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WR Dane Sanzenbacher (Official Thread)

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Ohio State football: Sanzenbacher noticed where it matters most
Published: Saturday, January 01, 2011
By John Kampf
[email protected]

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Jay LaPrete/Associated Press Senior Dane Sanzenbacher � shown eluding Eastern Michigan�s Ryan Downward on Sept. 25 � is Ohio State�s leading receiver, and possibly the most respect player in the Buckeyes� locker room.

NEW ORLEANS ? Dane Sanzenbacher is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds.

If the senior wide receiver takes a walk down Bourbon Street in the days leading to Tuesday's Sugar Bowl against Arkansas, he is more likely to be mistaken for Johnny Knoxville than a wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

He's quiet, unassuming and generally soft-spoken.

He is also invaluable to the Buckeyes.

Sanzenbacher might not get the publicity or national notoriety of players such as quarterback Terrelle Pryor or defensive end Cameron Heyward, but he is noticed where it matters the most.

In Ohio State's locker room.

"He was voted the MVP and most inspirational," said OSU offensive coordinator Jim Bollman on Saturday. "It's the first time anyone has won that dual award since Coach (Jim) Tressel has been the head football coach. He's a very special young man."

In more ways than one.

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http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/01/01/sports/nh3474788.txt?viewmode=fullstory
 
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Can't say enough...

"He," Bollman said "is certainly a guy we hate to see walk out the door after this season."
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He will be missed next year, but we can only hope that his example, leadership, and grit will be adopted by next year's team. There are over 80 players on this team who all have the potential to step up to Dane's legacy. The 5'-10" - 180 pounder from Toledo Central Catholic has proved that the combination of intelligence, toughness, and leadership outweighs any physical qualities that an athlete may possess. As one door closes another one opens. As Dane walks out the door that coach Bollman mentions, let's recognize the opportunity for another Buckeye to step through a door and lead by Dane's example. In 2011, the teaching moments for some may have more to do about character than they do about raw football ability.

There are many great quotes from the Winners Manual. These two ring with relevance and truth near the eve of the Sugar Bowl as the team faces their next challenges going forward.

"If we were humble, nothing would change us - neither prasie nor discouragement."
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and

"Humility precedes honor"
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:osu:
 
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OSU football: Receiver's toughness is inspiring
Monday, January 3, 2011
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

NEW ORLEANS - The results of the voting weren't announced until Dec.5, but Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher actually wrapped up the team's most inspirational award Oct.2.

That's when Sanzenbacher, three days after suffering a gruesome finger injury, played in OSU's game at Illinois. He caught three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown in the Buckeyes' 24-13 victory, just like nothing had ever happened.

But something most definitely had happened.

On Wednesday of that week, Sanzenbacher caught a zinger of a pass from quarterback Terrelle Pryor in practice. The fastball hit Sanzenbacher's hand awkwardly, popping a finger out of joint.

This wasn't a run-of-the-mill dislocation, though. It was an open dislocation, meaning the bone was shoved through the skin, at the middle knuckle of his finger.

Sanzenbacher went down, bleeding.

"There was a big gasp as the guys saw the bone sticking through," Ohio State trainer Doug Calland said.

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http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...receivers-toughness-is-inspiring.html?sid=101

Article published January 03, 2011
Sanzenbacher under radar with foes, not teammates
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

NEW ORLEANS -- In close to an hour's worth of wide-ranging questions and answers on facing Ohio State's offense in the Sugar Bowl, the defensive coordinator for Arkansas and five of his top players mentioned quarterback Terrelle Pryor by name more than 15 times and went into great detail about the perils of playing against Pryor.

There was not one reference to the Buckeyes' team MVP, wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher. The Central Catholic grad led Ohio State with 52 receptions this season for nearly 900 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection.

While the Razorbacks seeme preoccupied with Pryor, Sanzenbacher has stayed comfortable below the radar, preparing for his 49th and final game as a Buckeye. He was chosen by his teammates as Ohio State's most inspirational player as well as its most valuable -- a dual honor that Buckeyes' coach Jim Tressel said was unprecedented in Tressel's long tenure in college football.

"I've been a head coach for 25 years," Tressel said. "In all those 25 years, we've had the team vote on the MVP and the most inspirational player, and it's always ended up clearly being two different guys. This is the first time in 25 years -- and it was a landslide -- that it's the same guy.

"I've never seen anything like that. For Dane to be recognized for his great play on the field as an MVP, but he also inspired guys just through who he is -- that just tells you how extraordinary a guy he is."

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http://toledoblade.com/article/20110103/SPORTS16/101020368/-1/SPORTS18
 
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Dane who?

That might have been a common reaction among OSU fans when Sanzenbacher committed out of Toledo Central Catholic. He had not received a lot of recruiting hype.

He caught a TD in his first game as a Buckeye, but it took him more than a year to catch his second. He played briefly against LSU in the 2007 title game, late in the 38-24 loss.

Sanzenbacher's playing time and production mushroomed each year, with his catches increasing from 12 to 21 to 36 in 2009.

"I liked that I wasn't spoiled with early success that much, just because it keeps you grounded and it keeps you wanting more and wanting to work," Sanzenbacher said. "I think that's probably what can be attributed to taking another step every year. It wasn't a flood of all this success to where I thought I was the man. I had to kind of earn that."

This season he indeed earned it, breaking out with a 52-catch, 10-TD season that earned him MVP honors by a vote of his teammates. He still can't quite believe that.

"I was looking at the trophy when I got it, and it's something that looks made up, like a little kid would make up: `Ohio State MVP,'" he said. "It was pretty unbelievable, pretty crazy."
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/buckeyextra/stories/gameday/2010/week18/cover_story.html
 
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Just had to log in at halftime to say that Dane is the man. The internet never forgets and I just wanted to note my appreciation for DS for working hard, displaying great attitude, providing excellent leadership, and being a phenomenal football player.

Dane is an impressive young man. I'm sure his parents are proud.
 
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