Well-prepared Zwick ready to take best shot
Ex-Massillon star set to start at QB for Ohio State
COLUMBUS - Who should be the Ohio State quarterback?
The same guy who just might be the best-prepared high school quarterback ever to step on the Columbus campus.
``That's what playing at Massillon will do for you, it gets you ready for this,'' said Justin Zwick, staring at the 105,000-seat Ohio Stadium.
This is where Zwick is expected to take the first snap of the season when the Buckeyes open Sept. 4 against Cincinnati.
``Ever since the Fiesta Bowl, I've been thinking about this being the time for myself and a lot of other young guys to step up,'' he said.
Zwick knows nothing is guaranteed, that surprising Troy Smith just won't go away and coach Jim Tressel is talking about using both quarterbacks -- at least early in the season.
But Tressel has said Zwick will take the first snaps, and that's the smart move.
As the coach said, ``The first thing about the quarterback is that he shouldn't lose the game. Before you can win it, you have to make sure you don't lose it.''
No turnovers.
No confusion in the huddle.
No poor play calling at the line of scrimmage.
Zwick is the classic quarterback. He loves to throw out of the pocket. He can roll out. He's a better athlete and quicker than most people believe -- much like the departed Craig Krenzel.
``A big thing is not to make dumb plays,'' said Zwick. ``Craig (Krenzel) did that really well.''
Zwick understands Tressel, going back to when the coach was at Youngstown State and his older brother Jared Zwick was the Penguins' quarterback. What most fans don't know is Jared Zwick started his first two seasons, then was the backup the final two years.
That could have led to strain between the coach and family, but the Zwick family talks about the encouragement Jared received from Tressel. He recently graduated from Ohio State medical school.
So the coach knows the family, and the family knows the coach.
If Zwick wasn't a great high school quarterback, then the relationship would be irrelevant. But in a close decision between quarterbacks, the trust and familiarity factor could be crucial.
Also, style of play counts.
Zwick doesn't have the physical gifts of Smith.
Some of Smith's best plays are the ones that break down when he just takes off and uses his legs.
These dashes on the edge of calamity thrill the fans and might knock a few of Tressel's hairs out of place.
Remember, Tressel is a coach who insists the punt is the most important play in football -- which is why he probably will stick with Zwick, at least to begin the season.
Path to Columbus
Zwick started as an Orrville High freshman, leading the Red Riders to a Division IV state title in 1998.
Two years later, he transferred to Massillon.
``In the back of his mind, Justin thought Massillon was the best place to be if he wanted to one day be the quarterback at Ohio State,'' said his father, Bill Zwick.
``We even have a Buckeye Room in our house.''
Zwick not only quickly committed to the Buckeyes in 2002, he called several other high school stars to help sell the school and its new coach.
``This is what I've been waiting for,'' he said. ``I think I'm ready.
``At Massillon, I played in front of 10,000-15,000 fans each week. It's a place where they love you when you win, and where... well, they don't when you lose.''
Zwick said he learned not to read newspapers or listen to talk shows. He talked about the pressure of feeling the hopes of an entire town on his back, and how fans can be fickle.
``You learn that you just have to live with whatever happens,'' he said.
Zwick went from hero to traitor in Orrville when he transferred after his sophomore season.
A few times, his mailbox was broken.
There were some nasty phone calls.
Some friends backed away.
At Massillon, Zwick was supposed to be the quarterback to lead the Tigers to their first state title since the playoff system began in 1972.
The closest he came was a 49-20 loss to St. Ignatius in a 2001 Division I state semifinal. He finished his senior year with 40 TD passes and was named the 2001 Beacon Journal Player of the Year while being recruited by nearly every major college in the country.
Two years of study
Since then, he's been waiting.
``It's not been easy for him, but it's probably a good thing,'' said Bill Zwick. ``It's just helped him prepare.''
Zwick spent two years watching Krenzel win a national title, interact with Tressel and deal with the pressure that comes with being the Buckeyes quarterback.
He's also had time to learn a new system. At Massillon, he often threw out of the shotgun formation and called about 75 percent of his own plays. Ohio State is far more conservative and structured.
During Zwick's senior year, then-Canton McKinley coach John Miller said, ``He may be the best high school quarterback I've ever seen. He may be playing on Sundays (in the NFL) one day. He's that good.''
North Canton coach Don Hertler compared Zwick to Todd Blackledge in terms of presence, composure and leadership.
Former Garfield coach Bill McGee said Zwick ``throws the ball about as well as any high school quarterback I've seen and he's a better runner than people think. He has about everything you'd want in a high school quarterback.''
Granted, all of these raves were during his senior year at Massillon. But Zwick remains that same player, only two years older as he stands 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. He's the same serious student who had a 3.8 grade-point average in high school. It's now about 3.2 as he studies business at OSU.
``Sitting the last two years has been kind of rough,'' he said. ``But I've done everything possible to prepare myself for this. I know what this opportunity means, and I'm ready.''
