Introducing…

For the past few months, we’ve been really fortunate to be a part of some amazing growth.

Just this time last year we were breaking the news that Nebraska had been invited to join the conference, leading to a number of people choosing to make us a part of their day. When Jeff left for bigger things, we added Jay and Joe, which allowed us to bolster our coverage of hoops and recruiting.

We began to podcast, and were surprised to find that people actually cared what we said in spite of what we sounded like. We connected with great sources close to the program and to the national market, and were also able to find some partners who brought their own areas of expertise to the party. And there are even some additional things brewing that we hope to build on for the future as well.

Through the highs (Big Ten Championships in football and basketball) and the lows (the obvious), we’ve continued to work to ensure that we were good stewards of your time- that when you clicked to our little area of the internet, you could find both the latest in Ohio State news and also our particular slant on what this might mean. And you’ve continued to read and respond- we cannot say “thank you” enough.

We’ve added another writer just about a month ago, as Joe Dexter joined us after his work at Scarlet and Game. Our intro was briefer than he deserved, but he’s jumped right in and done an amazing job; already taking the lead with our coverage of Jim Tressel’s resignation and Coach Fickell’s first press conference. We’re excited to have him on board.

Today, we are also excited to announce that we’ve added yet another voice to the conversation. Former Buckeye Jason Winrow has agreed to come on board and give us his perspective on what’s going on in college football and other sports at the national level.

Jason’s take on sports is unique, and fits in well with some of the things that we’ve been discussing here over the past year. When I got an email a couple of weeks ago linking to his site The State Of College Football, the sender said “Hey… here’s a Buckeye that sounds like you”.  While I’m not sure that’s a compliment to Jason, I was impressed with what he was saying, even when he was doing it in 140 characters or less. After talking with the rest of our staff, it was a no-brainer to reach out and see if he’d be interested in partnering with us.

And, in case anyone was wondering, the fact that his name starts with “J” absolutely sealed the deal in our minds.

If his name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve read Ramzy’s interview with him at Eleven Warriors. There’s no way I can hope to come close to his work, so I’ll merely quote him directly-

It’s been said that offensive linemen are the smartest guys on the field.  Considering their Wonderlic scores are routinely 20% higher than the overall average at the NFL combine, they’re probably the smartest guys off the field as well.

Spend some time with Winrow.  Go and read his blog, The State of College Football. He’s one of those smart guys that everyone should get to hear more often.

Ramzy’s article talks in depth about Jason’s career at Ohio State, and is a must read for any Buckeye fan (particularly those, like me, who grew up during the Cooper administration). But his quote above is quite true, and we’re excited to give you a chance to hear Jason’s perspective when you visit our site, beginning this afternoon when he connects with Eric on this week’s tBBC Radio Hour.

Here’s a little more that you should know about “the new guy”, from his bio-

Born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, Jason attended Cumberland Regional High School where he earned the distinction of “student athlete”.  He was a star football player and was first team All State in track and field in the discus, and became the second student in the school’s history to attend a Division 1A university on a football scholarship and the first to go on to the National Football League.

At The Ohio State University, Jason continued to blaze his trail toward athletic stardom.  While accolades for his powers on the football field streamed in, he remained focused on reaching his academic goals.  In 1993, he was named First Team Consensus All Big 10 and Second Team All America.  In 1994, Jason was drafted by the New York Giants.  His professional football career ended in 1996 as a result of debilitating injuries to his back and his knee.  Jason endeavored to continue his career in 1997, however, the injuries proved to be too great.

For many, these obstacles would have been insurmountable.  However, the biggest obstacle Jason would face reared its head in 2002 when at the age of 31 he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  The condition resulted from a few obvious changes in Jason’s life.  After ending his football career, he entered the private sector in mortgage banking where the lack of activity and “convenient” nutrition lifestyle caused his weight to skyrocket from his playing weight of 315 pounds to almost 400 pounds.  Several extended stays in the hospital due to his struggle with Diabetes fueled his desire to win the battle against this disease and regain control of his life.  Jason embarked on a journey that resulted in a weight loss of 125 pounds.  The weight loss was accomplished without drugs or surgery.  As of now, Jason no longer requires medication to control his Diabetes.  He uses exercise and careful eating lifestyles to manage his disease and maintain a healthy weight.

And a “blast from the past”… leading the way on this first play:

He’ll be posting both here and on his personal site, we’ll be linking to his stuff when it’s not here on the mothership.

Welcome to the team, Jason… and thanks again to all the readers who join us daily.