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It's just as easy to get hurt doing anything. I place no value on financial future. When was the last time a top 32 pick went back to school instead, and lost his future to injury,..? The money will always be there if you're good enough, and lucky enough to stay healthy. Freeman is probably not a high pick, has an MRI coming up, and maybe just wants to finish his education. Why is that " flawed " thinking ?
No value on financial future? Hows that portfolio coming? 
I think you misinterpreted what I said. I thought I clearly stated that his direct quote ("he doesn't want to regret not playing another year in college") was a somewhat flawed reason for returning, not that returning to finish his education was (if that is his plan).
Maybe there was more to the interview but he didn't state he wanted to return to get his degree, he said he wanted to return so he wouldn't regret leaving early. I think those are two different things.
In a game like football, you are risking your career on potentially every play. What happens if Freeman takes a hit like Kevin Everrett did and his career is suddenly over? That's all I'm saying. Unless you really value a diploma, go get paid because a freak accident could cost you millions of dollars.
EDIT:
Ok after writing this I came across this blurb on him.....
Freeman received his degree in Sports Management in December, but will still return to school for one more year.
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2008/underclassmen.html
If you already have your degree, what exactly are you playing another year for free for? Especially when you're considered one of the top 5 players at your position (OLB)? It just seems a bit reckless to me, that's all I'm saying.
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Who wouldn't want to return to tOSU? I agree with you somewhat Nas... but there's something special about college athletics that I don't think you can get in the pros... and life isn't all about money... I know a lot of life is  but maybe he just likes playing college ball.... I can't get too mad at a kid leaving or staying... there are pluses and minuses on both sides which is why I think each individual kid needs to sit down and think long and hard about what he wants to do.
<><
#gmstrong
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Some people may disagree with me on this, but I don't think that Freeman is that good. I think that he is average at best. He seems to be athletic, but just isn't that good at football.
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Who wouldn't want to return to tOSU?
I agree with you somewhat Nas... but there's something special about college athletics that I don't think you can get in the pros... and life isn't all about money... I know a lot of life is but maybe he just likes playing college ball.... I can't get too mad at a kid leaving or staying... there are pluses and minuses on both sides which is why I think each individual kid needs to sit down and think long and hard about what he wants to do.
Oh, no doubt about it.....I can't get mad at guys for making a decision either way, I was just pointing out that he was taking what I thought was an unnecessary risk. I was just more or less looking at it from a career standpoint (i.e. what made the most sense long term). I thought it was even more obvious after I saw that he already completed his degree.
Life isn't all about money but there are very few people in this world that are ever afforded the opportunity to sign their name on a professional contract and be handed a million dollar check (without essentially even having to prove anything). When you get to that point, I would just be INCREDIBLY careful to avoid anything that might jeopardize that opportunity, that's all I was trying to relay.
I just hope he stays healthy cause if he doesn't, you wanna talk about regret. 
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Guys, congrats to Vernon Gholston, but lets start talking about how big of a deal it is that Malcolm Jenkins and Robiskie are coming back. We are gonna be better next year than we were this year.
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Poser
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You know as much about this as you do where QBs should be drafted. You are clueless to say NO ONE can do this naturally just because you couldn't. If you had a CLUE about what you were talking about, people might take you seriously. Unfortunately, once again, you speak out of ignorance. Nothing new, of course. 
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You know as much about this as you do where QBs should be drafted. You are clueless to say NO ONE can do this naturally just because you couldn't. If you had a CLUE about what you were talking about, people might take you seriously. Unfortunately, once again, you speak out of ignorance. Nothing new, of course.
I'm going by what I've been told by very, very reliable sources. I doubt I'm clueless.
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Legend
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just looking at the juniors who have declared for the draft, this group of running back is sick, McFadden, Stewart, Mendenhall, Slaton, Rice, Smith anyways..... Boone to return to OSU!!  Boone To Give It Another Try Jan 13 2008 5:33PM COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State offensive tackle Alex Boone said Sunday that he will come back to play for the Buckeyes next season, 10TV's Dom Tiberi reported. Boone (pictured, right), a 6-foot-8-inch, 313-pound junior, told Tiberi that he enjoys the college life and wants to savor another year of the college life. Boone was one of 13 juniors or third-year players who petitioned the NFL for a general forecast of where they might go in April's National Football League draft. On Friday, wide receiver Brian Robiskie and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said that they would return for their senior seasons. Defensive end Vernon Gholston is the only Ohio State player so far to announce he is leaving school to enter the NFL draft, 10TV reported. All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis, expected to join Gholson as a first-round pick, has not announced his plans. Ohio State received its 17th commitment to the 2008 recruiting class on Sunday when Cleveland Glenville running back Jermil Martin announced his commitment, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Martin, a 5-foot-11-inch, 220 pound senior, picked the Buckeyes over Iowa and West Virginia, the newspaper reported. Glenville High School has brought Ohio State several blue-chip players, including 2006 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., son of the Glenville coach. Stay with 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for continuing Ohio State football coverage http://10tv.com/?sec=wbnsosufootball&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200801/2082544835.htmlIf we get The Animal to stay we will be back to the title game!!!!
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I'm going by what I've been told by very, very reliable sources.
The old "reliable sources" gambit huh ?
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Quote:
You know as much about this as you do where QBs should be drafted. You are clueless to say NO ONE can do this naturally just because you couldn't. If you had a CLUE about what you were talking about, people might take you seriously. Unfortunately, once again, you speak out of ignorance. Nothing new, of course.
I'm going by what I've been told by very, very reliable sources. I doubt I'm clueless.
One of your work out buddies telling you its impossible is not a reliable source.
And you are clueless. There is no doubt about that.
“It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” -Steve Jobs.
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http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/01/ohio_states_laurinaitis_will_r.htmlDOUG LESMERISES Plain Dealer Reporter COLUMBUS - Ohio State All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis told the Plain Dealer this afternoon that he will return for his senior season at Ohio State. "To be honest with you, there was a lot of praying and trying to trust the Lord and there were certain signs," Laurinaitis said. "Talking to my mom this weekend, whenever I talked to her about coming back next year with the Buckeyes, I was more excited than anything about the NFL. I'm having too much fun at Ohio State." Laurinaitis said he anticipated he would have been a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft in April. With his return, the Buckeyes retained five of the six juniors who considered leaving for the NFL, with only defensive end Vernon Gholston going pro. "Money can't give you this experience, especially your senior season with the way this season could go," Laurinaitis said. "I'm excited about my choice to come back." He said the decisions of linebacker Marcus Freeman, a fourth-year junior, and fellow third-year juniors Malcolm Jenkins, Alex Boone and Brian Robiskie had an effect on his decision. That recruiting class of 2005 was the backbone of this year's team and will return without losing anyone to the NFL. Gholston was a fourth-year junior. "It had something to do with maturity and being able to move on with life. I think I'm mature enough to handle the next level, but I didn't want to leave here," Laurinaitis said. "My class came together and we committed to leaving together. "I talked to them a lot. They influenced me a little bit. I don't think you want to be the only guy coming back from an entire class, so I think it influence med, though these decisions are made on an individual basis." Julie Laurinaitis flew down from Minnesota over the weekend to meet with her son, who also talked with Jim Tressel and linebacker coach Luke Fickell. He said he reached his decision Sunday afternoon. "I think after talking my parents, our list of pros for coming back this year was a lot longer than the cons for coming back at the end of the day," Laurinaitis said. "Everybody's happy about it. It's a relief just to know." Laurinaitis also spoke Sunday with Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, who served as a mentor when he was a Buckeye senior and Laurinaitis was a freshman. Hawk turned down a first-round projection as a junior to return for his senior year. "I talked to A.J. and he said you can't take back that college experience," Laurinaitis said. "And I can do nothing but solidify my draft position with another year, and this was the right decision for me and he helped me with it. Laurinaitis also listened to the Ohio State fans. "I'm hoping they're happy," Laurinaitis said. "I hope Buckeye Nation knows I love them and they're a big reason I'm coming back, because of their love and support and how proud I am to represent them." With the return of their Butkus Award-winning defensive captain, Ohio State will be the heavy favorite to repeat as Big Ten champions and must enter the 2008 season as a legitimate national title contender once again. "I think we have an opportunity to do something special," Laurinaitis said. "You can't come back and want to do this or do that. We have to go through the same process we do every year. It's going to be hard for us this year. Last year we came in under the radar. Other people didn't have much confidence in us but we knew we had a solid team. Now every big game, everyone is going to start doubting us again and we have to be mentally tough and that starts with this offseason." That task will be easier with Laurinaitis leading the charge.
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"Money can't give you this experience, especially your senior season with the way this season could go," Laurinaitis said. "I'm excited about my choice to come back."
I hope they have a better senior year then Henne, Hart or Long had.......or do I? 
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Nas, you don't want them to have a better season than your Hart, Henne, and Long did this year  I want them to play all season like you guys did against Florida. Off topic, is Mario M coming back? I heard Arrington was leaving.
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Not a shocker. I think he's one of the best WRs in the country. As a Buckeye fan, I hate to say that and the following, but in a different time I would love to have a player of his caliber here with the Browns. Obviously he doesn't really fit a need here tho so it won't happen.
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In other news, I just heard and read on ESPN that the Animal Jr. is coming back!!
I can't believe we retained pretty much everyone from this team. We should be solid again next year.
“It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” -Steve Jobs.
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Obviously he doesn't really fit a need here tho so it won't happen.
IMLB is a need... so is OLB
but it will be better when we have a first round pick next year to draft him with
Hunter + Dart = This is the way.
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Good news
Yeah I guess. To bad he missed the plane to the LSU game. Or was he there and I didn't notice?
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Smart move...He needs to bulk up some...His play in the LSU game was less than expected...
Glad to see he is smart about his future...no matter what road he chooses...
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You're going by ignorance once again. I KNOW the training regiment that he goes through. I have SEEN his workout program, nutritional program, and KNOW his trainer. You are spewing nonsense as usual. Again, you are CLUELESS about another subject you pretend to be knowledgeable of.
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Nas, you don't want them to have a better season than your Hart, Henne, and Long did this year
Haha, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone, even Ohio State.
As for Laurinitis, he's a good LB but I personally think he's a bit overrated. He didn't rank in the top 10 in the Big Ten in solo tackles, sacks, tackles for loss or forced fumbles. He also disappeared two straight years against Michigan.
He racked up a lot of tackles against LSU but they were kind of the Andra Davis variety (4-5 yards down field). He's not a pushover by any means but the 6-7 times I've seen him play, he hasn't been all that impressive. Atleast not in relation to they number of times the mention his name (or that his dad is Animal of WWF fame).
I think he's a good (potentially great) player but he's just hyped up a bit more then he should be. If he continues to improve, he has all the physical gifts to be a great player but with how much announcers talk about him already, you would think the guy was Dick Butkus.
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I think Laurinitis gets his accolades because he is a game changer more than anything else. He is a good player, and a sure tackler, but he also makes 1-2 momentum changing plays a game.
I thought he played better his rookie and sophomore years than last year, but teams were also scheming against him. He did look much quicker this season however.
The experience he has gained the last 2 seasons will be invaluable next season. I am thrilled he decided to come back.
“It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” -Steve Jobs.
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Why do people gang up on ammo?  Although coach u r right. Ive only heard of the stuff he does I havent had the pleasure of seeing it in person though. Based on what you have said you know more then me so Ill take your word for it. 
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People call out Ammo because he invents these ridiculous theories and proclaims them as fact because he was suach a high school football stud....a legend in his own mind. It gets old for those that actually know what they're talking about to see a 20 year old kid spew absolutely absurd statements like they were anywhere near reality.
He is sitting there proclaiming, iwth absolutely nothing to back it up with other than his vast experience in weightlifting (note the sarcasm) that there is NO WAY that someone can acheive these results naturally. That is an absolutely false statement and is very insulting to Gholston. It's not ganging up, it's everyone knowing he's full of crap.
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I think Laurinitis gets his accolades because he is a game changer more than anything else. He is a good player, and a sure tackler, but he also makes 1-2 momentum changing plays a game.
I thought he played better his rookie and sophomore years than last year, but teams were also scheming against him. He did look much quicker this season however.
Yeah, I agree with all that......he does seem to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time.....I was just commenting on the fact that he won't really overwhelm you with his physical skills when you watch him.
He gets a lot of press but he's not a guy who jumps out at you when you watch him play. Maybe that's why I feel he's a bit overhyped. I guess it's different for a defensive player but given how much he's talked about, I expect him to take over a game more then he does.
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didn't Lienhart do the same thing and ended up going lower then he was projected the year prior? education is great, put turning down a guaranteed payday where it stands now isn't too wise in my book. I read allot of homerism going on in this thread, but I bet most of you in his situation would have taken the wise road and ran with the money.
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I'm not usually an Ohio State draft pimp...but there are two players I'd love to see on the Browns in the '09 draft.
Wells and Laurinaitis. Obviously we can't have both. Laurinaitis would be fun as a fan (you can bet that as a wrestling fan I'd wear spiked shoulderpads and a belt to Browns games) plus he's a monster at linebacker. Wells would be the perfect successor to J-Lew.
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Yes, definitely agree. If we don't get our hands on Jonathan Stewart this year, Chris Wells next would be an amazing pick up. Both of them are big, quick, hard runners and could learn a world of knowledge from Jamal.
As to the Laurinaitis discussion, I do feel he gets more attention that his play commands. But that happens with the top LB at Ohio State. I think someone drafting James looking for the next Brian Urlacher will be disappointed. But if someone drafts him looking to pick up a good LB, then they won't be disappointed at all.
A J Hawk got the same kind of recognition in college, but he wasn't a phenom, he was just consistent and good. Good enough to be picked #5 overall in his draft year. I think Laurinaitis is similar. He's not going to be a player you build a team around. He's going to be a top notch piece in a strong defensive unit.
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Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Gholston entering draft; Jenkins
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