Coach Urban Meyer and staff will take to the practice fields with the Buckeyes March 28
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Head coach Urban Meyer and staff will take to the practice fields with their players for the first time Wednesday, March 28 at approximately 4 p.m. for the official start of the 2012 Ohio State football spring drills.
The 2012 spring drills – 15 practices, including the LiFE Sports Spring Game April 21 – kick off a couple of historic notes for the football program, which will play its 123rd season this fall:
1. The practices will mark the first opportunity for Meyer and his staff, featuring six new assistant coaches and three retained from the previous staff, to work on football drills and skills after seeing only conditioning and training exercises since Meyer took sole leadership of the program Jan. 3; and
2. Spring drills will also signify the start of Ohio State’s 100th season of football in the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State joined the former Western Conference during the 1912-13 academic year, but could not compete in the conference in football until 1913.
The drills will also give the Buckeye players an opportunity to see, hear and feel football on the fields under their new coach, who knows how to win and who knows how to build championship teams. Meyer’s .814 winning percentage is tenth-best in major college history all-time, and it is the second-best among currentcoaches, and he already has two national championships to his credit: the 2006 and 2008 national titles with the University of Florida.
“As intense as the off-season conditioning drills have been, the spring drills will be even more intense,” senior fullback Zach Boren said. “There is no on-off switch. Everyone will be going full-go every play. It is going to be a physical spring with everyone putting everything on the line.”
Returning senior and 2011 team captain John Simon is in agreement with Boren.
“It is going to be an intense spring drills,” said Simon. “Everyone got bigger, faster and stronger in the off-season. The entire team is ready to go. We all want to prove ourselves in front of the new coaching staff. We’re all excited to see what we can do in all phases: offense, defense and special teams.”
Meyer has mentioned on several occasions how eager he is for March 28 to arrive and to be able to see what these players can do on the football field.
“I am excited to see our presents,” Meyer has said, using the analogy of a gift about to be opened with a first look at his players on the field. “I don’t really know what we have in terms of players, yet. I made a point not to look at film of last year because I wanted everyone to be able to start with a clean slate.”
What Meyer will, or will not, see in terms of numbers when he assembles his 94 players on the practice fields this spring will be:
- A senior class comprised of 21 individuals;
- 48 lettermen returning off the 2011 team (25 on offense, 20 on defense and three specialists);
- 24 departed lettermen (10 on offense, 12 on defense and two specialists);
- 18 returning starters, including nine on defense (DL John Simon, DT Johnathan Hankins, NG Garrett Goebel, DT Adam Bellamy, LB Storm Klein, CB Travis Howard, CB Bradley Roby, SAF Christian Bryant, SAF C.J. Barnett) and seven on offense (QB Braxton Miller, FB Zach Boren, WR Corey Brown, WR Chris Fields, OG Jack Mewhort, OG Andrew Norwell, TE Jake Stoneburner);
- The return of both kickers – K Drew Basil and P Ben Buchanan – and long snapper George Makridis;
- Six departed starters, including offensive linemen Mike Brewster, Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts, and running back Dan Herron. Defensive starters gone are safety Tyler Moeller and linebacker Andrew Sweat; and
- Nine true freshmen from the 2012 recruiting class who have/will have enrolled by the start of spring drills (winter quarter enrollees OL Jacoby Boren, RB Bri’onte Dunn, QB Cardale Jones, LB Josh Perry, DB Tyvis Powell and WR Michael Williams, and spring enrollees OL Taylor Decker, DL Se’Von Pittman and LB Luke Roberts).
PRACTICE DATES, TICKETS & MORE
Practice Dates: The Buckeyes will practice on the following dates: March 28, 30 and 31, and April 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 20.
Spring Game: The 2012 LiFE Sports Spring Game will be played April 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Ohio Stadium.
Spring Game Radio: Sports Radio 97.1 (FM) The Fan will broadcast the game across the 65-station Ohio State IMG Sports Network. Venerable play-by-play announcer Paul Keels will be on the call with color commentary by Jim Lachey and sideline reporting from Marty Bannister.
Spring Game Tickets: Tickets for the double header in Ohio Stadium April 21 – the Ohio State men's lacrosse team hosts the Showdown in the Shoe vs. Air Force at 11 a.m. followed by the 2012 Ohio State LiFE Sports Spring Game – are $7 each in advance and $15 on game day (cash only). Tickets are available online through OhioStateBuckeyes.com, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000, in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in the Schottenstein Center, at any Ticketmaster location or at central Ohio Donato’s restaurants. Ohio State students (with BuckID) and children 6 and under will be admitted free of charge.
About LiFE Sports: Learning and Fitness & Education through Sports (LiFE Sports) is a youth development initiative run by the Ohio State Department of Athletics and the Ohio State College of Social Work. The program is designed to offer economically disadvantaged children and adolescents, ages 9-17, sport and education instruction in a safe and nurturing environment during the summer months. Visithttp://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/camps/life-sports.html to learn more about the program. It’s a good thing!
JUST FACTS
University Information
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Population: 1.7 million
Founded: 1870
Joined Big Ten: 1912
First Year of Big Ten Football: 1913
Enrollment: 56,064
Nickname: Buckeyes
Colors: Scarlet and Gray
Marching Band: The Ohio State University Marching Band – “TBDBITL”
President: E. Gordon Gee
Director of Athletics: Gene Smith
Senior Woman Administrator: Miechelle Willis
Faculty Representative: John Bruno
Ticket Office Phone: 614-292-2624
Website: ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Team History
First Year of Football: 1890
All-Time Record (Years): 825-315-53 (122)
All-Time Big Ten Record (Years): 457-171-24 (99)
Big Ten Championships (Last): 34 (2009)
All-Time Bowl Record: 19-23
National Championships: 7
Consensus All-America Selections: 78
First Team All-Big Ten Selections: 362
2012 Team Info
Head Coach: Urban Meyer
(Cincinnati, 1986), 1st year
Record at Ohio State: 0-0
Career Record: 104-23 (10 years)
National Championships: 2 (2006 & 2008)
Conference Championships: 4 (2003 & 2004 at Utah; 2006 & 2008 at Florida)
NFL Draft Picks: 36
First-Round NFL Draft Picks: 9
Academic All-Conference Players: 150
Assistant Coaches
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: Luke Fickell
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach/Safeties: Everett Withers
Cornerbacks: Kerry Coombs
Defensive Line: Mike Vrabel
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: Tom Herman
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line: Ed Warinner
Running Backs: Stan Drayton
Tight Ends/Fullbacks: Tim Hinton
Wide Receivers: Zach Smith
Assistant AD for Football Sports Performance: Mickey Marotti
Offensive Formation: Spread
Defensive Formation: Multiple
Letterwinners Returning: 48
Offense: 25
Defense: 20
Special Teams: 3
Letterwinners Lost: 24
Offense: 10
Defense: 12
Special Teams: 2
Starters Returning: 18
Offense: 7 – QB Braxton Miller, FB Zach Boren, WR Corey Brown, WR Chris Fields, OG Jack Mewhort, OG Andrew Norwell, TE Jake Stoneburner
Defense: 9 – DL John Simon, DT Johnathan Hankins, NG Garrett Goebel, DT Adam Bellamy, LB Storm Klein, CB Travis Howard, CB Bradley Roby, SAF Christian Bryant, SAF C.J. Barnett
Kickers: 2 – K Drew Basil, P Ben Buchanan
Starters Lost: 6
Offense: 4 – OC Mike Brewster, RB Dan Herron, OT Mike Adams, OT J.B. Shugarts
Defense: 2 – SAF Tyler Moeller, LB Andrew Sweat
Kickers: 0
Stadium Information
Name: Ohio Stadium
Capacity: 102,329
Surface: FieldTurf
Largest Crowd: 106,033 vs. Southern California, 2009
Ohio State Record at Ohio Stadium: 396-109-20
Press Box Phone: 614-292-1812
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