Commentary: NFL can wait for Hawk, Holmes

"Certainly it's great news," coach Jim Tressel said upon hearing his offensive and defensive MVPs intend to remain with the team next year rather than cast their lot with the pros.

"The closer guys can get to their degrees, the more they can prepare themselves for their goals on the football field, I think it's great for them."

And great for an Ohio State program that since 1990 has probably seen more players bolt early for the NFL than any school in the nation.

Although the exodus has slowed somewhat since Tressel's arrival in 2001, the Buckeyes have had at least one player leave early in five of the last six NFL drafts.

"I've stuck with my decision in the middle of the season that I'm going to stick around another year or two," said Holmes, who leads the Buckeyes with 50 receptions and seven touchdown catches heading into the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State.

"There's a lot I have to accomplish yet; too much to go into detail. There's a lot of studying I have to do to perfect my game."

It's hard to imagine Hawk's stock rising much higher. He leads the Buckeyes and is fourth in the nation with 136 tackles. He was recently named to the first team of the Walter Camp Foundation and SI.com All-America squads. He's a two-time All-Big Ten pick and was this year's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

So why not take off?

"I like it here too much," Hawk said. "I respect the coaches too much and I love my teammates."

"I haven't really thought about (leaving), but I don't think I really need to think about it. I've said before I'm still young and not fully mature. I don't think I'm ready physically or mentally to play at the next level. I'm still trying to do my thing at the college level. I'm having too much fun and I don't see that happening anywhere else."

Neither player has explored his draft possibilities yet, even though it's an option the NCAA makes available to eligible underclassmen.

"I didn't want to feed into that because I didn't want to downplay my season trying to stay injury-free and not perform for my team by just playing for myself," said Holmes.

That seemed to be a veiled shot at former teammate Chris Gamble, who left school early and became a first-round pick this year of the Carolina Panthers. Gamble admitted he was trying to avoid getting hurt in the second half of last season's Fiesta Bowl, announcing his decision to forgo his senior year as he was walking off the field.

"A lot of guys around the team have been telling me, hey, there's a good chance you can go out this year; not as many receivers are leaving and you may have a good chance," Holmes said.

Factor in that Holmes and Nicole King, his girlfriend back home in Belle Glade, Fla., have a 2-year-old son, Santonio III, and a 7-month-old son, Nicori, and it would be easy to understand Holmes being lured away by the money and chance to provide a grand lifestyle for his family -- maybe even advisable.

But, so far, Holmes hasn't budged off the stance he took earlier in the year after discussing his options with loved ones. (No, Brutus wasn't consulted.)

"I've been talking to my mom a lot and she's told me, `You have to be ready physically and mentally,' " Holmes said before the 37-21 win over Michigan. "I thought I was at the beginning of the season. But as it went on, I saw I really wasn't prepared to make the next step."

If Hawk and Holmes honor their verbal commitments, the Buckeyes will return 18 starters -- nine on offense and nine on defense. The only significant losses will be placekicker Mike Nugent, defensive end Simon Fraser and cornerback Dustin Fox.

"If we play well in the bowl game, we can get the ball rolling for next year," Hawk said. "I think we're all excited for what's going to happen."

Clarett, his "one and done" path to the NFL blocked and once upwardly-mobile career sitting in idle, probably wishes he could say the same about his future.

Jon Spencer covers Ohio State football for the Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal

Originally published Tuesday, December 14, 2004