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texasfight06
All-American
Congratulations to your very own Troy Smith. I know that people from my school made stupid little comments about Troy's off the field issues before our two match ups, but I was very glad to hear his speech yesterday and read the articles re: the boy who grew into the man that Troy Smith is today. Your coach, and your staff has done a wonderful job with Troy, and I am impressed with the person that he has become. Not to mention, he is one hell of a football player.
I have also been very glad to read his comments in the press when he talks about Vince. I hope that Troy is given his chance at the next level, he is a winner. He obviously shares the leadership characteristic that Vince has been displaying. Lastly, I really hope that he finishes his college journey with a NC, he deserves it.
I have also been very glad to read his comments in the press when he talks about Vince. I hope that Troy is given his chance at the next level, he is a winner. He obviously shares the leadership characteristic that Vince has been displaying. Lastly, I really hope that he finishes his college journey with a NC, he deserves it.
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That's a post I made on 11-19-2005 at 04:24 PM in The Game thread...yup still pretty much true.
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DDN
Can Smith succeed as a quarterback in NFL?
By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer
Monday, December 11, 2006
All year, as Troy Smith has quarterbacked Ohio State into the national championship game, those watching him have wondered about his future.
His personal future seems on a much better track than it was several years ago. He has his college degree, has fully reunited with his mother and seems to understand the responsibilities of being an adult.
But what about his football future?
As part of its coverage about Smith winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, ESPN.com listed the past nine quarterbacks who have won the award. They are Smith, Matt Leinart, Jason White, Carson Palmer, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel, Charlie Ward and Gino Torretta.
How many of those great college quarterbacks have moved on to success in the NFL? Just Palmer.
So the question remains: Can Smith succeed at quarterback in the NFL?
Yes, he can, as long as he is given the chance.
The major knock on him seems to be his height, and I can't argue that he would be shorter than many of the successful quarterbacks in the league. But he also adds a muscled frame, a strong and accurate throwing arm, quick decision-making and composure in pressure situations.
If this were the end of last season, I wouldn't be so sure. He had established himself as more of a running threat, yet that has changed. After rushing 136 times for 611 yards last season, he ran just 62 times for 233 yards this year, despite the same chances to leave the pocket.
But now, he's a complete quarterback, and he can do it in the NFL.
Can Smith succeed as a quarterback in NFL?
By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer
Monday, December 11, 2006
All year, as Troy Smith has quarterbacked Ohio State into the national championship game, those watching him have wondered about his future.
His personal future seems on a much better track than it was several years ago. He has his college degree, has fully reunited with his mother and seems to understand the responsibilities of being an adult.
But what about his football future?
As part of its coverage about Smith winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, ESPN.com listed the past nine quarterbacks who have won the award. They are Smith, Matt Leinart, Jason White, Carson Palmer, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel, Charlie Ward and Gino Torretta.
How many of those great college quarterbacks have moved on to success in the NFL? Just Palmer.
So the question remains: Can Smith succeed at quarterback in the NFL?
Yes, he can, as long as he is given the chance.
The major knock on him seems to be his height, and I can't argue that he would be shorter than many of the successful quarterbacks in the league. But he also adds a muscled frame, a strong and accurate throwing arm, quick decision-making and composure in pressure situations.
If this were the end of last season, I wouldn't be so sure. He had established himself as more of a running threat, yet that has changed. After rushing 136 times for 611 yards last season, he ran just 62 times for 233 yards this year, despite the same chances to leave the pocket.
But now, he's a complete quarterback, and he can do it in the NFL.
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CPD
HEISMAN
Caution ahead for Smith
Monday, December 11, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
New York- When he stepped to the microphone Saturday night in his charcoal gray pinstripe suit, scarlet on his tie and in the handkerchief in his breast pocket, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith was ready for what comes next.
"It feels great to finally get that out of the way," Smith said, beginning his first news conference as the Heisman Trophy winner. "Now let's move on to preparations for the University of Florida and getting ready for the national championship."
That hasn't been easy for Heisman winners of late.
In this decade, the Heisman has turned into something of an MVP award for the best player on one of the best teams in the country. When Smith leads the No. 1 12-0 Buckeyes onto the field Jan. 8 to face No. 2 Florida in the national championship game, history will be against him. He'll be the sixth Heisman winner in the last seven years to play in the title game, but only one of them, Matt Leinart with USC two years ago, has finished the season on top.
Smith hopes to swat away that reality with his reputation as a big-game player.
"I don't buy into superstitions, I don't buy into previous things that happened to guys who aren't in my situation," Smith said.
But it's not a recent phenomenon. Only 13 Heisman winners in the 72 years of the award have at least claimed a share of the national championship that same season. Eight instances occurred before 1954, in the first 19 years of the Heisman. Since then, the only players to pull off the Heisman-championship double are Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett (1976), Florida State's Charlie Ward (1993), Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996), Michigan's Charles Woodson (1997) and Leinart (2004).
Besides the troubles in the last six years, two Miami Heisman-winning quarterbacks, Gino Torretta in 1992 and Vinny Testaverde in 1986, lost with the No. 1 team when the national title was on the line. Even Ohio State great Archie Griffin experienced his own version of the Heisman championship curse. When Griffin won his first Heisman in 1974, the No. 3 Buckeyes lost in the Rose Bowl to No. 5 USC, 18-17. When he won his second Heisman in 1975, the Buckeyes were 11-0 and ranked No. 1. They lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl, 23-10, in what he calls the most devastating loss of his college career. Griffin could feel the Bruins eager to prove themselves against Mr. Heisman.
"People are certainly gunning for the winner of the Heisman," Griffin said.
That's just part of what Smith is facing. It's the off-field avalanche of everything else that could pound on him as much as the tackles. Already, he's missed practice for his trip to New York.
"You got there because of your team, and you would prefer that your team get more attention," Griffin said. "You have to take care of some obligations, but you've got to control that. And it's got to be a lot tougher now than it was when I played."
In fact, Griffin remembers Woody Hayes calling him into his office after his first Heisman win.
"He told me, You can't do everything for everybody. It'll make you soft and affect our season,' " Griffin said. "But if Troy can control those distractions, I think he can go out and do what got him here."
Asked Saturday night what he was going to do now, Smith said "more media." He made the rounds in New York on Sunday and will do more television today before attending the formal private Heisman dinner tonight, where he'll officially join the club.
Smith will be seated on a stage with the past Heisman winners seated in the row in front of him. Smith will be asked to speak again when handed his Heisman for good, and all those winners will turn their chairs around and look up at him.
"We're all in that room, welcoming him into the group," Griffin said. "That's special."
And then finally, Smith can return to Columbus and get back to what made him a Heisman winner in the first place. There's one more trophy he wants to be sharing with his teammates on Jan. 8.
HEISMAN
Caution ahead for Smith
Monday, December 11, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
New York- When he stepped to the microphone Saturday night in his charcoal gray pinstripe suit, scarlet on his tie and in the handkerchief in his breast pocket, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith was ready for what comes next.
"It feels great to finally get that out of the way," Smith said, beginning his first news conference as the Heisman Trophy winner. "Now let's move on to preparations for the University of Florida and getting ready for the national championship."
That hasn't been easy for Heisman winners of late.
In this decade, the Heisman has turned into something of an MVP award for the best player on one of the best teams in the country. When Smith leads the No. 1 12-0 Buckeyes onto the field Jan. 8 to face No. 2 Florida in the national championship game, history will be against him. He'll be the sixth Heisman winner in the last seven years to play in the title game, but only one of them, Matt Leinart with USC two years ago, has finished the season on top.
Smith hopes to swat away that reality with his reputation as a big-game player.
"I don't buy into superstitions, I don't buy into previous things that happened to guys who aren't in my situation," Smith said.
But it's not a recent phenomenon. Only 13 Heisman winners in the 72 years of the award have at least claimed a share of the national championship that same season. Eight instances occurred before 1954, in the first 19 years of the Heisman. Since then, the only players to pull off the Heisman-championship double are Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett (1976), Florida State's Charlie Ward (1993), Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996), Michigan's Charles Woodson (1997) and Leinart (2004).
Besides the troubles in the last six years, two Miami Heisman-winning quarterbacks, Gino Torretta in 1992 and Vinny Testaverde in 1986, lost with the No. 1 team when the national title was on the line. Even Ohio State great Archie Griffin experienced his own version of the Heisman championship curse. When Griffin won his first Heisman in 1974, the No. 3 Buckeyes lost in the Rose Bowl to No. 5 USC, 18-17. When he won his second Heisman in 1975, the Buckeyes were 11-0 and ranked No. 1. They lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl, 23-10, in what he calls the most devastating loss of his college career. Griffin could feel the Bruins eager to prove themselves against Mr. Heisman.
"People are certainly gunning for the winner of the Heisman," Griffin said.
That's just part of what Smith is facing. It's the off-field avalanche of everything else that could pound on him as much as the tackles. Already, he's missed practice for his trip to New York.
"You got there because of your team, and you would prefer that your team get more attention," Griffin said. "You have to take care of some obligations, but you've got to control that. And it's got to be a lot tougher now than it was when I played."
In fact, Griffin remembers Woody Hayes calling him into his office after his first Heisman win.
"He told me, You can't do everything for everybody. It'll make you soft and affect our season,' " Griffin said. "But if Troy can control those distractions, I think he can go out and do what got him here."
Asked Saturday night what he was going to do now, Smith said "more media." He made the rounds in New York on Sunday and will do more television today before attending the formal private Heisman dinner tonight, where he'll officially join the club.
Smith will be seated on a stage with the past Heisman winners seated in the row in front of him. Smith will be asked to speak again when handed his Heisman for good, and all those winners will turn their chairs around and look up at him.
"We're all in that room, welcoming him into the group," Griffin said. "That's special."
And then finally, Smith can return to Columbus and get back to what made him a Heisman winner in the first place. There's one more trophy he wants to be sharing with his teammates on Jan. 8.
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Canton
Smith: Humility key for success
Monday, December 11, 2006
By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS Moments after receiving the Heisman Trophy, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith had a few words for youngsters who want to follow in his footsteps.
?The first thing I would say to little kids is that anything and everything is possible with your dreams if you have humility,? Smith told The Associated Press by phone in the midst of a celebration Saturday night.
Smith became Ohio State?s sixth Heisman winner, and he did it in record fashion. He captured 86.7 percent of the first-place votes and totaled 1,662 points. The fifth-year quarterback easily beat out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden (878) and Dublin, Ohio, native and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn (782).
The margin of victory was the second largest ever, exceeded only by O.J. Simpson?s 1,750-point victory in 1968.
Smith captured the award just two years after he was suspended from the team for two games for accepting $500 from a booster. Three months before his suspension, he was just a backup quarterback with little opportunity to play.
Smith said the lesson he learned was perseverance.
?Any time you get in a situation where things don?t happen the way you want them to happen, you need to listen to other people and pick goals that you think are reachable,? Smith said. ?Then stay at it, loving and understanding and knowing your dreams. Your dreams can get you anywhere you want to go in life.?
Smith joins Les Horvath (1944), Vic Janowicz (1950), Howard ?Hopalong? Cassady (1955), Archie Griffin (1974, ?75) and Eddie George (1995) as Ohio State?s winners of the most prestigious individual award in college football.
Smith completed 67 percent of his passes for a school-record 30 touchdowns with just five interceptions while leading top-ranked Ohio State to a perfect 12-0 mark and a berth in the national championship game.
Smith?s victory reverberated far beyond the Nokia Theater on Times Square in New York City, where it was announced. In his native Cleveland and in Columbus, Ohio State fans toasted Smith?s big accomplishment.
Listed as a fifth-year senior on the roster, Smith already picked up a degree in communications last spring. He has continued in school while seeking a second degree in Black Studies.
Through the good times and the bad, Smith said he had always made it a point to take a daily glance at the Heisman Trophy cases that sit in the atrium of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. He said it was overwhelming to think that he would now be joining that pantheon of Buckeyes greats.
?Oh, man. It probably won?t sit in until I leave the university,? he said. ?But knowing that my name is on one and I?ve added a little bit of tradition to this great university means so much to me.?
Griffin and Cassady, among the past winners standing behind Smith when he stepped to the podium Saturday night, were among the first to welcome their fellow Buckeye into the elite fraternity.
Before leaving for New York and the Heisman announcement, Griffin was asked if Smith deserved to be mentioned among the elite players ever at Ohio State.
?He should be in that conversation,? Griffin said. ?At least in my opinion he certainly?s the best quarterback that I?ve seen at Ohio State and we?ve had some doggone good ones. But the performances I?ve seen out of Troy, they?ve really been phenomenal.?
With Smith at the controls, Ohio State has won its last 19 games, matching the second-longest winning streak in school history. Only a 22-game streak from 1967-69 is longer.
The Buckeyes tackle No. 2 Florida on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., in the national championship game.
Moments after receiving the bronze statue, Smith was already thinking ahead.
?It feels great to get it (the Heisman Trophy) out of the way and move on to the University of Florida and prepare for the national championship game,? Smith said.
Smith: Humility key for success
Monday, December 11, 2006
By RUSTY MILLER AP Sports Writer
COLUMBUS Moments after receiving the Heisman Trophy, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith had a few words for youngsters who want to follow in his footsteps.
?The first thing I would say to little kids is that anything and everything is possible with your dreams if you have humility,? Smith told The Associated Press by phone in the midst of a celebration Saturday night.
Smith became Ohio State?s sixth Heisman winner, and he did it in record fashion. He captured 86.7 percent of the first-place votes and totaled 1,662 points. The fifth-year quarterback easily beat out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden (878) and Dublin, Ohio, native and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn (782).
The margin of victory was the second largest ever, exceeded only by O.J. Simpson?s 1,750-point victory in 1968.
Smith captured the award just two years after he was suspended from the team for two games for accepting $500 from a booster. Three months before his suspension, he was just a backup quarterback with little opportunity to play.
Smith said the lesson he learned was perseverance.
?Any time you get in a situation where things don?t happen the way you want them to happen, you need to listen to other people and pick goals that you think are reachable,? Smith said. ?Then stay at it, loving and understanding and knowing your dreams. Your dreams can get you anywhere you want to go in life.?
Smith joins Les Horvath (1944), Vic Janowicz (1950), Howard ?Hopalong? Cassady (1955), Archie Griffin (1974, ?75) and Eddie George (1995) as Ohio State?s winners of the most prestigious individual award in college football.
Smith completed 67 percent of his passes for a school-record 30 touchdowns with just five interceptions while leading top-ranked Ohio State to a perfect 12-0 mark and a berth in the national championship game.
Smith?s victory reverberated far beyond the Nokia Theater on Times Square in New York City, where it was announced. In his native Cleveland and in Columbus, Ohio State fans toasted Smith?s big accomplishment.
Listed as a fifth-year senior on the roster, Smith already picked up a degree in communications last spring. He has continued in school while seeking a second degree in Black Studies.
Through the good times and the bad, Smith said he had always made it a point to take a daily glance at the Heisman Trophy cases that sit in the atrium of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. He said it was overwhelming to think that he would now be joining that pantheon of Buckeyes greats.
?Oh, man. It probably won?t sit in until I leave the university,? he said. ?But knowing that my name is on one and I?ve added a little bit of tradition to this great university means so much to me.?
Griffin and Cassady, among the past winners standing behind Smith when he stepped to the podium Saturday night, were among the first to welcome their fellow Buckeye into the elite fraternity.
Before leaving for New York and the Heisman announcement, Griffin was asked if Smith deserved to be mentioned among the elite players ever at Ohio State.
?He should be in that conversation,? Griffin said. ?At least in my opinion he certainly?s the best quarterback that I?ve seen at Ohio State and we?ve had some doggone good ones. But the performances I?ve seen out of Troy, they?ve really been phenomenal.?
With Smith at the controls, Ohio State has won its last 19 games, matching the second-longest winning streak in school history. Only a 22-game streak from 1967-69 is longer.
The Buckeyes tackle No. 2 Florida on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., in the national championship game.
Moments after receiving the bronze statue, Smith was already thinking ahead.
?It feels great to get it (the Heisman Trophy) out of the way and move on to the University of Florida and prepare for the national championship game,? Smith said.
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Let me preface this by saying I'm a huge Browns fan (though I find myself following my favorite Buckeyes more than them lately), but I pray to God that this would never happen. As much as this would be a great public relations move, Troys career would be dead on arrival. The Browns are an NFL QB graveyard, and I fear they will continue to be for a long time.:frown2:osubuckeyealum;684365; said:
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Link
Now the hard part
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
12/11/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17574994
Saturday night was the easy part. According to those who have won it before, Troy Smith's real battle is only beginning.
Smith became the seventh Ohio State player in history to win the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, but the task ahead of him is probably much more daunting than any of the previous winners. Smith must balance all of the demands that come with being a Heisman Trophy winner against the demands of being a quarterback scheduled to play in a national championship game that's less than a month away. It's more difficult than it appears.
''It can be a distraction,'' former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George admitted. ''The banquet circuit is a dangerous thing because you're traveling a lot, you're eating a lot, you're hanging out and meeting people and it shifts your focus a little bit.''
After George won the Heisman in 1995, the Buckeyes were preparing for a meaningless Citrus Bowl game against Tennessee, which they lost, 20-14. After Archie Griffin won his first of two Heisman awards in 1974, he enjoyed the banquet tour a little too much for Woody Hayes' liking, especially since Griffin had another season left.
''Woody called me in and said ?You can't do all these things. And if you continue to do them, it's going to make you soft,''' Griffin recalled. ''I look back now and know he was thinking of next season. But it told me something and made me realize that people understand when you have to say no and you really have to prioritize. You try, but you can't possibly do everything.''
Griffin has been very impressed with how Smith carried himself this year. He said the key for Smith between now and Jan. 8 will be surrounding himself with people like Jim Tressel, who can help him handle some of the extracurricular tasks that aren't as important as the national championship game against Florida.
George said the best way to do that is to set a deadline.
''Understand that this time is so delicate and so precious. You're preparing for a game. You have to be there for your teammates and you have to give 100 percent, just like he's been doing all year,'' George said. ''Once he wins this trophy, at some point in time he's going to have to say ?Listen, we have until this date, then I'm cutting it all off. I'm cutting off all my phones, my friends are not going to be seeing me, I'm going to lock in and focus on this game because it's the national championship game. It can be a distraction if he allows it to be.''
Recent history would support that winning the Heisman Trophy can take the winner's focus off the ensuing bowl game. Reggie Bush, who won the Heisman last year, accounted for 177 total yards last year in the national championship game, but was arguably outplayed by runner-up Vince Young, who led Texas past USC.
USC quarterback Matt Leinart threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns in a monster win over Oklahoma to win the national title in '04, but Oklahoma's Jason White struggled miserably after winning the Heisman in '03 and the Sooners lost in the title game to LSU.
To his credit, Smith has said all the right things to this point. He doesn't believe in any Heisman jinx and he's said all year the focus has been on winning a national championship, not any personal accolades.
''I don't buy into superstitions. I don't buy into previous things that happened to guys that aren't me, that aren't in my situation,'' Smith said. ''We're not finished, not by a long shot. Everybody's thirst and hunger was not just to get through the regular season. We have that chance to finish what we started.''
Now the hard part
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
12/11/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17574994
Saturday night was the easy part. According to those who have won it before, Troy Smith's real battle is only beginning.
Smith became the seventh Ohio State player in history to win the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, but the task ahead of him is probably much more daunting than any of the previous winners. Smith must balance all of the demands that come with being a Heisman Trophy winner against the demands of being a quarterback scheduled to play in a national championship game that's less than a month away. It's more difficult than it appears.
''It can be a distraction,'' former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George admitted. ''The banquet circuit is a dangerous thing because you're traveling a lot, you're eating a lot, you're hanging out and meeting people and it shifts your focus a little bit.''
After George won the Heisman in 1995, the Buckeyes were preparing for a meaningless Citrus Bowl game against Tennessee, which they lost, 20-14. After Archie Griffin won his first of two Heisman awards in 1974, he enjoyed the banquet tour a little too much for Woody Hayes' liking, especially since Griffin had another season left.
''Woody called me in and said ?You can't do all these things. And if you continue to do them, it's going to make you soft,''' Griffin recalled. ''I look back now and know he was thinking of next season. But it told me something and made me realize that people understand when you have to say no and you really have to prioritize. You try, but you can't possibly do everything.''
Griffin has been very impressed with how Smith carried himself this year. He said the key for Smith between now and Jan. 8 will be surrounding himself with people like Jim Tressel, who can help him handle some of the extracurricular tasks that aren't as important as the national championship game against Florida.
George said the best way to do that is to set a deadline.
''Understand that this time is so delicate and so precious. You're preparing for a game. You have to be there for your teammates and you have to give 100 percent, just like he's been doing all year,'' George said. ''Once he wins this trophy, at some point in time he's going to have to say ?Listen, we have until this date, then I'm cutting it all off. I'm cutting off all my phones, my friends are not going to be seeing me, I'm going to lock in and focus on this game because it's the national championship game. It can be a distraction if he allows it to be.''
Recent history would support that winning the Heisman Trophy can take the winner's focus off the ensuing bowl game. Reggie Bush, who won the Heisman last year, accounted for 177 total yards last year in the national championship game, but was arguably outplayed by runner-up Vince Young, who led Texas past USC.
USC quarterback Matt Leinart threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns in a monster win over Oklahoma to win the national title in '04, but Oklahoma's Jason White struggled miserably after winning the Heisman in '03 and the Sooners lost in the title game to LSU.
To his credit, Smith has said all the right things to this point. He doesn't believe in any Heisman jinx and he's said all year the focus has been on winning a national championship, not any personal accolades.
''I don't buy into superstitions. I don't buy into previous things that happened to guys that aren't me, that aren't in my situation,'' Smith said. ''We're not finished, not by a long shot. Everybody's thirst and hunger was not just to get through the regular season. We have that chance to finish what we started.''
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Dispatch
TROY SMITH HEISMAN AFTERMATH
Trophy only adds to high expectations
Monday, December 11, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
NEW YORK ? He said he has avoided putting on the pounds normally associated with Thanksgiving and the college football awards circuit.
But a day after winning the Heisman Trophy, Troy Smith knows he now has to deal with a completely different kind of weight.
"I definitely will be (under) the microscope now, in the fishbowl, whatever you want to call it," the Ohio State quarterback said. "I understood that before, though. Being the quarterback at Ohio State, everybody knows you."
In the post-award news conference Saturday, Smith?s response to the first question had to do with preparing to play Florida in the national championship game.
He remains focused on team goals throughout all the individual achievement.
But former Heisman winners say that?s easier said than done. Winning the Heisman takes a player to a height of celebrity that can be tough to handle.
"Heismans are forever," said Eddie George, who was the last OSU player to win the trophy, in 1995. "After you win the award, it changes your life. You?re on a media frenzy, you?re doing so much, you?re so much in demand ? speaking engagements and appearances.
"It?s critical that you find that time where you?re going to shut everything down or you don?t do as much. You don?t expend yourself in a lot of different areas, because people want you to be certain places and doing certain things, certain parties and banquets."
Former Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin remembers his coach, Woody Hayes, pulling him aside in the days after Griffin won the 1974 award. Alarmed by the demands on Griffin?s time, Hayes had a word of warning.
"He told me, ?You can?t do everything for everybody, and if you keep going around doing everything for everybody, you?re going to affect the team and your season next year,? " Griffin said.
"And these days, you have a lot more attention than back then, so it?s going to be tough for Troy. He can no longer be Troy Smith, he has to be ?Troy Smith, Heisman winner.? "
In the short term, Smith said he plans to deal with increased notoriety by focusing more on readying himself for the title game. Top-ranked OSU (12-0) meets Florida (11-1) on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
Smith will fly home Tuesday, capping nearly a week on the awards circuit, and join his teammates for the routine of practice and game-planning. The Buckeyes leave for Arizona on Dec. 30.
"The way I have thought about staying focused is even more time in prayer, even more time with my coaches in the film room, even more time with my teammates," he said. "Because my hourglass is dwindling down, and it?s sad to see. But we all have to move on to bigger and better things, and I will spend even more time understanding the Florida Gators."
In the longer term, though, Smith could be entering a difficult time. He soon will shove off from the moorings of structured college life and drift into the world of agents, million-dollar contracts and all sorts of people who want to attach themselves to him.
Ted Ginn Sr., Smith?s coach at Cleveland Glenville High School, was asked if he is worried.
"No question," Ginn said. "This is when he needs people for real."
Smith, though, professed no such concerns.
"I don?t think it?s going to be a tough time for me, because I have such a compact group of people that were set in my life on purpose," he said. "The people I?ve met thus far are going to continue to help me grow."
TROY SMITH HEISMAN AFTERMATH
Trophy only adds to high expectations
Monday, December 11, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
NEW YORK ? He said he has avoided putting on the pounds normally associated with Thanksgiving and the college football awards circuit.
But a day after winning the Heisman Trophy, Troy Smith knows he now has to deal with a completely different kind of weight.
"I definitely will be (under) the microscope now, in the fishbowl, whatever you want to call it," the Ohio State quarterback said. "I understood that before, though. Being the quarterback at Ohio State, everybody knows you."
In the post-award news conference Saturday, Smith?s response to the first question had to do with preparing to play Florida in the national championship game.
He remains focused on team goals throughout all the individual achievement.
But former Heisman winners say that?s easier said than done. Winning the Heisman takes a player to a height of celebrity that can be tough to handle.
"Heismans are forever," said Eddie George, who was the last OSU player to win the trophy, in 1995. "After you win the award, it changes your life. You?re on a media frenzy, you?re doing so much, you?re so much in demand ? speaking engagements and appearances.
"It?s critical that you find that time where you?re going to shut everything down or you don?t do as much. You don?t expend yourself in a lot of different areas, because people want you to be certain places and doing certain things, certain parties and banquets."
Former Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin remembers his coach, Woody Hayes, pulling him aside in the days after Griffin won the 1974 award. Alarmed by the demands on Griffin?s time, Hayes had a word of warning.
"He told me, ?You can?t do everything for everybody, and if you keep going around doing everything for everybody, you?re going to affect the team and your season next year,? " Griffin said.
"And these days, you have a lot more attention than back then, so it?s going to be tough for Troy. He can no longer be Troy Smith, he has to be ?Troy Smith, Heisman winner.? "
In the short term, Smith said he plans to deal with increased notoriety by focusing more on readying himself for the title game. Top-ranked OSU (12-0) meets Florida (11-1) on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
Smith will fly home Tuesday, capping nearly a week on the awards circuit, and join his teammates for the routine of practice and game-planning. The Buckeyes leave for Arizona on Dec. 30.
"The way I have thought about staying focused is even more time in prayer, even more time with my coaches in the film room, even more time with my teammates," he said. "Because my hourglass is dwindling down, and it?s sad to see. But we all have to move on to bigger and better things, and I will spend even more time understanding the Florida Gators."
In the longer term, though, Smith could be entering a difficult time. He soon will shove off from the moorings of structured college life and drift into the world of agents, million-dollar contracts and all sorts of people who want to attach themselves to him.
Ted Ginn Sr., Smith?s coach at Cleveland Glenville High School, was asked if he is worried.
"No question," Ginn said. "This is when he needs people for real."
Smith, though, professed no such concerns.
"I don?t think it?s going to be a tough time for me, because I have such a compact group of people that were set in my life on purpose," he said. "The people I?ve met thus far are going to continue to help me grow."
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NightmaresDad
Woody Rules!
NFBuck;684900; said:
Well, since they like Frye so much, if you compare TS to Frye, they are actually very similar-type QBs, only that Troy is better in every category than Frye.
And besides, the Brown's O-Line just has to get better someday doesn't it? Doesn't it?
Even though I've been asking that question for the last 6 years!
Maybe with a healthy Bentley back next year, and they get a decent left tackle, and a good RB, who knows? Troy Smith could fit very well in Cleveland.
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NightmaresDad;685061; said:Well, since they like Frye so much, if you compare TS to Frye, they are actually very similar-type QBs, only that Troy is better in every category than Frye.
And besides, the Brown's O-Line just has to get better someday doesn't it? Doesn't it?
Even though I've been asking that question for the last 6 years!
Maybe with a healthy Bentley back next year, and they get a decent left tackle, and a good RB, who knows? Troy Smith could fit very well in Cleveland.
I actually couldn't believe that Herbie was pimping Smith to the Browns and basically putting the Browns organization on the spot.
They would be foolish to draft Smith that high. They have more pressing needs than QB.
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