Unlike other players at Ohio State, Joe Bauserman didn’t head into the college football scene right after high school. Instead, he skipped a step.
Bauserman entered into the pros before playing at OSU, not for football, but as a minor league baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It’s been three years since the backup quarterback walked on for the Buckeyes, and he still feels content about switching sports.
“I miss the game,” Bauserman said. “But I certainly don’t miss the business.”
Before he ever played at the professional or collegiate level, Bauserman was making waves in both Virginia and Florida, where he played high school ball. He made all-state for both football and baseball, and was verbally committed to OSU before choosing baseball as his destination after high school.
Since Bauserman left the minor leagues and returned to his college of choice, he has moved from zero playing time to third string and finally to his current position as backup quarterback to Terrelle Pryor.
His improvement is something that quarterback coach Nick Siciliano has certainly taken note of.
“He’s been trying to get better consistently,” Siciliano said. “It always gets better when you’ve played two sports and you’ve been doing it so long; things get clearer for you. It’s just a case of him getting better and better at his craft.”
In the past three years, Bauserman has also noticed a change in his game.
“I’ve gotten better at the whole running thing,” Bauserman said. “Now I know if you get four yards, you get four yards. You don’t try running around for 15 yards wasting time.”
“My overall consistency is better as well,” he said. “I’ve been making the right reads, taking what I can get. It’s the little things.”
Despite not having the starting job, Bauserman continues to battle against the other quarterbacks during practice, trying to prove himself in every aspect of his game.
“I feel strongly about the way I perform in practice nine times out of 10,” he said. “I just jump in and take it as it comes. I’m always coming in competing and trying to beat the next guy.”
As a backup, Bauserman usually doesn’t see time until the fourth quarter of a game that has already been decided. For him, taking over for Pryor at the end of games is bittersweet.
“It’s a good feeling, getting in there, but it’s hard,” Bauserman said. “You’ve been standing there on your feet for two hours, and then you have to go get warmed up.”
Some players might get restless spending their time as a backup, but Bauserman is just trying to make the most of his experience at OSU both on and off the field.
“It’s just another year under my belt. Any time you can get more experience, it helps you out,” he said. “Everybody’s just trying to get out of college, but I’m just trying to sit back and enjoy the time I’ve got left.”
