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OSU's Cameron Heyward has a simple goal: 'The most dominant who ever played'
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer
May 08, 2010, 10:11PM
Carolyn Kaster / Associated PressCameron Heyward tormented Penn State QB Daryll Clark on this 2009 pass play. The OSU defensive tackle is expected to be one of the nation's best when the Buckeyes get underway this fall.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With spring football behind them and national title hopes ahead, the Ohio State Buckeyes have three months to work out and gameplan before fall practice begins.
One idea for success is simple: Get the Buckeyes' best player on the field more often.
Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock estimates that a year ago, Cameron Heyward played about 60 percent of the defense's snaps. He was part of a defensive line rotation that went nine deep and included a second unit that could have started for some of the Buckeyes' opponents.
Marvin Fong / The Plain Dealer“I’m definitely happy with what I’ve done so far, but I’m not satisfied," said Cameron Heyward. "I still want a national championship. I think everybody on this team does."
THE CAMERON HEYWARD FILE
Position: Ohio State senior defensive lineman.
Ht./wt.: 6-5; 290.
STATS
2007: 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks.
2008: 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.
2009: 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks.
2011 NFL Mock Drafts
Todd McShay, ESPN: Heyward No. 5 pick in first round to Browns, third defensive lineman taken.
Andrew Perloff, SI.com: Heyward No. 4 pick in first round to Detroit, third defensive lineman taken.
Rob Rang, NFLDraftscout.com: Heyward No. 2 pick in first round to St. Louis, first defensive lineman taken.
Chad Reuter, CBSSports.com: Heyward No. 2 pick in first round to St. Louis, first defensive lineman taken.
Peter Schrager, FOXSports.com: Heyward No. 4 pick in first round to Carolina, first defensive lineman taken.
— Doug LesmerisesFive players -- starters Thaddeus Gibson and Doug Worthington and backups Lawrence Wilson, Robert Rose and Todd Denlinger -- are gone. Heacock's solution includes a larger dose of someone who may be the best defensive lineman in college football.
"We're going to ask him to play a lot more," Heacock said. "We'd like to get him in that 80 to 90 percent range. He loves to play, so he's excited about that opportunity, and it'll give him the chance to get into the flow and do some more things, I think."
More snaps will allow Heyward to pursue his goal of total domination, his standard set by the outrageous 2009 All-America season of Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Nebraska coach and former Buckeye safety Bo Pelini, speaking to high-school coaches at an Ohio State clinic last month, said Suh played about 91 to 92 percent of the snaps for the Cornhuskers, tearing up the Big 12 Conference and while leading his team to a near-upset of Texas in the Big 12 title game. He was selected second in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
If anyone understands what a dominant defensive lineman can do for a team, Pelini does.
"It's huge for you," Pelini said after his presentation. "To be good, you've got to be good up front, and if you have guys like Suh and Cameron Heyward that can really control people up front, it's going to make everyone around them better. If you don't have that, you don't have anything, because if you're getting dominated at the line of scrimmage, you're going to have problems.
"One guy can't do it by himself. We were good around Suh, too. But the microscope was on him, and the microscope will be on Cameron."
That became the case for Heyward as soon as he turned down what likely would have been a first-round slot in April's NFL Draft to return for his senior season.
He should be joined by six other senior starters in the fall: tackle Dexter Larimore, linebackers Brian Rolle and Ross Homan, safety Jermale Hines and cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence. Those close to Heyward were certain he'd return, but turning down first-round money can never be taken for granted.
"No regrets," Heyward said. "But I wouldn't put all the credit on me. We've got guys like Ross and Brian and Chimdi that all came back, too. If all I did was come back, I don't think we'd have a shot. But I think we all knew together we could have a great shot at doing this.
"I'm definitely happy with what I've done so far, but I'm not satisfied. I still want a national championship. I think everybody on this team does. There's still a lot to accomplish."
Individually, that means chasing the level achieved last season by Suh and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who was the No. 3 pick by Tampa Bay. Not a pure tackle, Heyward is a combo end/tackle who can use his strength on the interior and speed on the edge, but the idea is the same: disruption by brute force and sheer will.
"I want to be the best. I want to be the most dominant who ever played," Heyward said. "Me and coach Heacock talked about that. The main thing is I'm not there right now, but I want to be there by the start of the season. When you look at Suh and McCoy, they took over the game for the full four quarters, and I want to do that every game and do it all the time."
His challenge will be to maintain his edge. Heacock said that will require him to sit Heyward at times during practice stretches, while increasing his playing time.
"He can't do less than full speed," Heacock said. "You really have to be careful and get him out of there so he doesn't end up hurting somebody or getting hurt."
"He's a relentless player," said Ohio State senior offensive lineman Bryant Browning, who has been blocking Heyward in practice for four years.
"Most big guys kind of wear down after a while, but Cam keeps coming at you as hard as he can. He goes hard every play. Every play he's running to the ball. ... When you go against Cam, you've got to be ready every play, because he's coming right at your head."
Last season, Heyward didn't even make first-team All-Big Ten in a year in which the conference was deep in defensive linemen. Now, he's projected as a top-five selection in many early mock drafts.
Heacock likes the potential of his young second team on the line, singling out redshirt freshmen Melvin Fellows and Adam Bellamy for good springs, and Solomon Thomas, Keith Wells and Garrett Goebel should contribute as well.
But Heacock believes the dropoff between the first-team and second-team defensive lines might be bigger than it has been in four or five years. So why not turn to the star who came back for his final season and unleash his maximum effort more of the time?
"I want to make myself better," Heyward said, "and the only way I'll do that is if I push myself."
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer
May 08, 2010, 10:11PM
Carolyn Kaster / Associated PressCameron Heyward tormented Penn State QB Daryll Clark on this 2009 pass play. The OSU defensive tackle is expected to be one of the nation's best when the Buckeyes get underway this fall.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With spring football behind them and national title hopes ahead, the Ohio State Buckeyes have three months to work out and gameplan before fall practice begins.
One idea for success is simple: Get the Buckeyes' best player on the field more often.
Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock estimates that a year ago, Cameron Heyward played about 60 percent of the defense's snaps. He was part of a defensive line rotation that went nine deep and included a second unit that could have started for some of the Buckeyes' opponents.
Marvin Fong / The Plain Dealer“I’m definitely happy with what I’ve done so far, but I’m not satisfied," said Cameron Heyward. "I still want a national championship. I think everybody on this team does."
THE CAMERON HEYWARD FILE
Position: Ohio State senior defensive lineman.
Ht./wt.: 6-5; 290.
STATS
2007: 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks.
2008: 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.
2009: 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks.
2011 NFL Mock Drafts
Todd McShay, ESPN: Heyward No. 5 pick in first round to Browns, third defensive lineman taken.
Andrew Perloff, SI.com: Heyward No. 4 pick in first round to Detroit, third defensive lineman taken.
Rob Rang, NFLDraftscout.com: Heyward No. 2 pick in first round to St. Louis, first defensive lineman taken.
Chad Reuter, CBSSports.com: Heyward No. 2 pick in first round to St. Louis, first defensive lineman taken.
Peter Schrager, FOXSports.com: Heyward No. 4 pick in first round to Carolina, first defensive lineman taken.
— Doug LesmerisesFive players -- starters Thaddeus Gibson and Doug Worthington and backups Lawrence Wilson, Robert Rose and Todd Denlinger -- are gone. Heacock's solution includes a larger dose of someone who may be the best defensive lineman in college football.
"We're going to ask him to play a lot more," Heacock said. "We'd like to get him in that 80 to 90 percent range. He loves to play, so he's excited about that opportunity, and it'll give him the chance to get into the flow and do some more things, I think."
More snaps will allow Heyward to pursue his goal of total domination, his standard set by the outrageous 2009 All-America season of Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Nebraska coach and former Buckeye safety Bo Pelini, speaking to high-school coaches at an Ohio State clinic last month, said Suh played about 91 to 92 percent of the snaps for the Cornhuskers, tearing up the Big 12 Conference and while leading his team to a near-upset of Texas in the Big 12 title game. He was selected second in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
If anyone understands what a dominant defensive lineman can do for a team, Pelini does.
"It's huge for you," Pelini said after his presentation. "To be good, you've got to be good up front, and if you have guys like Suh and Cameron Heyward that can really control people up front, it's going to make everyone around them better. If you don't have that, you don't have anything, because if you're getting dominated at the line of scrimmage, you're going to have problems.
"One guy can't do it by himself. We were good around Suh, too. But the microscope was on him, and the microscope will be on Cameron."
That became the case for Heyward as soon as he turned down what likely would have been a first-round slot in April's NFL Draft to return for his senior season.
He should be joined by six other senior starters in the fall: tackle Dexter Larimore, linebackers Brian Rolle and Ross Homan, safety Jermale Hines and cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence. Those close to Heyward were certain he'd return, but turning down first-round money can never be taken for granted.
"No regrets," Heyward said. "But I wouldn't put all the credit on me. We've got guys like Ross and Brian and Chimdi that all came back, too. If all I did was come back, I don't think we'd have a shot. But I think we all knew together we could have a great shot at doing this.
"I'm definitely happy with what I've done so far, but I'm not satisfied. I still want a national championship. I think everybody on this team does. There's still a lot to accomplish."
Individually, that means chasing the level achieved last season by Suh and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who was the No. 3 pick by Tampa Bay. Not a pure tackle, Heyward is a combo end/tackle who can use his strength on the interior and speed on the edge, but the idea is the same: disruption by brute force and sheer will.
"I want to be the best. I want to be the most dominant who ever played," Heyward said. "Me and coach Heacock talked about that. The main thing is I'm not there right now, but I want to be there by the start of the season. When you look at Suh and McCoy, they took over the game for the full four quarters, and I want to do that every game and do it all the time."
His challenge will be to maintain his edge. Heacock said that will require him to sit Heyward at times during practice stretches, while increasing his playing time.
"He can't do less than full speed," Heacock said. "You really have to be careful and get him out of there so he doesn't end up hurting somebody or getting hurt."
"He's a relentless player," said Ohio State senior offensive lineman Bryant Browning, who has been blocking Heyward in practice for four years.
"Most big guys kind of wear down after a while, but Cam keeps coming at you as hard as he can. He goes hard every play. Every play he's running to the ball. ... When you go against Cam, you've got to be ready every play, because he's coming right at your head."
Last season, Heyward didn't even make first-team All-Big Ten in a year in which the conference was deep in defensive linemen. Now, he's projected as a top-five selection in many early mock drafts.
Heacock likes the potential of his young second team on the line, singling out redshirt freshmen Melvin Fellows and Adam Bellamy for good springs, and Solomon Thomas, Keith Wells and Garrett Goebel should contribute as well.
But Heacock believes the dropoff between the first-team and second-team defensive lines might be bigger than it has been in four or five years. So why not turn to the star who came back for his final season and unleash his maximum effort more of the time?
"I want to make myself better," Heyward said, "and the only way I'll do that is if I push myself."
DAL @ GB
