Future Buckeye QB adjusting to spotlight
St. X's Schoenhoft focuses on season after picking Ohio State
By Kyle Nagel
Dayton Daily News
MASON | — The man was barely audible over the low roar of the Wendy's lunch crowd. But he was loud enough to hear that the topic was the previous night's 35-31 victory by Cincinnati's St. Xavier High School against Greater Catholic League rival Moeller.
"? St. Xavier, with 13 seconds to go," the conversation went as it faded in. "Their quarterback, Schoenhoft, is going to Ohio State, he's a Top 10 ?"
Behind the man, Robby Schoenhoft, hunching over a small table at 6 feet, 6 inches and 240 pounds, broke stride in his own conversation and smiled.
"I think they're talking about me."
These days, a lot of people are. Schoenhoft, St. Xavier's senior quarterback, gave an oral commitment in July to sign a national letter of intent with Ohio State. Since, he has left behind the life of driving to endless camps, taking innumerable phone calls and fielding thousands of questions about his college choice. He has instead taken residence under the microscope.
Take, for example, the letters that have been sent to St. Xavier football coach Steve Specht, the ones from people in three states asking for Schoenhoft's autograph. Or the girl that Debbie Schoenhoft, Robby's mother, works with. She's the big Ohio State fan who asked to meet Robby.
"I walked in with him and she turned eight shades of red," said Debbie Schoenhoft, a secretary at St. Xavier. "She wants to bring her camera and get a picture of him. He's just a regular boy."
But to most people, he's not a regular boy anymore.
Born to be QB
People first knew at a youth baseball game, first or second grade, when Schoenhoft chased a fly ball to the fence, threw it as hard as he could, and it zoomed all the way to the plate. It was a few years before a football would be put into his hands, but they could see the arm.
That's what he's famous for, his arm. A running joke through the St. Xavier locker room is how many fingers he's broken with passes in his career. He thinks it's 22.
"We have a junior tight end, he broke his pinky, that just happened," Schoenhoft said. "It was pretty nasty."
A few recruiting letters had sprinkled in throughout high school as Schoenhoft attended quarterback camps. But, it didn't get heavy until after last season. Then it piled on. The letters. Phone calls. A reporter ringing at 11:45 at night asking if one school or another had offered. Other coaches wondering about Ohio State.
"It happened so quick," said Rob Schoenhoft, Robby's father who was a tight end at St. Xavier and Miami University. "He was getting looks from some schools, then he went to the first camp, which was the Nike camp at Ohio State. Then it all took off."
Under the microscope
Some wonder about the stats from last season. The completion percentage of 36.8 (63-for-171 passing). The 888 yards. Doesn't quite sound like an NCAA Division I quarterback. Some wonder where the great attraction is.
"He's playing in a system that doesn't include him throwing 50 times a game," Specht said. "Because of that, people question how good he is. People want to find fault. You want to see the stars fail in some respect. But Robby hasn't failed."
He led St. Xavier to the win against No. 5 Moeller. Then, a week later, to a 33-30 overtime win at No. 6 Elder in "The Pit."
He's quarterbacking a team that went 6-3 last season under his watch. But, St. X has improved to 8-0 — after its first loss was forfeited by Lakewood St. Edward for using an ineligible player — and is tops in the GCL's South Division entering Friday's non-league game against Cleveland St. Ignatius.
His stats have also improved. He has completed 53-of-95 passes (55.8 percent) for 890 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. He's forced himself into the running for Ohio's Mr. Football award.
But, while he's having increased success on the field, it's difficult not to let the mind drift.
"Sometimes I think of the luxuries I could have," Schoenhoft said.
At Ohio State, he'll be the first in line to get his ankle taped, not wait 30 minutes. When his hands are sweaty, he can have a towel right away. He won't have to run and find one. There will even be people to pack his equipment, so he won't have to worry about forgetting the pads in his pants.
Not that he needs all of that. It's just a nice extra, and his mind is never far from the present.
He expected defenses to come after him this season, so on the first play of the first game, he audibled out of a quarterback sneak when he saw a blitz and hit a receiver for an 89-yard touchdown.
He's dealt with rampant rumors. Some say he's a sixth-year senior. Another rumor, that he was still getting calls from Michigan, prompted Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to phone Schoenhoft again last week. Schoenhoft said that no matter what happens this season in Columbus, he will not waver from his commitment.
"There are little things that will be less stressful (at OSU)," Schoenhoft said. "Then again, I'll stress a lot more about other things."
After all, he can already hear people talking about him.
