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BELLVILLE, Ohio - Take it from Art Schlichter, the most coveted quarterback to play for Ohio State until Wednesday's signing of Terrelle Pryor: the 6-foot-6 prep All-American should be in no rush to make his mark with the Buckeyes.
"When you're a quarterback taking a step up to college or the pros, it's a tougher position than most to step right in and play," the former Ohio State All-American said. "You're the leader of the team and you're expected to know what everybody's doing and be confident about it, but the game is so much faster. "When I went from high school to college, it was amazing to me the quickness of all the players. Then when I jumped from college to the pros, everybody was good. It took awhile to get used to and I never reached my potential as a pro.
"Any time a kid can sit back and learn it can only help him." In retrospect, Schlichter said he probably should have redshirted in 1978 as a freshman member of Woody Hayes' final recruiting class. Instead, he unseated senior incumbent Rod Gerald, an option quarterback who had taken OSU to a share of the Big Ten title the season before.
Schlichter threw five interceptions in his debut, a 19-0 loss to Penn State in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes' 7-4-1 season ended with another interception by Schlichter, sealing a 17-15 loss to Clemson in the Gator Bowl. It is a play that will forever live in OSU infamy. Middle guard Charlie Bauman picked off Schlichter's pass with the Buckeyes in field goal range and ran out of bounds in front of the OSU bench. In a fit of rage, Hayes snapped and slugged Bauman. Ohio State had no choice but to force its legendary coach to resign. "Playing right away was important to me," Schlichter said. "It was more of an ego thing than anything. I probably could have used the redshirt year as much as anybody. My first four games I threw 16 interceptions. I got baptized real quick. "Fortunately, I survived it and was coming on at the end of my freshman year. Then I had a great sophomore season and that served as a springboard to my last two years." Schlichter is a fan of Todd Boeckman, who last season, his first as a starter, led the Buckeyes to an undisputed Big Ten title and a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game. Boeckman threw 25 touchdowns and led the Big Ten in pass efficiency. "Following a guy like (2006 Heisman Trophy winner) Troy Smith was a tough follow-up, and I thought Boeckman did a great job," Schlichter said. "I'm sure Pryor will be given the opportunity to show what he can do and, certainly, if he warrants it, they'll give him some playing time in spots. "I just think you're messing with the dynamics of your team if you're taking a kid (Boeckman), who's been at the school for five years and really been the backbone of the offense when it comes to stability and paid his dues ... it sends a tough message if he doesn't keep the position."
Schlichter, whose professional career and personal life unraveled because of a gambling addiction, still holds several school passing records, including most yards in a game (458) and career (7,547). "There's a lot more hype now," he said. "When I played there was no ESPN. There were a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure. But I think today's kids are more prepared than I was... "Some kids are more prepared than others. (Pryor) might be ready to go, I don't know. I'm so shocked that he picked Ohio State when he could have walked into Penn State and Michigan and started as a freshman. That tells me the kid probably did his research and knows that Ohio State is strong." Like Schlichter, Pryor's decision essentially came down to Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. "It was an easy decision for everybody but me," said Schlichter, who has moved back to Washington Court House, Ohio, and heads a gambling prevention foundation. " Everybody wanted me to go to Ohio State. I was 40 miles from Columbus and it was Buckeye country. It would have been difficult for me to go anywhere else." Source: Jon Spencer (The News Journal)
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