GAMBIER — The secret is out. Ted Stanley can keep a secret.
Kenyon’s head football coach has had something brewing for a while, and he was not letting many in on the “secret.” On Thursday morning, the Lords were met with a surprise guest, or guests to be more precise. The Ohio State University’s entire football team had loaded up on the buses and traveled to Gambier to take part in a practice on Kenyon’s McBride Field. The Buckeyes also walked the halls where Kenyon’s National Championship trophies are displayed.
The appearance by the Buckeyes was all part of a planned practice away from the media spotlight, and a chance for both Kenyon football players to get a pep talk from Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, and for the Buckeyes, to learn how a program can truly achieve success from Kenyon swim coach Jim Steen, who has lead his teams to 51 National Championships.
“This is something that we have been working on for about a month or so,” said Stanley. “We really tried to keep it a secret. One of their main reasons for coming up here was to get away from all the attention. Coach Tressel and coach Steen had worked some of it out. Coach Tressel had come up earlier in the spring about a variety of things, and they built a relationship. Coach Steen was very gracious and opened his doors, and said ‘Let’s work this out for it to be advantageous for the Buckeyes, and Kenyon football and swimming.’”
The Buckeyes were on the field for an early morning practice, and ran a full practice, as they would at their own facilities. The Kenyon football team, and some spectators who happened upon the scene, watched.
“They came out here and practiced and we got a chance to watch them go through their drills and daily habits,” Stanley said. “We were able to watch how their coaches approached their players and how their players approached their coaches. That’s really valuable to a young team, which we are. We only have five seniors. To see that was really important for them.
“It was good for our kids to see a National Championship program that is doing everything right and they come out and practice just the same as we do,” Stanley continued. “They run the same drills, they talk the same talk and walk the same walk. To see that on their own home ground, that it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you come from, that’s the way you should do it.”
Tressel spoke to Kenyon players about football, and more importantly, the life led after football was over. He offered some sound advice for the players and their futures.
“Coach Tressel is a great man and a great coach,” said Stanley. “He talked to our team for about 30 or 40 minutes. He talked about life lessons that football teaches you. Certainly our kids aren’t going to be going to the NFL; this is not going to be their job. He was really able to relate his experiences to their experiences.”
The players were impressed and responsive. They had feelings anywhere from awe to focused, impressed to challenged. They all could take something from the fact that such a winning coach decided to come to their field though.
“The things that he believes in and preaches, we’ve been preaching,” Stanley said. “For him to come in and tell that to our team reinforces the ideas and what we have been teaching our team. Today was a neat day for the guys. They got a chance to see to see a great program and maybe see some role models.”
Kenyon’s players did just that. They were able to watch the No. 2-ranked preseason program work a full practice. Guys they watch on TV were now on their field practicing. The respect for each other was evident.
“This was awesome; you are looking at the best right there. Watching (James) Laurenitis, who won the Butkus Trophy last year, you learn from the best,” said linebacker Dan Runnals. “I am playing linebacker and I was able to watch the best in the country. It’s probably one of the greatest experiences of my life. Just watching them practice is going to bring a lot of intensity and focus to us.”
“I am a huge Ohio State fan, so this was awesome to see those guys and how they work,” quarterback Mike Hermanson remarked. “The level of confidence each guy has is huge. Each one goes hard to the whistle; it’s like a machine almost. This really helps our team, to see how hard they work and how focused they are. I thought today’s practice, we finally got into it. You could feel the intensity pick up, everyone wants to get after it. That’s what we saw this morning.”
That is just what the coaching staff wanted them to see. At the same time, several players also remarked at how this reinforced the concept of football as a game — an intense game, but still the same game no matter who is playing it. The rules are the same, and the football is the same pigskin.
“It’s not that different,” said defensive back Justin Morgan. “We are working hard, they work hard. We run around and they run around. It’s football; it should all be the same. We are all football players. No matter what level you play at, we are all playing the same game. I really looked at it as a learning experience, and tried not to be so much in awe of them.”
A team like Kenyon is looking for all the experience it can get. The Lords will field a very young team this year, and this practice probably meant the most to them. At the same time, the senior leadership can still be felt on the field, and in the form of offensive lineman Yancy Edwards. Edwards has been here through the tough times, and now the rebuilding phase. Through it all, he has remained a solid piece to Kenyon’s team. What he saw and took from the Buckeyes practice is exactly what any coach would want to hear.
“It was exciting to see all the guys you see on TV, but at the same time, they are going to school like us and are our age,” Edwards said. “They are doing the same things we are; they just might be bigger and faster. Watching the offensive line and understanding how they operate as one cohesive unit helped a lot. We have set the bar very high the past few seasons. We want to continue to have the Kenyon offensive line be the best in the conference.”
That attitude is exactly why coach Stanley hopes to keep the Buckeyes coming back to Kenyon.
“It was such an experience. You can’t ever replace it; it’s something that can never be replaced,” said Stanley.
