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QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

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Troy Smith will get diploma, send out message of hope
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Because of what Troy Smith will do at Ohio Stadium to day, kids who are up against it on the mean streets of his youth in Cleveland have a little brighter future.

It won't have anything to do with football either, although the Ohio State quarterback is on the short list of players to watch for next year's Heisman Trophy.

Smith will receive his diploma in the commencement exercise in the Horseshoe as a communications major after four years of study. Many college athletes find their time so consumed by the sport that pays the bills that they take five years to get a diploma, if they get one at all.

Smith, along with his current Ohio State and former Glenville High School teammate Ted Ginn Jr., appear on billboards, urging the kids of the troubled Cleveland public schools to stay in school.

Today Smith has proof, against all odds, after so many troubles, that he means what he says.

A billboard is apt. This is almost a larger-than-life story, for this is the same Troy Smith who took the money from the booster and was suspended for two games; who has a misdemeanor disorderly conduct complaint on his record at OSU; who played for Glenville only after St. Edward officials suspended him from the basketball team for concussing a Toledo St. John's player with a deliberate elbow to the head.

Troy Smith shows that it's not what you were that counts, but what you are. He is proof that young people make mistakes, but you can't give up on them.

"Troy has had many teachable moments in his life," Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said.

The lesson he finally learned was that serious consequences follow bad decisions

"Coach [Jim] Tressel had a big hammer over Troy's head in the Texas game," Gene Smith said. "He was not going to play more than 50 percent of that game. He was rusty because he had not gotten the reps in practice. If you aren't going to start, you don't get the reps."

Actually, Troy Smith played 37 plays and starter Justin Zwick played 31. But Zwick played on the drive with 2 minutes to play that represented OSU's last realistic chance - and fumbled on the first play.

Ohio State should have won the game against the team that became the national champion. But Tressel, so often accused of being lenient by critics, including this one, was willing to lose it to save Troy Smith's career.

The eventual result was a poised fifth-year senior now generating Heisman buzz.

Smith, who will take a light course load next fall, is 13-2 as a starter with two victories over Michigan and one over Notre Dame. OSU did little to promote its sixth Heisman winner, Eddie George, until midseason in 1995, but proposals are already in the works for Smith.

Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. has traveled to Columbus specifically to talk to his troubled former player a handful of times. Conceded Troy Smith: "Everybody needs to be straightened out sometimes."

Ginn pondered what it would mean to many at-risk kids if a guy from the neighborhood won college football's biggest award. "More kids would be saved," he said. "More people would think they have a chance. Everybody is looking for hope in the inner city. It would be something you could touch and feel."

So is the sheepskin Smith will carry out of Ohio Stadium today.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

[email protected], 216-999-4672
Click to expand...

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/pla....ssf?/base/sports/1150014907244090.xml&coll=2
 
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This video is something I wish that ESPN would air to show the nation (not just the midwest) why Troy is being mentioned as a pre-season Heisman hopeful. In traveling, I notice a lot of people who don't know much about Smith besides he shredded ND. I encourage ALL to watch it...great stuff.
 
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DBB's Daily Stat Break

The following serves as today's reminder of the greatness of Troy Smith and his receivers:
  • Troy smith led the nation in yards per completion last year.
  • He had the only average (15.32) above 15 ypc.
  • Only 5 other returning QBs had a ypc above 14.
That is all.
 
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I just got back from Mexico last weekend. While I was there, my wife and I were laying on the beach and a local walked up to sell us some crap. He saw my Buckeye hat and immediatly wanted to trade for it. Of course, I refused. He then began telling me how Troy Smith could win the heisman this year, about his career at Glenville, etc....he even knew exactly what games we lost last year and what the score was.

I asked him how he knew so much about the Buckeyes. He said that he pays for the Gameday pass in Mexico just so he can watch the Buckeyes...

....People that we don't even know bleed scarlet and grey clear across the ocean. It really opened my eyes to just how big our beloved Bucks are!
 
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Bob Buck said:
Make sure to vote for Troy as the quarterback to lead your team over at ESPN!

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/index
Click to expand...
Wow.... this poll is pissing me off...
It's funny how everyone else in the nation is picking brady quinn as the QB they'd rather have. Bandwagon anyone? Not to get that issue started here but it's just more proof of how media hype is so effective.

Everyone needs to go and put in a vote for our man Troy.

Also Found a top ten rank them here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/listranker?id=500
 
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