Columbus, Ohio – Ted Ginn Jr. stood Thursday in a hallway of Ohio State’s magnificent Woody Hayes Athletic Center, around the corner from more than a half-century of Buckeyes greatness. The crystal ball of the 2002 national championship trophy glistened in the middle of the lobby, guarded by a sentry of six Heisman trophies.
From Les Horvath in 1944 to Archie Griffin in 1975 to a huddle of Big 10 championship hardware, you could almost hear Hayes’ whistle somewhere in the distance. The connection between the room’s past and future stood right around the corner.
And the world knows it.
In his hands, Ginn, a converted high school cornerback, thumbed through this week’s Sports Illustrated with him on the cover.
“I knew I could play offense,” said Ginn, his eyes not looking up from the five-page spread, “but I didn’t think I’d be their guy.”
His arrival into the consciousness of college football fans may be complete Saturday night when No. 4 Ohio State (1-0) hosts No. 2 Texas (1-0) at 6 p.m. MDT. He also could single-handedly change the power axis of college football this season.
Don’t laugh. Anyone who has seen Ginn return punts or take an end sweep with his 4.22 speed knows his power.
Texas knows.
On a night when a win could put Texas on the path to the national title game in the Rose Bowl, the biggest key for the Longhorns may be stopping Ginn. In only one year at Ohio State, his star is already as high as anyone in the college football galaxy.
Wrap your fantasy league around this little factoid: Last year, as a true freshman, Ginn touched the ball 55 times. And scored eight touchdowns. His four punt returns for scores broke the Big Ten record for a season and Ohio State’s for a career. Used all over the backfield, he added two runs for scores and two touchdown receptions.
“You know he’s really, really fast,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said. “I mean, really fast. You’ve got to realize that. And I’ll say it again how really fast he is.
“Now there are a lot of guys that we’ve always been around who are really, really fast but aren’t necessarily good football players. No. 1, a lot of times I’ve been around a lot of fast guys who don’t have a change in direction. And he has as good change of direction as he does speed.”
After Ginn beat Michigan State with a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown, a 58-yard touchdown reception and a 17-yard touchdown on a reverse, Michigan State coach John L. Smith gushed, “On the field, he’s the fastest kid I’ve seen in person. I wish I hadn’t seen him in person.”
Ginn’s 25.6-yard punt-return average led the nation and broke the school record.
How good an athlete is Ginn? He was the USA Today and SuperPrep defensive player of the year at Cleveland’s Glenville High School and at quarterback was one of Ohio’s three offensive players of the year.
He started fall camp last season as a cornerback. Ohio State was loaded in the secondary, so he began working more on offense, where the Buckeyes were so dismal a year earlier the Theta Chi social chairman could’ve been the most explosive player in the backfield.
He made the switch and hasn’t played cornerback since.
“They talked a little about me playing offense during recruiting,” Ginn said. “They said I’d play corner and play a little bit of offense, 10 or 12 plays. They didn’t say anything about moving me. I had no reaction. I just went over and played ball.”
Oh, yes. Football may not be his best sport.
Ginn won the national junior championship in the 110 high hurdles as a high school junior and had the nation’s best time as a senior when he defended his state title.
As a junior in 2002, his 13.4 would have qualified him for the U.S. Olympic Trials. He’ll run track this spring.
So how much overtime has Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik been putting in this week? Whatever Chizik has done, he hasn’t worked as hard as Ginn to get here.
Plagued by a learning disability discovered in grade school, Ginn had to overcome such public humiliation as a sixth-grade teacher telling him in front of class that he’d be flipping burgers some day.
He wound up graduating from Glenville in the top 10 percent of his class and had a B average as a freshman at Ohio State. He got straight A’s in work ethic.
As a youngster, his mother, Jeanette, gave him the chore of sweeping the porch every day at 8 a.m. Then at noon. Then again at 6 p.m. That’s besides mowing, painting and raking.
Not only did the Ginns have the cleanest porch in Cleveland, but Ginn put that discipline into becoming the best athlete he could once his skills became apparent. He got up every morning at 5:15 in the offseason to run and lift. Every day.
“It kept me out of trouble a lot as a young kid,” he said. “Then it helps you when you get older. You’ve got to wake up at the same time. You’ve got to eat at 8. You’ve got to eat at 12. You’ve got to eat at 6. It’s things that help you out.”
He’ll have a little added incentive Saturday besides a more direct path to the Rose Bowl. Ted Ginn Sr., his coach at Glenville, underwent treatment for cancer during fall camp and suffered post-procedure complications. He has recovered, and though he’s not back to coaching, he will be in the Ohio Stadium stands.
“He’s meant everything to me,” Ginn Jr. said. “That’s Pops. He keeps me based.”
Saturday night, Texas can only be so lucky.
Ted Ginn Jr. file
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Cleveland
Height/weight: 6 feet, 175 pounds
Position: Flanker, kick returner
At Ohio State: Sensational true- freshman season a year ago as he emerged into one of the most dangerous players in the college game. In preseason worked as a defensive back, but moved to offense early in season. Also took seven snaps at quarterback in bowl-game victory over Oklahoma State. … Scored eight touchdowns, four on punt returns, two on runs and two on pass receptions. … Averaged 25.6 yards per punt return, a school record.
High school: Displayed blazing speed as track star and football player at Glenville High School. … Intercepted eight passes. … On offense, he played quarterback, receiver and running back at various times. …National champion in 110 high hurdles as a junior.
(Source: Ohio State)
Staff writer John Henderson can be reached at 303-820-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
