• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

WR Ted Ginn, Jr. (Official Thread)

official.site

Strength From Within
Ted Ginn Jr. has developed into one of college football's most electrifying performers thanks to a determination created on the inside

Who is Ted Ginn Jr.? It seems like no one can figure out this kid who has spent the past three years "wowing" and "amazing" college football fans across the country. To some, he is a larger-than-life personality, who, after another highlight-reel touchdown, can chest bump with the best. Or is he that student-athlete who is so shy and modest that he is more elusive in a press conference room than he is on the football field?


Truth be told, Ginn is a little bit of both. He can be flashy when playing the game, but what is witnessed on gameday is not what the average fan will notice away from the gridiron.

"I guess people would say I act like my father now as I have gotten older," Ginn said. "I guess humble. I try to be calm, cool and collected. People would never know that. I'm just always smiling and joking around."

Speaking with Ginn, it would be hard to imagine this is the same person who is a contender for the Heisman Memorial Trophy, college football's most prestigious award for the nation's best college football player. In fact, for Ginn, it is an afterthought. The Heisman hype is not that much of a concern, if it is a concern at all.
"I think the Heisman will take care of itself," Ginn said. "I'm not going to go out and base my season on the Heisman because I don't think anyone can do that. I have to go and first play for the seniors because it is their last go-round. Then I let everything else take care of itself."

In that one sentence it becomes evident. Ginn loves the game of football and most of all, he loves his teammates. What is written about him in the magazines and newspapers or said on local and national radio and television is secondary. Going out and playing for the team and those who have helped him reach this point in his career is the priority.


At the start of his journey at Ohio State, Ginn thought he would be playing on the defensive side of the ball and maybe sparingly play offense. The OSU coaching staff pointed out to Ginn he had a better chance of playing if he switched to offense. Not the ideal situation for someone who has a passion for playing in the defensive backfield at cover cornerback, but Ginn made the step and it has paid dividends.

"It was something I had to get use to," Ginn said. "Just growing up, I was in love with corner. To this day, I think it is my best position. I have to come to the understanding right now that receiver is the position for me. Now, I am just trying to make sure I do those things right. I'm just trying to learn the position from top to bottom. I think once I get that, I can move on."
Assistant head football coach and receivers coach Darrell Hazell agrees with the transformation Ginn has undergone in three years.

"He has made astronomical strides during the three years he has been here," Hazell said. "Especially coming in and having to change positions. He has an amazing skill level and how he has developed his techniques and developed as a receiver has been great to watch in my coaching career."

With the weighted task of being a part a collegiate football program that has expectations nearly incomparable to any other program in the nation, it almost sounds ridiculous there were moments throughout Ginn's sophomore campaign when some thought he was having a down year. That perception was quite interesting considering Ginn hauled in 803 receiving yards, 782 more yards in punt and kick returns to go with seven touchdowns.

"Ted having a `down year' was such a misconception," Hazell said. "It was not a down year for Ted. Anytime you have a chance to catch 57 balls and be productive that is a good year. I don't know where that all started, but we just concentrate on getting better at the little things. The one thing he learned was patience at the line of scrimmage. Learning this already has become immensely helpful."

But Ginn would never tell you that. He would never rattle off his improvements and how the little tactical changes in his game have helped the overall plan for the team. Ginn leaves that up to the coaches, the analysts and the fans. His graciousness is innate and something he absorbed from both his parents even now as an adult.

"Just growing up, my mom and dad always taught me to be humble in everything I do," Ginn said. "If I get a big head, I won't be able to achieve the goals I was supposed to because I will think I am bigger than this. The more humble people are, the more great things come. So, that's what I try to do."

Growing up in Cleveland, Ginn encountered a few humbling moments and admits if it was not for the assistance of many people, it would be hard for him to imagine he would be at Ohio State doing what he is doing.
Ginn relates how as a child, older children around his neighborhood took him under their wing. Whether it was picking him up from school, tutoring him or making sure he did his homework before he went outside to play, there was a large contingent of people who all wanted Ginn to succeed in life.

"I was always surrounded by Glenville, from the people who were there before me," Ginn said. "A lot of the guys looked after me. I just know from when I was growing up, the most important thing is to help kids out."

So that is what Ginn did this past summer. He stayed in Columbus and committed his time to working with kids and helping them get through some of the same struggles he faced as a youngster.

From school to football, Ginn had a say for both. He went to local churches and helped his prot?g?s with their math, English, reading and writing skills. He also got on the field with his young admirers and taught them the game's most fundamental techniques.

However, it was not just a summer of paying forward, as former Buckeye coach Woody Hayes use to say, because it seemed like the right thing to do or because it would look good in the eyes of those who may have had a different view of Ginn. Rather, Ginn taking the time to guide others the way he was guided when he is younger was a sincere act that resonates with
him because he knows the impact others can have on one's life.

"I just think once kids hit the ninth grade, they lose it sometimes," Ginn said. "If they can make it through, then it is a breeze. But along that way, if you mess up, it's harder to succeed once you hit high school. That's why you have to implement the little things while they are young. I think it starts with parents first, but if you have other guys around you that helps.
It will help you achieve more.

"It's like Ohio State. From the old to the new, we all just keep helping to try and make everybody better."

Even if it is just little things, like posing in a picture with a young fan or holding a 6-week-old baby, by far one of the tiniest Buckeye fans, Ginn is eager to do it because it could make a life-changing difference.

"First thing about kids, you never know what that picture can do for a kid when they get older," Ginn said. "Knowing that `wow, I was 6 weeks or 15 weeks old and Ted Ginn held me,' that might help boost their self-esteem or help them become more active in sports or more involved in school. Down the line, that picture might mean a lot to them."

Speaking of people or events in one's life that may mean the world to someone. With all the neighborhood kids coming through and helping to mold one of the most charismatic people that have walked through the gates of Ohio State, the one person Ginn constantly alludes to is his grandmother, Ollie B. Casey.

Ginn spent a lot of time with his grandmother during the summer when he was younger. From 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Ginn was his grandmother's right-hand man, doing a variety of chores that at the time seemed mundane, but in the end were a necessity. As one of the first grandchildren to graduate from high school and go to college, Ginn recognized early on her grandmother had high expectations for the "baby" of the family.

"I think she felt like she slipped with the rest of my cousins as far as the guys go," Ginn said. "I think she just didn't want me to go down that same path. So I did a lot of things like painting railings, laying down tar on the driveway and going to the grocery store. She helped keep me out of trouble and it helped me remain focused."

Going to his grandmother's house became so routine for Ginn he automatically knew from the moment he arrived he had to sweep the front porch, whether it needed it or not, and again just before he left for the day, he had to return to sweeping what seemed like a spotless porch. Why?

"I knew I had to do it before I left or I was in trouble," Ginn said. "It has helped me even now to stay disciplined to what I know."

It is his discipline that has altered the course of his career at Ohio State. He is probably the best naturally athletic student-athlete that has come across Hazell's path and, according to the coach, he is tops in the receiver ranks.

"He is a special kid," Hazell said. "Once every 15-20 years, a kid like him comes around. He is great in practice and has an up-beat attitude, which is good for the other players. But, what he really is, is consistent. He is not an up-and-down player. He loves being out there in practice learning and he has the chance to be spectacular at wide receiver."

Some would argue Ginn is spectacular already, but one thing is for sure, he would not be one of them making such a claim. Ginn is the last Buckeye who would want to talk about his own accomplishments and that is part of the reason he has been so successful. His drive and determination have come from within and will continue to do so, because it is the only way he had done it.

In the process, he has given Ohio State fans more to cheer about than he will ever know.
That is the way Ginn prefers it.
 
Upvote 0
Taosman;617256; said:
There were some........fun...exchanges between Ginn and King Saturday!
People are going to continue to be physical with Ginn all year.
Teddy has to not get distracted and play his game.

Justin King did not stop Teddy...the weather and the various problems it caused stopped Teddy.
 
Upvote 0
osugrad21;617481; said:
Justin King did not stop Teddy...the weather and the various problems it caused stopped Teddy.

Not to mention when Teddy was wide open in the first quarter and TS flat out missed him. Teddy is doing fine and I look for him to have a huge week against Iowa.
 
Upvote 0
Link

Nearly a Hawkeye

Iowa missed OSU star, but forged strong ties with father's program


By: Mike Hlas - The Gazette It won't give Iowa fans any comfort, but Ted Ginn Jr. might have become a Hawkeye had he not signed with Ohio State in 2004.

Ginn, the junior wide receiver/kick returner extraordinaire, visited Iowa a few years ago with his Glenville High School football coach. Who happened to be has dad.

"If it wasn't Ohio State, he'd probably be at Iowa," Ted Ginn Sr. said Monday morning. "That might be hard for you to believe, but that's the way it was."

Ted Sr. drove his wife and son, the National Defensive Player of the Year as a prep, the 560 miles from Cleveland to Iowa City a few years ago. The Ginns spent 40 minutes chatting with Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz in his office after Ferentz fulfilled his postgame obligations.

"It was more because Ted (Sr.) has a great friendship with (Iowa defensive backs coach) Phil Parker," Ferentz said. Parker was an assistant coach at Toledo for 11 years.

"Coach Ferentz and his staff have been good friends of mine over the years," Ginn said. "As far as driving out there with my son, it was because of the people. I know there are good people there. I've known (Iowa offensive coordinator) Ken O'Keefe and Phil Parker for a long time."

That trip may have benefited Ferentz and his staff as a relationship-builder. Two of the 21 players from Ginn's 2005 Glenville Tarblooders who were granted college athletic scholarships -- 15 from I-A schools -- signed with Iowa. Quarterback Arvell Nelson and defensive back Derrick Smith are Ferentz's first recruits from Glenville.

Iowa is recruiting three of this year's Glenville players.

Ginn exposed Iowa's staff to 50 top Ohio preps this summer. His "Road to Opportunity Division I Combine Tour" took the kids to Ball State, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Iowa, Notre Dame, Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Marshall. The 12-day trip was arranged to coincide with when those schools held their summer football camps.

The bus was provided by an anonymous donor. Ginn said the players pay a nominal fee for the trip.

But most of the money for food, lodging and camp fees is donated to the Ted Ginn Sr. Foundation. Ginn's goal is to attract enough sponsorship for four buses next year.

"Back in 2001, I had one kid that I drove around to schools," he said. "It turned into a van with four or five kids. Now it's a bus, because I want to be able to help all the children."

It isn't as if Glenville is the monster of all high school football programs and Ginn is lining his pockets because of it. He gets paid $3,000 a year to be the football coach. He took out a second mortgage on his house to help pay for one of the early "Combine Tour" trips.

He's been Glenville's head football coach since 1997, and has worked at the school for 30 years. He's coached players like his son, OSU quarterback Troy Smith and 2006 first-round NFL draft pick Donte Whitner, a former Ohio State safety. While Glenville has won no football state championships, there has been lots of winning and lots of player development.

Glenville is in the heart of Cleveland. A posh campus in a moneyed area, it isn't.

"We're the typical inner-city school," Ginn said. "Things happen here. You deal with it.

"But Glenville is different from a whole lot of other schools. We're community-based. We believe in the community, in giving back, things like that."

"You've got to have a love, passion and understanding for kids, just knowing what they need and giving them what they need for an individual plan for life. They need so much, man. I think it's like that across the country, but I'm not sure everybody in this business understands that."

Smith has known the Ginns since he was 7. Smith grew up in a single-parent home. Ted Sr. was the man in his life.

Smith was suspended for the the Buckeyes' 2004 Alamo Bowl appearance and their 2005 season-opener because he took $500 from an Ohio State booster.

Ginn met with him after learning of the violation, telling him to change his attitude in a hurry.

"He's meant pretty much everything to me," Smith told the New York Times.

Ginn interrupted a telephone interview Monday to round up some kids to set up chairs in the school's cafeteria.

That was the same coach who attended the Cincinnati-Ohio State football game a few weeks ago and saw 10 scholarship players from Glenville, seven of them Buckeyes.

Ginn is the parent of a future NFL player and the mentor of a current one, Whitner. But it's not as if he is full of self-satisfaction. Not in a school with 1,600 students.

"We've got to do more," Ginn said. "It's never enough."
 
Upvote 0
Ted Ginn, Jr.

Oklahoma Wide reciever, Malcolm Kelly (So), will be just as good as Ted Ginn, Jr. Look at the stats...I know you say you have played harder oponents, but still.

Ted Ginn

Rec-16
Ryd-268
TD-5
Avg-16.8

Malcolm Kelly

Rec-17
Ryd-379
TD-4
Avg-22.3

Okay, this may be completely biased, but kid is a sophmore and has great skill. I am not saying he is as good as Ginn yet, but I think he's got a shot at it later on.
 
Upvote 0
magic33216;619762; said:
Oklahoma Wide reciever, Malcolm Kelly (So), will be just as good as Ted Ginn, Jr.
Well, considering that Ginn isn't even the best receiver for Ohio State, you probably have at least a plausible argument. However, what makes Ginn special is his ability to turn any given play into a touchdown - that makes Ginn perhaps the greatest threat in college football today. In a well-balanced offense like Ohio State's, Ginn provides an "X factor" which completely confounds the opposing defense - man up, and it's six waiting to happen; double team, and someone else will make the play. Right now, very few players in CFB command that kind of respect from the opponents.
 
Upvote 0
That is a pretty good point, the reason why I compared Kelly to Ginn, is because Kelly is kinda like out x-factor, when peterson isn't doing well when the D stacks the box on us. Kelly goes off and catches a 50 yarder. You have a very good point though.
 
Upvote 0
OhioState49;619792; said:
Ginn would be the best receiver if he just got the ball more. I am not complaining, because we have a great number of receivers this year. He is a great threat on Punt Returns though.
Gonzo runs better routes and has better hands and great speed, i honestly think he is a better reciever while teddy is a better deep threat and playmaker (x factor).. it's ginn however that allows gonzo to shine
 
Upvote 0
I first thought Teddy was not living up to the hype.
But, then I saw that he has scored 5 TDs! In 4 games.
Maybe he can never live completely up to the massive hype.
But, he is still having a very fine season! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
 
Upvote 0
CFN - "Cavalcade of the Whimsy"

Welcome to another edition of Which Fan Base Will I Get the Angry E-mails From This Week ? I?ve recently realized there are two arguments I?ll never, ever win: Will Ferrell isn?t all that funny, and dogs are annoying (there?s nothing worse than walking into someone?s house and having Scruffles, fresh off a t?te-?-t?te with his happy place, jumping all over you). Add a third to the list of battles I can't seem to win.

Considering all the hype and all the attention, Ted Ginn is currently the most overrated player in America.

I?m not saying that he?s not a phenomenal, top 15-caliber talent. I?m not arguing that he doesn?t have scary-fast speed and the potential to bust open any game at any time. I just want to see it more often. I don?t care if you have five guys covering you, if you?re all that and a peanut butter sandwich, you come up with big numbers no matter what, like Calvin Johnson, Garrett Wolfe, and Adrian Peterson have had to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know his receiving skills have gotten night-and-day better and that Troy Smith is busy making Anthony Gonzalez a ton of future NFL money thanks to the single coverage, but from Ginn, I want more than nine catches for 84 yards in two Big Ten games. I want more than 15.8 yards per kickoff return and 8.75 yards per punt return. Once again, I?m not saying he?s bad in any way, but for all the hype and all the attention, I want to see more.

http://cfn.scout.com/2/575188.html

Also of interest......

But wait, Buckeye fans, before you finish off that angry, somewhat paranoid e-mail, and before I respond that I don?t hate Ohio State and remind you that I picked your Buckeyes to beat Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl ? Ohio State deserves to be the number one team in the country. The 24-7 drubbing of Texas in Austin was the best win all year, and wins over Penn State and at Iowa were stronger for the r?sum? than many top teams can claim. So why do I have that 2002 Miami, 2005 USC feeling that the team is going to be hyped and hyped and hyped to a ridiculous level, be double-digit favorites in the BCS championship game, and then get tagged? Three letters ? S. E. C.

Isn?t it just possible that Texas is just way above-average, Iowa is mediocre, and Penn State is really mediocre? It?s not Ohio State?s fault if those three teams are no big whoop, but none of them appear to be LSU, Auburn or Florida. Cal is playing like one of the five best teams in America, and it got its doors blown off by Tennessee. I?m not saying the Buckeyes aren?t fantastic, and I have them ranked number one, but would I bet the house and the farm on them on a neutral field over the top SEC teams? Not sure.
 
Upvote 0
4Heisman;624909; said:
He's kind of right, OSU does have a horrible history against SEC teams (isn't the record like 0-10?), and the teams this year are looking strong, I would pick LSU, UF, and AU to beat OSU if they played.

Of course you could find faults with Ohio State but....

LSU had more trouble than South Carolina in scoring on Auburn.

On that note, Auburn had trouble with South Carolina.

Lastly, Florida, IMO, is a watered down Ohio State. Not watered down alot mind you, but I feel like they are "Diet" Ohio State.

Why do you feel they would win?
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top