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S/LB Jer'Male Hines (official thread)

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Buckeyes Jermale Hines Gives Ohio St. a Coach on the Field
thesportsbank on 10.03.10

Chicago may be nicknamed "the windy city," but there's another place in Illinois, about three hours south, reknown for powerful wind. (The "Windy City" moniker actually has nothing to do with wind. It actually originated with New York City politicians condescending to Chicago city officials who talked a big game about the 1893 World's Fair).

Zuppke Field, at University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium, is a place where gale force winds can affect the outcome of a game as much as player performances and coaching decisions. You might recall 2002 Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, when Lions Coach Marty Mohrniweg made the ill-fated, bone-headed decision to give up the ball in overtime, in order to have that infamous wind at his back.

Ohio State senior free safety Jermale Hines noticed. "It was big because the offense is so limited. When facing the wind, they tend not to throw the ball too deep, a lot of short passes and things like that. And with the wind, they tend to try to go deep," the 6-1, 216 pound DB from Cleveland said.

Head Coach Jim Tressel is well aware too.

"I don't think any place can compare to here. I've coached here in early September, in October and November- the only difference is the wind is colder each month as it goes later. And that wind is strong every single one of those months," he said.

And wind, or rain, snow etc. are all factors a coach must game-plan around. As are injuries. And Ohio State suffered a key injury Saturday when starting DB Tyler Moeller went down. Freshman Christian Bryant stepped right in, and his transition was eased by the aid of Hines. The senior leader instructed Bryant on the fly, showing/telling him where he needed to be.

"He's (Hines) an active player, plus he was coaching Christian Bryant out there the whole time. It gave him every confidence that Christian needed," Tressel said of Hines.

I asked Hines about his showing Bryant the ropes. "He's a young guy, this is really his first action so I just wanted to slow the game down for him. Help him out on the calls and the checks," he responded.

And this is why NFL scouts are so high on Hines as a professional safety prospect. His football IQ and leadership is a perfect complement to his ideal size, great speed and versatile athleticism.

He always plays well against Illinois, earning the team's Attack Force award for the '09 game and recording his first interception of the season Saturday.

"Just basically playing football out there. I saw the quarterback, he stared him down the whole time and I just jumped in front of it," Hines said of the pick.

He also had to fight through the strong wind to corral that ball.
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http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/big...hines-gives-ohio-st-a-coach-on-the-field.html
 
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One possible solution that is being discussed (per Nate) is Hines moving over to Moeller's STAR spot and Christian Bryant starting at strong safety in the spot vacated by Hines' move.

The move would be mostly against teams like Indiana, Purdue and Michigan...teams that run the spread or a modified version. Against Wisconsin and other traditional pro-style teams, I would expect Hines to stay on the field at strong safety and OSU employ a third linebacker such as Sweat or Newsome.
 
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OSU's Jermale Hines safeguards secondary
October, 13, 2010
By Adam Rittenberg

Jermale Hines laughs when told that he's the old man among Ohio State's safeties.

"Something like that," he said.

Hines is a little old by college football standards -- he turns 23 next month -- but he also boasts by far the most experience of any Buckeyes safety. He's one of Ohio State's most valuable players because if there's a spot on the depth chart that looks a little, well, young, it's safety.

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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Jermale Hines has helped lead an Ohio State secondary that ranks 13th nationally in pass defense.

After the 2010 Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes said farewell to veteran safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell, with Coleman being the team's only consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection. Tyler Moeller returned from a head injury to start at the "star" position -- a safety-linebacker hybrid used in Ohio State's nickel package -- but he's now out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle. Promising sophomore C.J. Barnett also won't return following a knee injury, and junior Nate Oliver has been banged up.

Ohio State's two-deep for Saturday night's showdown at No. 18 Wisconsin lists Hines as the starting free safety, sophomore Orhian Johnson, a first-year starter, at strong safety, and true freshman Christian Bryant at the "star" position.

There's little doubt as to who leads the group.

"It's been an experience trying to tell guys what to do and where to be, just helping them out as much as I can," Hines said. "Somebody came along and did it to me, Kurt and Anderson and those guys, so I'm just looking to give back and do the same thing."
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http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/17757/osus-jermale-hines-safeguards-secondary
 
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Ohio State spotlight: Jermale Hines
Friday, October 22, 2010
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Pardon Jermale Hines if he gets a little beside himself today. Though he is Ohio State's starting free safety, the Buckeyes punched by injuries in the midsection of the secondary might need him to return to his old stomping grounds at nickel back in certain situations against Purdue.

The No.1 nickel at the start of the season, Tyler Moeller, suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle during the win at Illinois three weeks ago. He was replaced by freshman Christian Bryant, who was playing well before a bout with athlete's foot turned into a full-blown infection necessitating a hospital stay this week. He's out today.

Then throw in that the season's starting strong safety C.J. Barnett was knocked out for the year by a knee injury in the second game against Miami, and it's easy to see why the safeties room should be considered the waiting room in more ways than one for OSU these days.

"I have never seen anything like it," Hines said. "We've just got to get through it, get guys healthy, and everything will be OK."

It's why he will be in the spotlight today. There are other players, such as Nate Oliver and Jamie Wood, who have been practicing at nickel back. But Hines has a season and a half of playing it on his resume.

"We definitely will fill the gap, and if it comes right down to it, I most likely will be there," Hines said. "I have a lot of experience. I know it in and out. So I should be OK."

If he has to move over from time to time when Purdue is in expected passing downs with extra receivers on the field. senior Aaron Gant likely will get the call to step in at free safety.

"He is up to the task," Hines said. "He's a great guy, he stays very level headed, and the guy is a very hard hitter. I'm sure he's anxious to get out there and show the world."
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/stories/gameday/2010/week8/osu_spot.html
 
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Destined to be a star: Hines shines on Ohio State Buckeyes defense
Published: Thursday, November 25, 2010, 8:08 PM Updated: Friday, November 26, 2010
Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

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Marvin Fong | The Plain Dealer
Jermale Hines ends up with the ball after Purdue mishandled a punt return during a game earlier this season.

Columbus -- Three years ago, Jim Tressel described why Jermale Hines would become a "star," before the Buckeyes ever tried Hines at that position, before Hines had ever taken the field in an Ohio State game.

"We were impressed with the way he knew the game of football," Tressel said during Hines' freshman season in 2007. "Obviously he has great physical talent, but he just has a sense for the game."

That sense is why Hines is a senior this season instead of a fourth-year junior. And that sense, or instinct, or feel for the game, is why it's appropriate that Hines will spend much of his final home game against Michigan on Saturday at the position he was born to play -- the star.

"I love that name," Hines said with a laugh. "It's different."

The Glenville High grad moved to that star position, what the Buckeyes call their fifth defensive back, as a sophomore in 2008 and played there for most of two seasons. He shifted to starting safety full time this year, but after injuries to Tyler Moeller and Christian Bryant, the Buckeyes were forced to slide Hines back to the star in the last month, "back home," as Hines called it.

He's still the starting safety in Ohio State's base defense, but against a team like the Wolverines, with their spread offense, the Buckeyes will play mostly nickel, which will put Hines at his playmaking best. Because making plays is the only real job requirement of the position.

"He's a difference maker," Moeller said of Hines. "Right now, if I could take one player from our defense, I'd take Jermale. He's tough, he's fast, he's strong and what I really love about him is he has heart. He runs around and hits people, and he brings everyone up to another level around him."
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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2010/11/destined_to_be_a_star_hines_sh.html

Meet a Buckeye: Jermale Hines, S
Friday, November 26, 2010
By Ken Gordon
The Columbus Dispatch

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Ohio State senior safety Jermale Hines had already been a big video-game player for a dozen years by the time he got to play himself on a game. Imagine his chagrin, then, when he saw a rating he disagreed with attached to his virtual likeness. That, plus how the Cleveland native felt about "The Decision," gave us plenty to chat about:

Q: So your alma mater had a tough one in the playoffs the other day (Cleveland Glenville, which lost to Lakewood St. Edward 42-22).

A: "Oh man, St. Ed's came out and drove us off the ball. It was sickening, because my junior year we lost to St. Ed's, as well."

Q: So are you Cleveland all the way, born and raised?

A: "I lived in Tifton, Ga., for two years, from (age) 15 to 17, but other than that, I was born and raised in Cleveland."

Q: What were you doing in Georgia?

A: "My mother actually just wanted to move. My dad didn't want to, and they used to go at it about it. Every day down there, he'd say, 'I'm ready to go (back).
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Q: Coach Jim Tressel always talks about not listening to anything people are saying about the team on the outside. If you watch ESPN all the time, you're hearing what everyone is saying, right?

A: "I hear everything - it's hard not to in today's world. You've just got to take the positive side of it. To me, I always thought you had to be good to be hated."

Q: Do you feel OSU is hated?

A: "Sometimes I do. Just disrespect."

Q: Do you ever yell at (ESPN analyst) Mark May on TV?

A: (laughing) "No comment."
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/stories/gameday/2010/week13/meet.html
 
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