Gut Check

This weekend the NFL draft happened. I've never watched it and probably never will... but I love picking up the Monday paper and seeing where my beloved Buckeyes were chosen. It was no surprise that Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith was not chosen in the first round. They say he is too small and not accurate enough.

This must be quite a gut check for a guy that was riding high just a few months ago. Here's the high. He led OSU to its 3rd straight victory over rival Michigan (only QB to do that as a starter). Led OSU to undefeated regular season and national championship birth. Secured the Heisman trophy in the 2nd most lopsided vote in history. Then went on a whirlwind celebrity tour.

Now for the low. He was the 174th pick overall by the Baltimore Ravens. He was the 9th Quarterback picked overall (23 picks behind Jeff Rowe of Nevada). He was the 7th Buckeye picked. Before he was picked were three receivers (Gonzo, Ginn & Roy Hall) that he made look good all year and his running back (Antonio Pittman) whom benefited from his double threat as an opportunistic passer/runner.

Talk about a gut check. Going from award stands to afterthoughts. So now we get to see how he responds. Can he prove his critics wrong? Can a "small" quarterback succeed? Can he overcome the Heisman QB jinx?

Smith commented on the situation in the Baltimore Sun today.

"The critics are going to be here for the rest of my life. There's nothing I can do about them," Smith said. "In a lot of ways, they make people stronger or they take people under. My whole life I've been fighting that battle. It turned out positive right now, and I'm going to continue to stay the course and fight the critics. They're not going anywhere, and I accept them for who they are."

I guess it is not the size of the man in the fight, but the size of the fight in the man.