an unsung hero," Smith said. "He's just a hero."
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