Ramzy's piece on Clarett

[danwismar]

Ramzy from 11W landed an interview with MoC, and the result is typically excellent:

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2011/09/t ... ence-maker

[JCoz]

Ramzy from 11W landed an interview with MoC, and the result is typically excellent:

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2011/09/t ... ence-maker

Ramzy has really been a man on fire these last 6 months.

[danwismar]

I've been following MoC on Twitter since Ramzy put his Twitter feed link in the article.

Seems like a genuinely contrite, humble and thoughtful guy these days. Think that anger issue might finally be conquered...or at least controlled. Not sure I'll need to continue to read Maurice's every waking thought, but it's been interesting for a couple weeks

[gotribe31]

It was an outstanding piece. Not sure if you've seen it yet or not, but Grantland has part 1 of a 2 part article, Maurice on Maurice. Interesting stuff.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/708 ... -two-parts

[noles1]

New piece posted today...

I'll never get over how much of a 180 this kid has done. It's unreal looking back. He was there in his orange Escalade while I was finishing up school then the '04 season happened and subsequent drafting, then gun charge. Just a tremendous story arc of life and redemption.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/720 ... -two-parts

[danwismar]

That is good stuff...

thought this passage about JT and Andy Geiger was telling...he really did deserve to get thrown off the team after the stunt(s) he pulled in Arizona and later...but it's interesting to hear him say Geiger was the heavy in his mind...here talking about the opener against Texas Tech

I can remember not having too much success on our first two series, and I remember Tressel telling me that I had only one series left. As fate would have it, I broke a 48-yard run on an off-tackle play. That was when I introduced myself to the world and my life changed forever. I was no longer Reese from Youngstown. I was Ohio State's freshman tailback.

The first person to try to pull the reins and give me some advice on how to handle my success was Coach Tress. He called me into his office the following Monday and laid out 13 issues that I would face throughout the year, and lord knows that was my sign to avoid all the pitfalls I fell inside. His topics ranged from leadership to teamwork to friends to scheduling time to women, etc., etc., etc. I believe that he knew all of his information went through one ear and out of the other. I didn't care to hear what he had to say at that time, and in the long run I paid the price. He tried to give me the game plan for success, but I just wasn't ready. I was caught into the fast life. I was living for the moment, and it felt good.

Everyone needs to put my and Tressel's relationship in the proper context. He did everything in his power to help me, but I didn't want to listen. I wanted to be a gangsta playing football who hung out with big crowds and had sex with lots of women. My focus wasn't set on being a better man. When I got in trouble, he told me to tell the truth to the NCAA, but I didn't want to. My archenemy at that time was Ohio State's athletic director, Andy Geiger. Tressel had no power when we won the championship. It was just his second year. He was still adjusting to the fame, like me. Geiger felt as if he had already gotten a championship out of me, and he could win with the other guys. I was accepting illegal benefits, but they certainly didn't call for the severity of suspension that was imposed upon me. I sparked the fire when I called OSU liars at the national championship game, and when the NCAA came to investigate me, Geiger served me up on a platter. No protection from him. I've never had a problem with anyone at Ohio State, only Andy Geiger.