All Andy Groom ever wanted to do was play football at Ohio State.

But as a punter, who also played quarterback and cornerback at Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Groom wasn’t offered a scholarship by OSU coaches after his high school career ended.

That didn’t stop Groom.

Instead of going to a smaller school where he would have been offered a full scholarship to play football, Groom decided to walk on to the Buckeyes during his freshman year in 1998.

“I just wanted to come in and have a chance to play,” Groom said. “It’s something I always wanted to do.”

Five years and one national championship later, Groom isn’t about to stop. With his Buckeye career over, Groom has set his sights on a new prize — the National Football League.

“It’s something everyone dreams about,” Groom said. “I felt I had a pretty good career (at OSU), but I know I’m going to have to work hard to get a shot at playing in the pros.”

Luckily for Groom, he will have some help in his quest of reaching the NFL. Just days after the Buckeyes’ victory in the Fiesta Bowl, which signaled the end of his college eligibility, Groom began the daunting task of selecting an agent.

“I wanted someone I could go and talk to,” Groom said. “I needed someone I was going to be able to trust.”

For aspiring rookies, agents play a big role as they help educate teams on their clients’ ability and distribute tapes and written materials including scouting reports, all in an attempt to get their clients a contract.

While NCAA rules prohibit collegiate athletes from signing with an agent during their college careers, OSU and other schools typically host a group of agents to speak with their student-athletes. The meetings allow agents to meet with athletes and discuss what they should expect when hiring an agent. The group sessions also allow universities to keep agents legally involved with the athletes.

It was at OSU’s Host an Agent Day where Groom met his soon-to-be agent Jeff Chilcoat. Chilcoat and his Columbus-based agency, Sterling Sports Management, represent a number of professional football players, including Detroit Lion Eddie Drummond, Miami Dolphin Mark Royals and Kansas City Chief Kendall Gammon.

While Chilcoat’s credentials impressed Groom, he still wanted his family involved in the decision.

“My parents weighed heavily on my pick,” Groom said. “They really liked Jeff and expressed a liking of him.”

With his parents’ support, Groom officially selected Chilcoat to be his representative, and the two began working together. In the first few weeks, Chilcoat began shopping Groom around for endorsement deals.

“Andy’s so marketable,” Chilcoat said. “He was a walk-on, and every one of us dreams of doing that.”

But what makes Groom even more marketable to Columbus-area business is his connection to the city.

“Andy’s a Columbus boy,” Chilcoat said. “Andy’s as marketable in Columbus as anyone out there really.”

With Chilcoat being able to handle some off-the-field distractions, Groom was able to concentrate solely on getting ready to impress NFL scouts.

The first of those opportunities came on Jan. 11 at the East-West Shrine game, which was played at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco. While the game itself is the culmination of the college all-star experience, the week leading up to the game is used for working out in front of pro scouts. At the East-West game, Groom showed his skills to more than 100 NFL scouts.

“It really couldn’t have gone any better,” Groom said. “I had good practices all week long, and some people told me my stock rose because of it. I ended up with a 47 yard average in the game.”

During the all-star practices, Groom was also able to work on another skill he will have to learn to master in the NFL — kicking off. During his career at OSU, Groom didn’t kick off on a regular basis.

“It’s something I really didn’t do in college,” Groom said. “But it’s something you need to have in the pros. You have to show you have another tool to use.”

After the trip to San Francisco, Groom has spent the majority of his time working out and honing his skills at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

“Every morning, I get up and go run and lift at Woody Hayes,” he said. “I work on punting and kickoff and then pretty much eat right all day and take some supplements.”

While the East-West game was Groom’s first shot at impressing NFL scouts, his biggest test came last week when he reported to the NFL combine in Indianapolis. The combine is the time where scouts get a chance to look at all of the athletes vying for rookie contracts. Athletes are put through a variety of tests, including the shuttle run, bench press, vertical jump and psychological tests, just to name a few. These workouts can make or break an athlete’s chances of getting drafted.

“I just want to have a good showing,” Groom said. “I want to show the personnel guys that I have a personality and that I’m not just a punter or kickoff guy — I’m very athletic and can do things when I’m back there. I just want to show all the tools that I have.”

In two weeks, see how Groom fared at the combine and what exactly he does now that the college football season is over.