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S Anderson Russell (official thread)

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OSU notebook: Hines might replace Russell at safety
Thursday, September 10, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

All signs point toward Jermale Hines starting in place of Anderson Russell at free safety Saturday, although Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock stopped just short yesterday of anointing Hines.

Russell had a tough game against Navy, giving up two touchdown passes, one on an 85-yard play.

Hines is splitting time with Russell this week in practice, Heacock said.

"I'm not sure who's starting, but I know (Hines) is playing a lot with the (starters) when we're in our base package now. When we go to nickel, both will be on the field. But in practice, we're giving both a look and trying to give them both a chance."

Russell is a fifth-year senior, and Heacock was careful not to go overboard in critiquing his day.

"He did get beat," Heacock said. "We were playing a run offense, and he got caught up a little bit. But there's no way I would ever give him any grief for that -- he was playing his butt off out there.

"We're not going to ask our guys to be perfect. The thing we want him to do is just come back and be tougher than ever."
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : OSU notebook: Hines might replace Russell at safety
 
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OSU notebook: Suspension gives Russell a reprieve
Thursday, October 1, 2009
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Stay sharp, stay ready, Ohio State safeties coach Paul Haynes kept telling Anderson Russell the past few weeks. You never know when your chance will come.

Haynes' words of advice will come in handy for Russell this week. With strong safety Kurt Coleman suspended for a game Saturday at Indiana, Russell is expected to step back into a starting role.

A fifth-year senior, Russell started the 2007 and 2008 seasons and the first game this season, but he was benched after being involved in giving up two second-half touchdown passes to Navy.

"It was a little tough" on Russell at first, Haynes said. "But the bottom line is the team comes first, and I think guys understand that. And you've got to handle it, you've got to move on, but there's a lot of football to be played and you never know.

"Just like a guy going down (or) something happening, and you've got to be in there."

Russell already was dealing with memories of how last season ended. In the final minute of the Fiesta Bowl, he lunged to try and knock down a slant pass from Texas quarterback Colt McCoy to receiver Quan Cosby.

Russell missed, and Cosby scored the winning touchdown.

Since the Navy game, Russell still has come in as a fifth defensive back and played a lot. Haynes said the Buckeyes have been in nickel about 70 percent of the time.
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BuckeyeXtra - OSU notebook: Suspension gives Russell a reprieve
 
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Saturday, October 3, 2009
By BY TIM MAY

FS_OSU08OU_07_-_10-03-09_T7_CBF7PL2.jpg

FRED SQUILLANTE
DISPATCH

ANDERSON RUSSELL
SAFETY OHIO STATE

Even as Ohio State defensive coaches pushed junior Jermale Hines ahead of senior Anderson Russell as a starter in the base defense three games ago, safeties coach Paul Haynes was in Russell's ear with a pep talk.

" 'You've still got a whole lot of football to play' -- that was the big thing I wanted to tell him," Haynes said. " 'We're still 70-30, nickel to base defense. You're still going to be out there a lot.' "

The past three games, Russell played almost as much as the starters, entering the game at safety when the Buckeyes used five defensive backs, with Hines sliding down to the nickel slot. But tonight will be a different story at Indiana.

With senior safety and co-captain Kurt Coleman suspended for one game because of a helmet-to-helmet hit on Illinois quarterback Eddie McGee last week, Russell is expected to start in his place. Though there are other candidates, including Orhian Johnson, Haynes is expected to lean on Russell, a former two-year starter, because that position makes most of the defensive alignment calls.

"It helps to have a veteran in there, no doubt," Haynes said.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT | The Columbus Dispatch
 
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Anderson Russell is not the anti-playmaker, at least not always. Few players have taken the kind of heat of the years that Anderson Russell has. After dropping a bundle of easy interceptions in 2007, Russell gave up the game-winning touchdown against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl last year and found himself replaced in the starting lineup by Jermale Hines in week two of this season. The fifth year senior just can?t seem to do anything right, and even broke up a pass that would have easily been picked off by teammate Devon Torrence last week. With captain Kurt Coleman out of the lineup against Indiana, however, Russell stepped up and took his spot as the playmaker on the defense. Along with tying Ross Homan for the team-lead in tackles against the Hoosiers, Russell recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and made a great open-field tackle in what was a big game for him.
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The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More
 
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It seems like every week we see teams target him and test him. I've always loved the guy's game. He's just not the player he once was because of the knee injuries. I'm glad he had a terrific game and got some recognition but he's a liability in coverage.
 
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CentralMOBuck;1558804; said:
Congrats A Russ, lets keep the good play going!

No Jack Tatum big hit of the week award again? I thought DC would have gotten that one with that block.
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We'll find out about that tomorrow - the players vote on that and it's not usually announced as quickly as the other weekly awards.
 
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Dispatch

OSU football: Russell got to start, then went on to star

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 3:03 AM
By Tim May


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ohio State's Anderson Russell took advantage of Kurt Coleman's suspension by delivering what might have been his best performance. Russell was named the Buckeyes' defensive player of the week after he had an interception, recovered a fumble and made six tackles Saturday during a 33-14 win at Indiana.
"I had a good, productive night," the safety said yesterday. "I've just got to keep it going. That's what we're supposed to do. It was just playing football, making the plays that came to me."
It was also filling in for a friend. The Big Ten suspended Coleman for a helmet-first hit on Illinois quarterback Eddie McGee the week before. Coleman will be eligible to return Saturday against Wisconsin in Ohio Stadium.
With Coleman out, the Buckeyes turned to Russell. Originally a starter, he was replaced at the other safety spot by Jermale Hines after Russell was beaten for two touchdowns in the opener against Navy.
Russell continued to play, but in a reduced role with the nickel defense.
"I didn't really lose any confidence in myself," Russell said. "I just had a rough game, and the coaches felt like they had to make a change. That's what they felt was best for the team, so that's what they did."
Cont...
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Ohio State's Russell executes backup plan
October 8, 2009 1:31 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The text message arrived around 4:30 p.m. last Saturday, but Ohio State safety Anderson Russell didn't see it until after his game against Indiana.

When Russell finally got to his phone, a smile splashed across his face.

"Ball out tonight," the message read.

ncf_i_russell_200.jpg
AJ Mast/Icon SMI Anderson Russell came up big in Ohio State?s win over Indiana.

Russell had followed Kurt Coleman's orders in a 33-14 victory against the Hoosiers, filling in brilliantly for his close friend and fellow safety, who stayed home in Columbus to serve a one-game suspension for a late hit the week before against Illinois.

With Coleman 200 miles away, Russell reclaimed the starting job he had lost earlier in the season and turned in his best performance of the season. The senior recorded an interception and a forced fumble and tied for the team lead with six tackles, earning Ohio State's Defensive Player of the Week award for his efforts. Shortly after the game, Russell called Coleman to celebrate.
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continued.....

Ohio State's Russell executes backup plan - College Football Nation - ESPN
 
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Article published October 10, 2009
OSU's Russell not haunted by past games
Senior safety OK with bench roll

COLUMBUS - Wrath took up residence all around Anderson Russell last January after many Ohio State fans blamed him for the heart-breaking Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas.

The Buckeyes defensive back gambled and went for the interception instead of making the safer play, and his apparent blunder allowed receiver Quan Cosby to get behind Russell and catch the winning touchdown pass for Texas with just 16 seconds left.

When Russell got burned on an 85-yard touchdown pass that helped Navy erase a comfortable Ohio State lead and battle the Buckeyes down to the wire in a frightfully tight 31-27 OSU win last month, Russell took a few quivers full of arrows again. The fifth-year senior lost his starting job to junior Jermale Hines and was relegated to special teams play and work as an extra defensive back in passing situations.

It appeared that Russell achieved a certain degree of vindication in last weekend's win at Indiana, where he was back in the starting lineup due to the suspension of safety Kurt Coleman by the Big Ten for a helmet-to-helmet hit in the Illinois game. Russell had an interception, a fumble recovery, and six tackles against the Hoosiers.

"It was just another game," Russell said, downplaying the significance of his performance. "It was just playing football and making the plays that came to me."

Russell, who will likely return to a backup/supplemental pass coverage role today when the Buckeyes host unbeaten Wisconsin in Ohio Stadium, said he would not allow himself to sulk after losing his starting job following the Navy game.

"That's something that [happens] ... you just have to pick up and keep going," he said. "I didn't really lose any confidence in myself - I just had a rough game. The coaches just felt like they needed to make a change."
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toledoblade.com --
 
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