Schlegel returning to Lone Star roots

"I've got boots. That's what I like. I have four pairs. I've got a couple of alligator-skin boots. I wear 'em all the time. (My teammates) always laugh because A.J. (Hawk) will tuck my pants in 'em. I don't care. I just walk around like that."

Schlegel may look out of place walking the streets of Columbus in his Stetson and manure-stomping, pointy-toed footwear, but it's going to take more than that to rate a second look from folks on the streets of San Antonio this week.

The Texas boy is back home and hopes to play like it when the Buckeyes and Oklahoma State match 7-4 records in Wednesday night's Alamo Bowl in a sold-out, 65,000-seat Alamodome.

Schlegel, a junior transfer from the Air Force Academy, and sophomore cornerback Ashton Youboty are the only Texans on the OSU roster. Schlegel grew up in suburban Dallas, while Youboty spend his formative years just outside of Houston after emigrating with his family from the war-torn West African nation of Liberia.

"I've been to a lot of games (in Ohio) and seen a lot of great football," Schlegel said. "Honestly, the only difference I've seen is the size of the stadium and crowds. We had 12,000 fans at all of my high school games and sometimes there were 30,000 fans at games played at a neutral site.

"But high school football is high school football. They just take it real serious in Texas."

At this point, nobody should be surprised if Schlegel and Youboty play starring roles for the Buckeyes in "Wednesday Night Lights."

Schlegel took over as a starter in the fifth game after Mike D'Andrea suffered a season-ending knee injury. The former Mountain West Conference standout ranks third on the team, behind fellow linebackers A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter, with 79 tackles. He's first in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (3.5).

Youboty made his starting debut for an injured Dustin Fox in week three at North Carolina State and came up with the team's first interception of the season, triggering a 22-14 victory. When Fox returned, Youboty took over for an ineffective E.J. Underwood at the other corner and established himself as the biggest impact player in the secondary.

The 6-foot-1, 188-pounder ranks fifth on the team in tackles with 57 and is tied for second in solo hits with 44. More importantly, he paces the Buckeyes in interceptions (four) and passes broken up (11).

Although the Alamo Bowl represents a homecoming for Youboty, he's treating it like a road game.

"A lot of Oklahoma State players are from Texas, so we'll see a lot of crazy fans," said Youboty, who had requests for 30 tickets from family and friends.

"Both Ohio and Texas have big-time high school and college football, so they're comparable. Who's crazier? I'll leave that for the fans to decide."

The fun-loving, boar-hunting Schlegel is downplaying his role as Ohio State's unofficial bowl tour guide.

"I don't think people realize how hard we're working to get ready for this game," he said.

Stephanie Schlegel, his wife of 10 months, does. They are rooming apart during this trip so that Schlegel can focus on Oklahoma State.

"This last month or so, I think we've really built a solid foundation for next season," he said. "I think I helped build on that. I got to step in and show some of my character and be a good example for how you play and practice hard."

Coach Jim Tressel hopes the Buckeyes first trip to the Lone Star State since the 1987 Cotton Bowl provides the kind of exposure that might entice more Texas schoolboys to look seriously at making the cross-country trek to Ohio State.

"Absolutely, we can see if we can sneak a guy out of here once in a while," Tressel said. "We take this as a great opportunity to reach out and branch out and get some of those great Texas players.

"You never know if some ninth grader watches the game and sees some reason he wants to come to Ohio State. We hope this game will lead into the recruiting season. Bowl success can really provide momentum into the off-season."

Originally published Saturday, December 25, 2004