THIS WEEK IN TWITTER: A Look Back at Andy Katzenmoyer

 

By Bruce Thomas on May 14, 2022 at 2:35 pm

 

 

This Week in Twitter is a look at some of the week's best and most entertaining tweets from Buckeyeland and beyond.

Former Ohio State tight end and 2002 national champion Ben Hartsock reminded us how great All-American linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer was during his Buckeye career.

https://twitter.com/BenHartsock/status/1523415133145288704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1523415133145288704%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevenwarriors.com%2Fohio-state-athletics%2F2022%2F05%2F130878%2Fthis-week-in-twitter-former-buckeyes-praise-katzenmoyer-football-buckeyes-pay-tribute-to-their-moms-and-chris

Another member of the 2002 national championship team, linebacker Cie Grant, concurred with Hartsock. 

https://twitter.com/CieGrant/status/1523792098285133824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1523792098285133824%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elevenwarriors.com%2Fohio-state-athletics%2F2022%2F05%2F130878%2Fthis-week-in-twitter-former-buckeyes-praise-katzenmoyer-football-buckeyes-pay-tribute-to-their-moms-and-chris

Interview: Catching up with ‘The Big Kat’ Andy Katzenmoyer

 

One of OSU’s greatest players looks back on his career — and forward to the 2021 season

By David M Wheeler  Aug 21, 2021, 4:31pm EDT

Andy Katzenmoyer lines up against Missouri, Sept. 27, 1997.

They called him “The Big Kat” – and for good reason. As college linebackers go, Katzenmoyer was huge. His NFL Combine stats list him as 6-3, 258 lbs., the weight ranking him in the 98^th percentile at his position. And he was quick, like a cat. His 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash put him in the 82nd percentile at his position.

Andy’s 39” vertical jump and his 4.1 pro agility rating indicated his agility and athleticism. This combination of size, speed, and agility made Andy elite. The intensity he joined with his natural talents made him one of a kind, totally unique.

Katzenmoyer was a prize recruit for the Buckeyes when he came out of Westerville South (Ohio) High School in 1996. And his impact on the team was immediate. Andy was named Big Ten Freshman of the year for the 1996 season and was the first Ohio State linebacker to start the first game of his freshman season.

An All American both his sophomore and junior years, Katzenmoyer became the Buckeyes’ first Butkus Award winner in 1997 and was All Big Ten each of the three years that he played. His accumulated stats are impressive, indeed: 256 total tackles, 197 solo tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 6 interceptions. But the numbers tell only a partial story. The Big Kat owned any football field he played on. He was all over the field. Always on the ball. Hitting ferociously hard. Terrifying the opponent. He was something.

Katzenmoyer played on great John Cooper-coached Ohio State teams, which went a combined 32-5 during his three years as a player. 1998, his final season as a Buckeye, started off with a loud bang, as Andy graced the cover of the August 31, College Football Preview issue of Sports Illustrated. Both the linebacker and the team were flying high. The caption next to Katzenmoyer’s photo read: “Ohio State is #1, if Andy Katzenmoyer Makes the Grade.” Well, he earned an A+ for the season, and the SI prediction was nearly on the mark. The Bucks were ranked #1 all season until a four-point, November loss to Michigan State likely cost them the national championship, as they recovered from that defeat to beat Michigan and then Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl.

Drafted in the first round (28^th overall pick) by the New England Patriots, Katzenmoyer put up big numbers again, albeit in a pro career cut sadly short by injury. Andy played in 24 NFL games, starting 14 of them. He collected 101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a Super Bowl Championship ring for the Pats’ win over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Everyone who follows college football – certainly not just Buckeye fans – remembers Andy Katzenmoyer. LGHL caught up with Andy, now 43, and got his take on a number of topics.

On the sidelines, 1997.

LGHL: Coming out of Westerville South High School in 1996, you were regarded as one of the top defensive players (at any position) in the country. You must have been recruited by everybody, but, as essentially a Columbus native, did you consider committing to any school other than Ohio State?

Katzenmoyer: Yes. Despite being recruited by most schools across the country, it really came down to 3 schools that I was interested in attending. Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State. All three schools have had an excellent football tradition, especially at the linebacker position and all three ran the same defensive scheme but I chose OSU because I felt that I had the greatest opportunity for success. Plus, growing up in Central Ohio, I grew up a huge fan of the Buckeyes.

LGHL: Apparently, you wore #45 in high school. At OSU, that number was worn by two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin and had been retired. There’s a story that Archie went to your home and personally offered you #45 if you’d become a Buckeye. True?

Katzenmoyer: I asked to wear 45 after I had signed my letter of intent. Coach Cooper called me a week later and told me that Archie said he was fine with me wearing 45. I would have understood if Archie would have said no, but knowing Archie, that isn’t the kind of man he is.

LGHL: What was it like playing for your hometown team, always in front of family and friends?

Katzenmoyer: It was awesome! My family was able to attend all my games both home and away. I was also able to stay close to many of my high school friends that attended OSU.

LGHL: At Ohio State, you played on three great teams; two of them, in fact, 1996 and 1998, ranked #2 in the final AP polls, both going 11-1 for the season. What are some of your best – and worst — memories about those teams? Do any games particularly stand out?

Katzenmoyer: I played on 3 great teams. Only losing 5 games in 3 years in that era of Big 10 football is something to be proud of. Each and every week, we faced some of the best football players in the country. There are too many great memories to list! There is only one play that I wish I could redo. It was during the 1997 Michigan game. Late in the 4th quarter, we were down. It was 3rd and long and we knew that Michigan liked to run a screen pass to their tailback. The defensive call had me covering the TB in man to man. I read the play, slipped the blocker that Michigan had for me, saw the ball being thrown and thought I could pick the ball off. The ball floated more than I expected and I was only able to get a fingertip on the ball. Tipping the ball away but that close to a pick 6!

LGHL: On those Ohio State teams, many of your teammates, in addition to you, became Buckeye legends. Guys like David Boston, Joe Germaine, Luke Fickell, Antoine Winfield, Mike Vrabel. What do you remember about playing alongside them?

Katzenmoyer: I did have some amazing teammates. I was able to learn something from everyone that I played with. Whether it was something like in season prep, out of season prep, how to practice, how to play a game, and most importantly, how to compete every day.

LGHL: Personally at OSU, you accomplished about everything that a linebacker could: you started every game (even as a freshman), you were all Big-Ten all three years that you played, you were twice All-American, you won the Butkus Award for outstanding linebacker – the first Ohio State player to do so. Your stats for tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, interceptions are all jaw-dropping. Of all of these feats, what are you proudest of?

Katzenmoyer: I am most proud of beating Michigan in my last game in the shoe along with winning the Rose Bowl my freshman year and the Sugar Bowl my Junior year.

LGHL: You were selected in the first round (28^th overall) of the 1999 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. We all know that, after a great couple of years, including a Super Bowl victory in 2002, an injury cut short your pro career. But I’m sure that you had a good sense of what pro football was all about. In what ways does it differ from the college game?

Katzenmoyer: For me, the speed and ability of the players I played against didn’t surprise me as the Big Ten had some amazing talent. The biggest adjustment was the pre snap process and communication while also trying to learn the new terminology.

LGHL: What are you up to these days?

Katzenmoyer: I am happily married to my wife Tricia and we have 3 children, Griffin, Avery and Ava and I sell insurance for Hosket Ulen Insurance Solutions.

LGHL: What’s your prediction for the 2021 version of the Buckeyes as they approach the beginning of the season? Are they going to be hurting at linebacker?

Katzenmoyer: I think OSU will have a great season. Like most years, they lose some great players and they have to reload. I expect them to be playing in the Big Ten Championship and make the playoffs.

Annual Ohio State Blood Battle comes amid blood shortages during pandemic

 

by Chris White

Monday, October 26th 2020

<p>FILE - 38th Annual Blood Battle between Ohio State and Michigan Nov. 2019. (WSYX/WTTE) {/p}

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — The 39th Annual Blood Battle comes as blood donations are in high demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin and former NFL-star Andy Katzenmoyer are helping to kick off the battle at The Schottenstein Center this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“As one of the top hospitals in the nation, the Midwest’s largest cancer hospital and the area’s only academic medical center, we treat the most complex patients and perform the area’s most complicated treatments and procedures requiring blood and blood products,” said Dr. Scott Scrape, a pathologist and director of Transfusion Medicine at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “Right now, that supply is low due to the pandemic, and this push to restock blood supply will help so many people across the state.”

 

In 2019, more than 3,400 blood donations were collected between Ohio State and Michigan during the competition.

The Blood Battle runs through Nov. 25, with a goal of 1,500 total donations. Organizers sat there will be dozens of Blood Battle drives in and around the campus during the months of October and November.

More details can be found online here.

Ohio State Football: Interview with Buckeye legend Andy Katzenmoyer

by Steven Koesterman | 17 hours ago (April 8, 2020)

During his three years playing Ohio State football Andy Katzenmoyer was one of the best linebackers in all of college football.

Andy Katzenmoyer is one of the most decorated Ohio State football players of all time. The first linebacker to start for the Buckeyes his first game, Andy went on to become the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 3x All-Big Ten selection. He was also a consensus All-American, and as a sophomore in 1997 was the first Buckeye ever to win the Butkus Award.

During his three seasons as the face of the Buckeye defense, Katzenmoyer recorded 197 solo tackles, 256 total tackles, 50 tackles-for-loss, 18 sacks and 6 interceptions. After his stellar college career, Andy was chosen 28th overall by the New England Patriots in the 1999 NFL Draft.

A few notable draft picks in that 1999 draft include Donovan McNabb, Champ Bailey and Ricky Williams. Fellow Buckeye teammates David Boston and Antoine Winfield were selected in the first round as well.

Katzenmoyer was drafted to the Patriots at a unique time for the organization. With the Bill Parcells era ending a few years prior to his arrival, it was an interesting transition period for the Patriots. After the departure of Parcells, the Pete Carroll to Bill Belichick regimes were underway as Andy began his pro career.

Over the course of his 3-year career in the NFL, Andy started 14 of 24 games totaling 77 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks. He became a Super Bowl Champion when the Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI.

After his NFL career, Andy began on his “life after football” journey. After working in the Ohio State weight room, he fell in love with helping others and was inspired to open up his own training facility.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Andy. We talked about his days at Ohio State, his career with the Patriots and his enjoyment of training individuals at Katzenmoyer Performance.

Scarlet & Game: What is your best memory from Ohio State?

Andy Katzenmoyer: “There are quite a bit. I think the memories that I remember most would be in practice or training. We spent so much time as a group of guys and with our support staff. It is all those kinds of things that you miss as a player. You don’t miss getting beat up and knocked around and waking up bruised. It’s always fun to win the big games and make the big play but the stuff I really miss is the team camaraderie.”

Scarlet & Game: What was it like to play for Coach Cooper?

Andy: “I have a connection to Coach Cooper that not many people know. My father played college football at Iowa State. When he was a freshman, John Cooper was a senior. So there were some connections I already had. But, I didn’t know that to be honest with you. My dad never told me until Coach Coop came and visited me. My dad didn’t want me to be swayed in one way or another and I commend him for that.

At the end of the day, Coach Coop was always one of those guys that you could count on. He was a “no nonsense” type guy. He didn’t spend a ton of time coaching players. He coached his coaches that coached the players. So, his administrative style was a little different as far as leading a team. But he knew the game. He understood the game. He understood the politics with being a top 5 football coach. He had to have big shoulders when things didn’t go well and he had to understand that he wouldn’t always get the credit when things went great too.

For me, he was great. He brought Ohio State out of a tough period in the 80s and early 90s when Ohio State wasn’t doing well. He really put Ohio State back on the map and set them on the trajectory that they are at today.”

Scarlet & Game: Who was the best RB you played against at Ohio State?

Andy: “There are 2 guys that stand out. The first was Curtis Enis. He was such a specimen as far as his size and his speed, the team he played on (Penn State). The offensive philosophy was very pro-style. run downhill. He had a huge offensive line. I remember playing them my sophomore year up at Penn State and just not being able to stop him. It was the most frustrating game I ever played in. By far. We were scoring back and forth. But we just could not stop them defensively. That was the one game that always stood out to me.

The other guy was Plaxico Burress. When he came in ’98 to Michigan State. He was 6’6” and 230lb and at that time it wasn’t a thing yet but he was “Mossing” everyone. It was crazy. We couldn’t stop him.

Those were the 2 players that stood out to me that were just unstoppable.”

Scarlet & Game: Who are your Top 5 Ohio State LBs of all time?

Andy: “Ohio State has always consistently had good classes of linebackers. Some years are better than others. Some years are loaded. I remember watching Speilman in the 80s. Cousineau played in the 70s. They’re in my top 5. I would say Speilman, Cousineau, AJ Hawk and James Laurinaitis.

My last one is someone who was a great linebacker and someone I played with, Na’il Diggs.  He didn’t get enough credit. He was one of those guys, man. He was fast. He was big. He played like 10 or 12 years in the NFL. He played next to me during my last season at Ohio State. Just a good, solid player. But, he was a little bit overshadowed by myself and my notoriety. He was a fantastic and amazing player.”

Scarlet & Game: What was in like playing in the Patriots organization and playing under Coach Belichick?

Andy: “It was pretty cool during the window that I came in to. New England really wasn’t on my radar as far as a team that I would have a chance to get drafted to just through talking with my agent and different draft projections.

When I got there, there were guys that were still held over from the Bill Parcells era. He was shortly removed from there. There was kind of that feel with how things were with him. I got drafted by Pete Carroll and my linebacker coach was Bo Pelini. There were lots of connections. Pete was the secondary coach for Ohio State in 1979 under Earl Bruce. Bo played at Ohio State.

To see both Pete and Bo have success in their careers was cool to see. They were in New England for a year and then the whole staff got let go. To see Pete go to USC then from USC to Seattle. To see his success, knowing his style from being under his coaching tutelage. Then to see Bo Pelini go from New England to eventually the head coach of Nebraska and now the defensive coordinator at LSU was very cool.

Just to see their styles and what they went on to achieve in their careers was great to see. At that time, it didn’t work in New England for whatever reason but to see them be successful was cool.

And it was cool to be in New England at the starting point of where that organization is now with Belichick and to see all the players to come in and come out. But, really it’s been a consistent handful of guys and their leadership to know that there are different styles of coaching, administrative and player personnel. To see it all gel the way it did in New England, its been cool for me to look back and say that I was a small part of that success.

There is definitely a business feel to playing in the professionals. More so for me than playing in college even though college is a big business. That first year under Belichick. I mean front office staff, players, administrative people, trainers, coaches and everyone was under the radar and felt the pressure. He (Belichick) needed to figure out what was working, what didn’t work, who was going to be a good fit. There were guys who were very talented but they didn’t mesh well to what he wanted to do and those guys went on to fit in well with other NFL organizations.

The nice thing is that there are only 32 teams in the NFL and you just have to do your job. If your job doesn’t fit the goals or style of a certain team, there are always 31 other teams that if you can play, you can find a way to play.”

Scarlet & Game: What have you been up to since your NFL playing days?

Andy: “After I retired, I spent about 3 years not sure knowing what to do with my life. Back in the mid 2000s, I bought a house and tried to flip it. I think I made a couple hundred bucks and I was like well that was fun but I’m not going to do that again. The market was hot but it just wasn’t worth my time with the pitfalls that I could fall into.

I did a handful of other things but nothing of much substance. Then I went back to Ohio State and I helped out for 2 quarters in the football weight room. I really enjoyed my time there and fell in love with that. After doing that, I decided to eventually open my own training facility to not just train athletes but to train the larger population of people. Whether it may be wives, kids, husbands, older folks, athletes. I’ve been doing that ever since.”

Scarlet & Game: Has that been rewarding?

Andy: “It has been rewarding. It has its challenges. I enjoy being a business owner. I enjoy the challenges. I have learned a lot too. I have made a lot of great relationships and friendships through this process which has been a huge bonus. I have helped a lot of people which I absolutely enjoy and love and I am proud of that.

I have worked with athletes from elementary school to the professionals. General population from little kids to people in their 70s and 80s. The sole purpose of what I do is to provide and make a benefit in someone else’s life. Whether it be that they can move better in their everyday life or they get a tenth of a second faster in their 40 for the combine. Everything and anything in between. It has been really rewarding. I decided that I didn’t want to get stuck in one lane of training so that’s why my clientele is so diverse.

Athletes are always fun to work with. They come in and work hard. But, they are only a limited population of people. I really like helping and encouraging every day people to be healthy and happy and to improve their everyday lives if I can.”

Scarlet & Game: What is your greatest piece of advice?

Andy: “I’m going to give you a quote that I have hanging in my office. The quote is, ‘to be successful, you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, then resolve to pay the price to get it’.

I look back at my life and for me I never let relationships or things get in my way of my career goals. I very much had tunnel vision on what I wanted to achieve and accomplish. I allowed very little distraction to get in the way of that.”

Thank you to the former Buckeye great for his time!!

Rewind: Katzenmoyer headlined Ohio State's No. 1 class in 1996

By STEVE HELWAGEN 

19 hours ago (April 8, 2020)

EDITOR’S NOTE – With college and professional sports on a hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we will spend time during the month of April looking back at past Ohio State football recruiting classes. We will look at classes over the last 30 years. We hope you enjoy these lookbacks at some great recruiting stories over the years.

As things stand, Ohio State has an early and commanding lead in the race to sign the No. 1-ranked football recruiting class for the 2020 cycle.

We continue our series looking at Ohio State recruiting classes over the last three decades. And in all of that time, Ohio State has signed roughly 20 classes judged among the top 10. Six of those classes have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the country.

But only one OSU class in the last 30 years came in as the nation’s No. 1-ranked class. That happened in 1996 as head coach John Cooper, recruiting coordinator Bill Conley and the rest of the coaching staff brought in a 26-man class filled with blue chippers at nearly every position.

As was noted in our 1995 class analysis, there was uncertainty a year earlier with no clear cut coordinator running the class. The Buckeyes lost out on a ton of top prospects, including future Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson who ended up at Michigan.

“Number one, John Cooper put a priority on recruiting from Day One after national signing day last year,” said Bill Kurelic, then the editor of The Ohio Football Recruiting News (and now with Bucknuts.com). “The coaching staff was meeting for four hours a week to discuss and coordinate its recruiting efforts almost from signing day last year on.

“I also think having Bill Conley solely in charge took care of some of the confusion they had there last year. I think Bill Conley is an outstanding recruiting coordinator. He is very organized and very thorough.”

Cooper was beaming on national signing day 1996 as the rankings came in from one analyst after another.

“There are a lot of happy faces over here, including the head coach,” Cooper said. “I think our coaches, starting with Bill Conley, our recruiting coordinator, did a hell of a job this year. The best thing we did was get on these players early. This probably the smoothest class we’ve brought in here from the standpoint of identifying who we wanted early, offering scholarships and getting commitments.”

Ohio State landed eight of Ohio’s top 10 prospects for 1996, including the biggest fish of all with USA Today All-USA first team linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer from nearby Westerville South. That group was among 15 Ohio players in the class.

Below, we take a look at how Ohio State’s highest ranked recruiting class of the last 30 years came together in 1996.

THE SETTING

* 1995 Season: 11-2 overall, 7-1 Big Ten (second), ranked sixth in AP poll

* Meeting Michigan: Playing as the nation’s No. 2-ranked team and playing for the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl berth, lost to No. 12 Michigan 31-23 in Ann Arbor.

* Bowl Game: Lost to Tennessee 20-14 in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The teams were tied for the No. 4 ranking in the AP poll going into the game.

CLASS DATA

* Ranking: Ranked first nationally by Tom Lemming, Bobby Burton of The National Recruiting Advisor and Phil Grosz, ranked second by Max Emfinger, ranked sixth by SuperPrep.

* Number Of Signees: 26

* Top Signees: Players listed as All-Americans by Lemming (top 160) or BlueChip Illustrated (top 100) included LB Andy Katzenmoyer, OL Jefferson Kelley, DB Mike Burden, DB Gary Berry, LB Na’il Diggs, RB Nick Goings, DE Kevin Johnson, DE Marcus Perez, LB Jerry Westbrooks, RB Michael Wiley.

* Other Signees: WR David Boston, OL Joe Brown, QB Mark Garcia (JUCO transfer), OL Benji Gilbert, TE Mike Gurr, TE Kevin Houser, DE Brent Johnson, DL Paris Long, OL Kurt Murphy, WR Vanness Provitt, DB Garrett Shea, DB Rolland Steele, K Dan Stultz, OL Tyson Walter, WR Darik Warnke, DE Clinton Wayne.

* Key Misses: RB Durell Price (UCLA), OL Marc Kielmeyer (Penn State), TE Dan O’Leary (Notre Dame), QB Rashard Casey (Penn State), QB Tim Couch (Kentucky).

THE SKINNY

Ohio State pulled out all of the stops to bring in the nation’s best class in 1996. The linchpin was home grown linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, a prep All-American from Westerville South. His name had been on everybody’s mind since he was identified as one of the nation’s top 1996 prospects during his junior year at South in 1994. There were comparisons with Chris Spielman, an Ohio-bred All-American linebacker from a decade prior.

There was concern he might follow in the footsteps of former Westerville South star Ki-Jana Carter, who became an All-American running back at Penn State. Katzenmoyer did consider Penn State as well as Nebraska, Michigan and Boston College. But he convened a press conference at his school on Oct. 26, 1995, to let the world know he would stay home and play for the Buckeyes.

Katzenmoyer rarely disappointed, too, as he came in started every game in his three-year career. He was a three-time All-Big Ten pick and won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 1997. He played on a pair of teams that won the Big Ten championship and finished ranked No. 2 nationally.

How important was Andy Katzenmoyer? Cooper went to Archie Griffin to get his permission to let the latest Buckeye prodigy wear his uniform No. 45. Nobody had worn that number in the 20 years since Griffin had won his second Heisman Trophy … and nobody has worn it since.

OSU also signed Ohio’s No. 2 prospect in Cincinnati Colerain OL Jefferson Kelley, although Kelley never quite lived up to his billing and left the program after two seasons. Likewise, Dublin Coffman RB Nick Goings also lasted for a couple of seasons before transferring to Pittsburgh. Illinois DB Mike Burden, a USA Today All-USA pick, had off-the-field issues and was gone after one season at OSU.

There were plenty of hits, however. Texas WR David Boston, like Katzenmoyer, came in and started from day one. He set various OSU receiving records and, also like Katzenmoyer, was off to the NFL after three great seasons in the Scarlet and Gray. California RB Michael Wiley was a key backup and returner for two years before starting at tailback his last two seasons.

This was a very good offensive line class with Kurt Murphy, Ben Gilbert and Tyson Walter all starting multiple years for the Buckeyes.

One of the biggest recruiting visit weekends came in early December. The OSU staff convened recruits in one area where they could see Eddie George claim the 1995 Heisman Trophy on a big screen – as his coaches and teammates roared their approval. That weekend netted several key commitments. He was joined as a national award winner by OL Orlando Pace (1995 Lombardi Award) and WR Terry Glenn (1995 Biletnikoff Award).

There were a couple good late signees as well. Columbus DeSales DB Gary Berry spurned Notre Dame and picked Ohio State about a week after signing day. He ended up as a three-year starter at safety.

And California LB Na’il Diggs had actually signed with USC. But after a dispute, a family member retrieved the signed letter and he instead enrolled at Ohio State. He would become a two-year starter and an All-American as well for the Buckeyes.

Members of this class combined to fill 10 of the 22 starting spots on the 1998 team, which was No. 1 most of the season before finishing 11-1 overall and ending up No. 2 in the final polls. Despite the lack of a national championship, that is still considered one of the best teams in the history of Ohio State football.

As you can see, this was one heck of a recruiting class – perhaps the best in modern Ohio State annals.

COACH’S COMMENTS

Cooper on basing the class on Ohio prospects: “The thing that is most satisfying to me is that we got most of the players in the state of Ohio this year. We got out early. The high school coaches in the state really helped us. Eleven of these guys were in our football camp, so we probably know more about these guys than any group we’ve ever had.”

Cooper on whether Ohio State is “back” as a national power: “We’ve won 30 games the last three years. I hope we’re back. I think most people around the country think we’re back, think we’ve been back. Obviously, we’ve got to finish a little stronger than we did this year, but a lot of people would love to be 11-2.

“It’s hard to say how much (the awards) helped, but obviously they helped. All of the exposure, everything, helps. The morale, the way the players jumped in and helped with recruiting, the great academics, the tradition, the excitement that was generated here, the exposure on television … all of that helps.”

Cooper on Katzenmoyer having a chance to play right away: “There isn’t a player we signed who we have promised anything like, ‘You’re going to start.’ Our attitude is pretty simple – the best players play. We think some of them are talented enough to come in and play.

“We won’t treat Andy any differently than we treat anybody else. If he’s better than the other linebackers we have, then he plays. That’s the way we operate, and that’s why we have such good morale on this football team. If Andy is good enough to play, he’ll play, and we feel like he probably is good enough to play.”

FOUR-YEAR RECORD

Here is how the class fared over its four-year run at Ohio State:

* 1996: 11-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten (tied for first), ranked second in AP poll

* 1997: 10-3 overall, 6-2 Big Ten (second), ranked 12^th in AP poll

* 1998: 11-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten (tied for first), ranked second in AP poll

* 1999: 6-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten (tied for sixth), unranked

* Four-Year Record: 38-11 overall (.776), two Big Ten championships, three top 25 finishes, two top five finishes.

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING

* Starter Seasons: 28 total: LB Andy Katzenmoyer (3, 1996, ’97, ’98), WR David Boston (3, 1996, ’97, ’98), OT Tyson Walter (4, 1997, ’98, ’99, 2001), OL Kurt Murphy (3, 1997, ’98, ’99), OL Ben Gilbert (3, 1997, ’98, ’99), DB Gary Berry (3, 1997, ’98, ’99), DE Brent Johnson (3, 1998, ’99, 2000), DT Joe Brown (1, 1998), LB Na’il Diggs (2, 1998, ’99), RB Michael Wiley (2, 1998, ’99), OL Mike Gurr (1, 2000). … Note: The Ohio State media guide lists these players as starters for the majority of games in the seasons listed.

* All-Big Ten Picks: 7 total: LB Andy Katzenmoyer (3, 1996, ’97, ’98), WR David Boston (2, 1997, ’98), LB Na’il Diggs (1, 1998), RB Michael Wiley (1, 1998).

* All-American Picks: 3 total: LB Andy Katzenmoyer (1, 1997), WR David Boston (1, 1998), LB Na’il Diggs (1, 1999).

* NFL Draft Picks: 6 total, 2 first round picks.

1999 Draft: WR David Boston (first round, eighth overall, Arizona Cardinals), LB Andy Katzenmoyer (first round, 28^th overall, New England Patriots).

2000 Draft: LB Na’il Diggs (fourth round, Green Bay Packers), DB Gary Berry (fourth round, Green Bay Packers), RB Michael Wiley (fifth round, Dallas Cowboys).

2001 Draft: LS Kevin Houser (seventh round, New Orleans Saints).