No big surprises here, Ohio State's 4 captains this season will be James Laurinaitis, Todd Boeckman, Malcolm Jenkins and Brian Robiskie.
Laurinaitis becomes the 1st two-time captain since Steve Bellisari and Joe Cooper in 2000-01 and just the 7th overall (Pepper Johnson 84-85, Glen Cobb 81-82, Archie Griffin 74-75 and way back in 1891-92 Richard T Ellis).
Meanwhile, Boeckman, quite literally, continues to follow in the footsteps of Bobby Hoying, the St. Henry natives OSU captains 13 years apart, and fittingly, on Sept. 6th, (Ohio) Hoying will be inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame. Boeckman and Hoying are among an elite group of West-Central Buckeyes to serve as captains, joining, Lima's William White and Gary Moeller and St. Marys Galen Cisco
Also interestingly, all 4 of this year's captain, could have turned pro last season, Laurinaitis and Jenkins, both projected as 1st rounders and Boeckman could have gone anywhere from the 3rd to the 5th round, yet they, like everyone but Vernon Gholston, decided to return to Ohio State. As fans, we'd love to think these guys have come back just to break records (5 straight wins over Michigan, 3 straight outright Big Ten Titles) and win that much sought out National Championship. Yet, talking to these guys, both before, during and after the decision making process, it is not about those things. And it’s not about money, either. They really do like playing college football at Ohio State and for Jim Tressel. They've been quite open about, they'll talk to former teammates now in the NFL and they realize it's not so glamorous, case in point, Quinn Pitcock’s recent retirement from the Colts.
Ohio State players realize the NFL is a job and, at times, a very demanding and cruel job. It’s not like in college they keep on telling us. It’s not like this at every school. Rashard Mendenhall leaves Illinois early and rips Ron Zook in the process. Several Michigan players, unfairly or not, couldn’t wait to skedaddle, either to the NFL or other schools, once Rich Rodriguez was hired. This means Jim Tressel has really set up something very special on the banks of the Olentangy.