Ohio State’s Tressel pays Hoban a visit fresh off of Rose Bowl victory
.
January 6, 2010
Joe Easton
The Knights had a Buckeye in their midst on the morning of Jan. 5. Jim Tressel, national college football icon and head coach at the Ohio State University, visited the Castle only days after his team beat the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl by a score of 26-17.
While at Hoban, Tressel had the opportunity to catch up with an old friend: history teacher and Hoban football’s head coach, Ralph Orsini. Although he only stayed for roughly an hour, Tressel spoke with Orsini, athletic director Sean Quinn and a host of students and teachers alike who wanted nothing more than to simply say, “Congrats on that Rose Bowl victory, Coach Tressel!” Fortunately, Coach Tressel was humble enough to give some of his time to Hoban’s own media, as the Visor got to know a little bit more about the man with the sweater vest.
Q: How long have you been friends with Coach O [Orsini]?
Tressel: “Ralph [Orsini] and I go way back. I met him while I was coaching at Youngstown State, and we have been friends ever since. “
Q: Have you been interested in Hoban athletes in the past?
Tressel: “Are you kidding me? Ralph has helped me recruit some of my best players while I was at Youngstown. Donnie Zwisler and Leon Jones both came out of Hoban and
played for me at Youngstown.” Editor’s note: Tressel coached at Youngstown State from 1985 to 2000. He won national championships in Division I-AA in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997.
Q: What do you look for in athletes that you want for the college level?
Tressel: “I look for a lot of things. First, my guys have got to have character. They also need to make sure that they uphold the academic side of a student-athlete. Of course, Ohio State is looking for the top talent not only in the state, but in the nation. I look for athletes with those qualities – that’s why I’m here today.”
Q: What can high school athletes do to improve their chances to play in college?
A: “College coaches always look for dedication in athletes. When I see guys that have been going to football camps and giving up weeks in their summers to improve themselves, I know that I’ve got a dedicated athlete on my hands.”
Q: Can we expect a national championship at Ohio State soon?
A: “You can definitely expect my team to be working their tails off to get one.”
We took that as a “yes.”
Leave a Reply
Reader Survey
Loading ...