Skull Session: NFL Combine Approaches, Buckeyeman Honored by Ohio State, and Dante Booker's Time

By D.J. Byrnes on February 22, 2016 at 4:59 am
Cam Burrows is in the zone for the February 21st 2016 Skull Session.
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Hello, world! Cardale Jones browsed your designer shoes and rendered a verdict:

I buy shoes every three years, so I'm not the man to disagree with 12.

ICYMI:

 MONEY-MAKING SEASON FOR FORMER BUCKEYES. NFL Draft hopefuls start arriving in Indianapolis on Tuesday for pro football's annual manmeat market. (Programming note: 11W's Eric Seger will be on scene starting Wednesday, so be sure to follow him on Twitter.)

You might be shocked to learn draft analysts are high on the Buckeye pedigree.

From dispatch.com:

“You could probably put seven in the first round from Ohio State and not many people would have a big argument with that,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said in a recent conference call.

“The quality of Ohio State players coming out this year is really going to grab your attention,” said Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage, a former general manager of the Cleveland Browns. “Most of those players are going to go in the first four rounds.”

The Buckeyes are aware of the expectations.

“We had one of the best teams to come through Ohio State and one of the best classes ever in college football history,” Apple said from San Diego, where he and Marshall are training. “To break that record, we’ll always be recognized as one of the best to ever play.

“It’s all about how we play when we get to the NFL,” he said. “We want to be remembered for how we play after college. We won a championship and now when guys left and ventured off onto their own individual paths, it’ll be cool to be remembered as that class that really did well in the NFL as well.”

For my money: Eli Apple is the one with the most to gain; Braxton Miller is a close second.

If the Buckeyes go out and blow away the scouts, it will be another feather in the cap for Urban Meyer on the recruiting trail. As his talent tree spreads its roots in the NFL, it's going to make for easy propaganda to counter whatever exploited loophole or asinine antic Jim Harbaugh cooks up in Ann Arbor.

I can't say which is the better route, but three championship trophies could.

 OHIO STATE HONORS SUPERFAN. Personally, I don't understand the unbridled rage that consumes some people when Ohio State's superfans are mentioned. In a world of atrocities, is it really worth getting worked up over people who no doubt have a makeshift cemetery in the foundation of their houses?

I'm not so sure. Regardless, Ohio State is honoring Buckeyeman. 

From urbanacitizen.com:

COLUMBUS – The College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Society of The Ohio State University announced that Larry Lokai will receive its 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award at an Alumni Awards Luncheon on March 5.

Lokai started his teaching career at Northwestern-Clark High School in Springfield in 1967. In 1985 he was recognized as Ohio Vocational Teacher of the Year. For the 1989-1990 school year he taught at EHOVE Career Center in Milan and was named Ohio Agri-Business Teacher of the Year. The following year he moved to Keystone High School in LaGrange, where he stayed until retirement. While teaching he also served as a field inspector for the Ohio Seed Improvement Association and an instructor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, both positions continuing beyond his retirement from teaching. After retirement he spent time as an adjunct instructor at Ohio State coaching the poultry team and as an adjunct instructor at Clark State Community College.

Since 1998 many people have come to know Lokai as his alter-ego “Buckeyeman.” Donning a wig, face paint, OSU apparel and multiple buckeye necklaces, he averages over 100 days involved with events and activities. He has given away over 1,300,000 buckeyes, 36,000 buckeye necklaces and 1,200 buckeye seedlings.

Ohio State better take its award back if Buckeyeman doesn't show up to his ceremony full regalia. (What am I saying? Buckeyeman probably doesn't even undress when he fornicates.)

 DANTE BOOKER: NEXT UP. A nice thing about the offseason is every player is improving, and every player will be stronger and better the next year.

BUCKEYES DON'T REBUILD, THEY RELOAD us fans love to say as if we're the ones actually cocking the pistol. With Joshua Perry out the door after a venerable ~12-year career, Dante Booker is the guy expected to carry fans' expectations.

From theozone.com:

"Dante’s a good athlete, man," McMillan said last week. "When he gets on the field, he does some stuff that you all haven’t even seen yet in practice. It’s amazing. One of the fastest guys on defense regardless of position. He just brings that pop."

[...]

"First of all, he’s my roommate," McMillan explained. "We spend a lot of time together. Secondly, he has a great family. When a guy has great character, you always look back to his family. And when you have a good family and good character, he has a good solid foundation, he doesn’t really have to worry about the stuff going on back at home, so he can really put all of his focus into football. He’s a great athlete, so all he needs is an opportunity to get on the field and make a difference."

That opportunity finally comes this year as Perry — a three-year starter — has graduated and departed for the NFL. But even while Perry was still suiting up for the Scarlet and Gray, he was there to tell the people about what the future holds at his Will linebacker position.

Though Booker can't be expected to replace Perry's cerebral presence within a single offseason, he does bring different things to the table:

Ohio State would've really been in business if it retained Perry as a coach. (Speaking of which, would anybody be surprised if I said he'd be Ohio State's head coach after Tom Herman's tyrannical tirade through the 2020s and '30s? Makes you think.

 BAKER ONE-UPS THE CLASS RING. Linebacker Jerome Baker made a bold play over the weekend and got the logo of Cleveland St. Benedictine, his high school alma mater, permanently tattooed on his body: 

Darron Lee reacted as only he could:

 JAQUAN LYNE OWNS DUKE BRO. Not sure how smart it is to antagonize a man who can make you run wind sprints, but I'll always applaud the savage owning of a Duke bro, even if that Duke bro evolved into a highly valued member of Thad Mata's staff.

Greg Paulus is lucky Michael Jordan hadn't yet shed a tear.

 THOSE WMDs.  Perfect SATer gets rejected from Ivy League, now backed by Mark Cuban... Dirty job: Mexico City sewer cleaner... W.C. Heinz, old school... The best Young Metro meme... Flexible smartphones may be coming quicker than you think.

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