Ginn's dad says his son isn't up to speed yet at Ohio State
By Jon Spencer
Gannett News Service
COLUMBUS -- Like everyone else, Ted Ginn Sr. has been watching his son in utter amazement.
Oh, he can believe Junior is averaging 20 yards a touch and a score every four times the ball is in his hands.
It doesn't surprise him Junior has returned three punts for TDs or that his six TDs average a mind-boggling 54.3 yards.
But Senior is amazed because when he looks at the warp-speed whiz kid he has created he doesn't see what the rest of us see.
He doesn't see jet propulsion. He doesn't see a weapon of mass destruction. He sees a machine that isn't firing on all engines.
Believe it or not, Ted Ginn Jr. is not in tip-top form.
"He's not in shape," Ted Sr. said of Ohio State's freshman marvel. "I trained him, so I know. He's getting away with murder. I tell Tress (coach Jim Tressel) he's not training him hard enough."
That's news to all the gagging and groping defenders wandering aimlessly in the cloud of exhaust Ginn leaves behind.
The 6-foot, 170-pounder out of Cleveland Glenville scored on a 17-yard reverse and 60-yard punt return before taking a short slant 58 yards for the winning score with 1:37 to play Saturday against Michigan State.
"Yes, he's done things worse than that," said Ted Sr., who is 60-18 in eight years as Glenville's football coach. "There were a lot of games where he scored three or four different ways for us."
Glenville safety and Buckeyes recruit Jamario O'Neal concurred with his coach.
"Every game was like that," O'Neal said, "because he knew where to cut and how to cut."
O'Neal can't wait to be reunited with Ginn next year at OSU. Two years ago, when he was starring at Mansfield Senior, O'Neal became the first sophomore in memory to give a verbal commitment to the Buckeyes.
"I knew Ted would come in and make an impact because that's what he was taught to do," said O'Neal, who lives with the Ginns. "Most think college is harder, but it's really not. It's how you prepare."
O'Neal and Ginn were stars last spring on a Glenville track team some have called the best in Ohio prep history.
"It's like he doesn't quit," O'Neal said of Ginn, a national champion hurdler and state champion sprint- er. "His start is OK, but by the end of the race he's gone.
"When he's running by himself, he doesn't look that fast, but when you're beside him and he takes off that's when you realize he's a lot faster than everybody else."
Despite his son's slight build, Ted Sr. said he can handle whatever OSU (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) give him Saturday at Purdue (5-4, 2-4).
"If it was me, I'd get mileage out of him," he said. "I understand they don't want to overload him. They're bringing him along slowly and picking up the pace."
:osu2:
