The senior leaders on the Ohio State football team ended their careers at OSU with a triumphant Rose Bowl win, but their work isn’t over.
Several of the top seniors and junior Thaddeus Gibson have spent their time after the bowl victory not by celebrating but by preparing for the next step of their football careers.
The process of moving from college football to the NFL involves intense training to prepare for the NFL Combine and Ohio State Pro Day. The tests given at these events measures the intangibles that NFL teams want their players to possess: Speed, agility, strength, physical attributes and reaction time, mental reasoning and character are all tested in one way or another.
For the Buckeyes, the training can be a time to prove they are prepared for the next level, but it is also different than how they prepared in their time at OSU thus far.
Some of the players said the things they do now to get ready are a bit unorthodox compared to the football training they were used to, but they must do everything they can to better themselves.
“They always say you’re training to be a football player when you’re at Ohio State and you’re training to be a track star when you’re training for the Combine, but then you go back to football,” linebacker Austin Spitler said. “Its kind of hard to understand sometimes because you’re not really showcasing your football abilities. But its something that’s been going on for a while now and you have to do well at it if you want to be successful.”
The schedule is rigorous for the former Buckeyes. For most of them, it includes turning their attention from being a student as well as an athlete to being a full-time athlete.
For many of them it includes changing their lifestyle to fit what will most likely be their job from now on.
“Sometimes you come in Saturday morning for a couple hours, maybe not such an intense workout but more technique stuff,” Spitler said. “It’s pretty intense and our bodies are feeling it.”
Changing not only their fitness programs but also what they put into their bodies is also key as players prepare for the Combine. If a player shows up out of shape or with their weight not where it should be, it conveys an alarming sign of a lack of discipline and work ethic.
“I am on a strict diet,” safety Kurt Coleman said. “I have someone cooking me food, my brother is helping me keep on my weight. So it is pretty strenuous.”
While the OSU staff helps the players excel in their time here as players, the staff’s work doesn’t stop once a player has played their last game for the Scarlet and Gray. If a player has NFL aspirations, the staff will do everything they can to get them there.
The players work primarily with Eric Lichter, OSU’s director of football performance. His main role is to oversee everything pertaining to strength and conditioning while helping to improve speed and explosiveness.
Lichter works with each prospect in an effort to improve anything they might be lacking headed into workouts. Little skills and techniques he teaches could mean a split-second difference in a drill and in turn a difference in where a guy is drafted.
His knowledge and experience is something that can positively impact each player and help them to make strides toward the next level.
“The coaches have been wonderful,” Spitler said. “I know coach Lichter, I think this is his favorite thing. He is really passionate about it and really good at it. So most of the time we’ve been with the coaches and always had someone there to help us and guide us. We’ve been really fortunate for that.”
