At 6-foot-4-inches tall and 313 pounds, Bryant Browning doesn’t look like the typical scholar, but when he’s not opening running lanes or protecting the quarterback, he’s making the grade.

A three-year starter on the offensive line, and one of six team captains, Browning has been named a semi-finalist for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy, commonly known as the Academic Heisman.

“I’m definitely honored. It’s a very prestigious award,” Browning said. “I like the recognition that you worked hard till the end throughout your college career.”

As a fifth-year marketing major and Big Ten All-Academic athlete, Browning’s education has always been very important to him.

“When I first started playing sports my parents and grandparents always reminded me that school came first,” Browning said. “I had an older brother that always did well in school while he played sports, so I guess I always tried to follow behind him and always tried to keep my grades up and do the best I can.”

The valedictorian of his graduating class, Browning played at Cleveland Glenville High School, where he was an All-State offensive lineman and helped lead Glenville to the regional finals in both his junior and senior years.

With Glenville being known for producing high-caliber football players like Ted Ginn Jr. and Troy Smith, Browning was initially overshadowed by two of his high school teammates Ray Small and Robert Rose.

“I don’t know, I feel that coming from Glenville we all have a lot of talent,” Browning said. “Personally I felt that if I came in to Ohio State with an open mind and was willing to work, that things were going to be fine.”

Browning was redshirted his freshman year while Small and Rose saw early playing time. Though as time went on, Browning became a starter in his third year while Small and Rose never realized their full potential and fell out of the lime light.

Having always won a Big Ten Championship and been undefeated against Michigan in his four years here, Browning still has a lot of unfinished business.

“I want to win another Big Ten championship, beat Michigan again, and also go undefeated and win a national championship,” Browning said. “I had a taste of it my first couple years here, but never really got all the way through with it.”

Browning said that his years at OSU have gone by too fast, and that he hopes he left a legacy here.

“I guess if there’s one thing, I’d like to be remembered as a great teammate,” Browning said. “Someone who cared about the younger players and tried to teach them things whenever possible, a guy who you could always come to and count on when things weren’t going great for you.”

After his playing days at OSU are over, Browning wants to try and play in the NFL, but says that if that doesn’t work out he may try to go to graduate school in marketing or law school.

“I just hope to have a successful life in anything I try to do,” Browning said. “I just know that I have to be willing to work at it if I want things to turn out the right way.”