Three of a Kind: Carpenter, Hawk, and Schlegel
Perhaps no single offensive or defensive unit in the country brought more national attnetion than the Ohio State linebacking corp this past season. Bobby Carpenter, AJ Hawk, and Anthony Schlegel all were simply dominant college players. They led one of the best defenses in the country the past four years, while compiling a record of 42-8.
AJ Hawk is the best linebacking prospect in the draft. His presence on the field is often felt time and time again during the course of a game. It is not uncommon for you to hear his name called multiple times on every series of downs. Acting as a weak-side linebacker, he is able to use his combine-best quickness and agility to roam the field sideline-to-sideline. Hawk ranks fifth all-time on the career tackles list at Ohio State. Fittingly named, he is a ball hawk of the best sort. Not to be ignored is his ability in coverage. Often working man-to-man aginst a tight end, Hawk can use his 4.5 speed to cover anyone this side of Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez. You can expect Hawk to fall either to the Packers at 5 or the 49ers at 6. Both teams are enamored with his raw ability and gametime skill.
Bobby Carpenter possesses a rare combination of both run-stuffing and pass-rushing ability. Dropping down onto the line as a defensive end, Carpenter found himself deep into offensive backfields often. Having rooted against the Buckeyes, Carpenter was perhaps the most frustrating player to watch on the field. Acting on the strong side, Carpenter was often forced to shed blockers to make plays, and he did a fine job of it. Amazingly, he does not lack sideline-to-sideline speed either. His 4.58 time is more than competent for a player who projects as a DE/OLB hybird in the 3-4. He is essentially cut from the same mold as former OSU standout, Mike Vrabel. Expect to see Carpenter fall off the board late in the first round to either the Seahawks, Broncos, Jags, or Steelers. Being a Steeler fan, I have fingers crossed that he will fall.
Schlegel is simply put, the man in the middle. His career was not quite as prolific as Hawk or Carpenter, and his skill set is slightly behind as well. Nevertheless, Schlegel will not make it into the pool of undrafted free agents. Expected to fall in the middle rounds during either the 4th or 5th, Schlegel will be a welcome addition to any team. Like his counter-parts, he possesses great game speed. Better than both Hawk and Carpenter, Schlegel has shown an impressive ability to shed blockers.
Hawk, carpenter and Schlegel all have hard-to-find toughness and mental make-up. In so many ways, they are remarkably similar. Perhaps this is no more immediately true than by their notable long hair. Often tagged as rednecks, one needs to only do a little investigating to discover the true meaning behind their common stylistic choice. All three were paying tribute to the Pat Tillman legacy by growing out their hair. In some ways, fate was involved in their season, because all three played their last college game against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium, the same stadium where Tillan used to roam the field. When asked about the significance of this event, AJ Hawk was nothing but humbled: "You can’t mention us in the same breath as Pat Tillman, but it’s just that we wanted to show respect for who he was and what he did. It’s an honor for the three of us to play our last college game on the field where he played. He deserves any kind of credit he can get, and I hope in a small way we can give him some."
When Anothony Schlegel took his official recruiting visit to Ohio State, Jim Tressel did him a favor, pairing him up with Hawk and Carpenter as roommates. "Immediately I knew I wanted to play football with them," Schlegel said. "We are a lot alike and hit it off from the get-go." Interestingly enough, all three have quite different personalities. Bobby Carpenter is quite the extrovert and party animal. On Halloween, you can count on him being dressed up. Perhaps, you might find him in costume as Ice Man from "Top Gun"...during the postgame interview after having beat Penn State 21-10 in 2004. Cut from a totally different mold, AJ Hawk is rarely -if ever- found at a party, let alone in costume. Hailing from the small Ohio town of Centerville, he likes to keep a low profile and would rather spend his nights watching TV with his older brother and roommate, Ryan, than anything. Schlegel is cut from a different mold still, as he is married to the girl he began dating in eighth grade. Arguably the best jokester of the bunch, when asked who the biggest ladies' man of the trio is, Schlegel responded: "Bobby's got a girlfriend, A.J. is shy and I'm married, so it must be me because I've already sealed the deal."
Ultimately, Ohio State will be sad to see these three standouts go. Conversely exicted will the team that acquires each of them be. Those teams will be ensured of dominant athletes who are not lacking perspective on life. All three participated in every drill at the combine. All three are willing to subject themselves to stylistic criticism while ensuring a hero's legacy is continued. All three are well-rounded talents that are sure to excel in the NFL. As much as we all hated them as they terrorized our Spartans these past few years, it is impossible to not respect them as both individuals and athletes.
AJ Hawk is the best linebacking prospect in the draft. His presence on the field is often felt time and time again during the course of a game. It is not uncommon for you to hear his name called multiple times on every series of downs. Acting as a weak-side linebacker, he is able to use his combine-best quickness and agility to roam the field sideline-to-sideline. Hawk ranks fifth all-time on the career tackles list at Ohio State. Fittingly named, he is a ball hawk of the best sort. Not to be ignored is his ability in coverage. Often working man-to-man aginst a tight end, Hawk can use his 4.5 speed to cover anyone this side of Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez. You can expect Hawk to fall either to the Packers at 5 or the 49ers at 6. Both teams are enamored with his raw ability and gametime skill.
Bobby Carpenter possesses a rare combination of both run-stuffing and pass-rushing ability. Dropping down onto the line as a defensive end, Carpenter found himself deep into offensive backfields often. Having rooted against the Buckeyes, Carpenter was perhaps the most frustrating player to watch on the field. Acting on the strong side, Carpenter was often forced to shed blockers to make plays, and he did a fine job of it. Amazingly, he does not lack sideline-to-sideline speed either. His 4.58 time is more than competent for a player who projects as a DE/OLB hybird in the 3-4. He is essentially cut from the same mold as former OSU standout, Mike Vrabel. Expect to see Carpenter fall off the board late in the first round to either the Seahawks, Broncos, Jags, or Steelers. Being a Steeler fan, I have fingers crossed that he will fall.
Schlegel is simply put, the man in the middle. His career was not quite as prolific as Hawk or Carpenter, and his skill set is slightly behind as well. Nevertheless, Schlegel will not make it into the pool of undrafted free agents. Expected to fall in the middle rounds during either the 4th or 5th, Schlegel will be a welcome addition to any team. Like his counter-parts, he possesses great game speed. Better than both Hawk and Carpenter, Schlegel has shown an impressive ability to shed blockers.
Hawk, carpenter and Schlegel all have hard-to-find toughness and mental make-up. In so many ways, they are remarkably similar. Perhaps this is no more immediately true than by their notable long hair. Often tagged as rednecks, one needs to only do a little investigating to discover the true meaning behind their common stylistic choice. All three were paying tribute to the Pat Tillman legacy by growing out their hair. In some ways, fate was involved in their season, because all three played their last college game against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium, the same stadium where Tillan used to roam the field. When asked about the significance of this event, AJ Hawk was nothing but humbled: "You can’t mention us in the same breath as Pat Tillman, but it’s just that we wanted to show respect for who he was and what he did. It’s an honor for the three of us to play our last college game on the field where he played. He deserves any kind of credit he can get, and I hope in a small way we can give him some."
When Anothony Schlegel took his official recruiting visit to Ohio State, Jim Tressel did him a favor, pairing him up with Hawk and Carpenter as roommates. "Immediately I knew I wanted to play football with them," Schlegel said. "We are a lot alike and hit it off from the get-go." Interestingly enough, all three have quite different personalities. Bobby Carpenter is quite the extrovert and party animal. On Halloween, you can count on him being dressed up. Perhaps, you might find him in costume as Ice Man from "Top Gun"...during the postgame interview after having beat Penn State 21-10 in 2004. Cut from a totally different mold, AJ Hawk is rarely -if ever- found at a party, let alone in costume. Hailing from the small Ohio town of Centerville, he likes to keep a low profile and would rather spend his nights watching TV with his older brother and roommate, Ryan, than anything. Schlegel is cut from a different mold still, as he is married to the girl he began dating in eighth grade. Arguably the best jokester of the bunch, when asked who the biggest ladies' man of the trio is, Schlegel responded: "Bobby's got a girlfriend, A.J. is shy and I'm married, so it must be me because I've already sealed the deal."
Ultimately, Ohio State will be sad to see these three standouts go. Conversely exicted will the team that acquires each of them be. Those teams will be ensured of dominant athletes who are not lacking perspective on life. All three participated in every drill at the combine. All three are willing to subject themselves to stylistic criticism while ensuring a hero's legacy is continued. All three are well-rounded talents that are sure to excel in the NFL. As much as we all hated them as they terrorized our Spartans these past few years, it is impossible to not respect them as both individuals and athletes.