Paul Keels - If These Walls Could Talk: Ohio State Buckeyes: Stories from the Buckeyes Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box

To Buckeye fans everywhere! Your passion gives us purpose!

Contents

Foreword by Thad Matta

On the night of July 5, 2004, I remember calling Andy Geiger at 11:00 pm to inform him that I was withdrawing from Ohio State Universitys search for a new head basketball coach.

The situation at Xavier had gotten completely out of hand with regard to media speculation about my candidacy. As I told Andy of my decision, he stopped me and said, I am sitting on a gold mine up here. I need you to come help me mine it.

I asked him, Are you offering me the job?

His response is what changed my mind. He told me, If you come up here and screw up the interview, I will give you two hours to publicly withdraw your name.

I said, Fair enough. I will see you in the morning. From the moment the press conference ended around 2:00 pm on July 8, it was game on.

I knew there were major obstacles that would have to be overcome in terms of NCAA sanctions that would be handed down to the university from what had transpired prior to my arrival. What I didnt realize was that Ohio State basketball had never quite sustained success throughout the programs history. Three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances constituted the longest successful streak, and that dated back to 1960.

But the major statistic that really grabbed me was the programs winning percentage of 51 percent in the history of Big Ten play. As I have found out, anytime you take a new job, the real truth of the situation never comes out until you have begun the journey. I remember coming off of the recruiting trail for a few hours to meet with my new support staff. My first meeting was with Miechelle Willis, senior associate athletic director, the person to whom I would report. The meeting was to give me a briefing and background on the players who were currently in the program. At the conclusion of that meeting, I sat there dumbfounded. As Miechelle left, I remember thinking of one of my all-time favorite movies, The Dirty Dozen . The immediate goal became to change the culture and environment in which our guys would operate on a daily basis.

As I have said publicly any chance I ever got, Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, Tony Stockman, Matt Sylvester, Terence Dials, JeKel Foster, J.J. Sullinger, Matt Marinchickthey should all have their names hanging from the rafters of the Schottenstein Center. Those first two teams were the unsung heroes of my 13-year career at Ohio State. From upsetting an undefeated and No. 1ranked Illinois team on Senior Day, to winning the Big Ten Championship in Year 2, they proved to be a collection of guys who bought in to loving each other, the university, and the process.

From that point forward came some of the greatest players and teams to ever wear the scarlet and gray. We won a number of Big Ten championships as well as conference tournament championships and we went to two Final Fours. There were All-Americans, a National Player of the Year, National Defenders of the Year, Academic All-Americans, a National Freshman of the Year as well as a supporting cast on each team that did more for the program than anybody will ever know.

Toward the end of my tenure at Ohio State, we had what I have often described as an extended run of bad luck. We lost key guys to injuries and we battled team issues that hadnt been present in the prior years. That said, I take full responsibility for what happened to the program in my final years. What I am most proud of, as I look back now over my tenure, is that in the current circumstances that surround college basketball, our program was run the right way.

Finally, I want to touch on my relationship with Paul Keels. I would be lying if I said I ever enjoyed spending time in front of the media. However, if I could pick one person to be interviewed by, it would be Paul. He was always prepared, knowledgeable, and living in the moment. I have never dealt with a person in his position who cared more than he did. You have to realize that he was with me at the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. He knew when I was hurting and he always showed sincere compassion. And when I was happy, there was no greater friend with whom to share the moment.

Thanks for all of the softballs, Paul!

Thad Matta

Foreword by Jim Lachey

M y first experience with Ohio State football happened in 1968, when I was five years old, listening to the Buckeyes on the radio as they played in the Rose Bowl. The team had just captured the national championship with the help of a fullback from Celina, Ohio, named Jim Otis.

My hometown, St. Henry, about 10 miles south of Celina, didnt have football at our school at the time, so there really wasnt a high school team to follow. Naturally, we jumped on the Buckeyes bandwagon, and I have never left. St. Henry started a team in 1973, and eight years later, I was offered a scholarship to Ohio State.

Playing for the scarlet and gray is every Ohio state high school football players dream, and mine came true. Woody Hayes came to see me play high school football, and soon after, Earle Bruce told me he wanted me to be a Buckeye. During the recruiting process, while I was visiting other schools and watching them play football, the public address announcer would provide scores from games around the country. I was always just interested in what the Buckeyes were doing. A lot of times, I would think, What am I doing here? I want to be a Buckeye .

I had four great years at Ohio State, where I ended up being an All-American offensive guard. I was drafted to the NFL in the first round to the San Diego Chargers. After an 11-year career in the NFL and a Super Bowl championship with the Washington Redskins, I retired from playing football after the 1995 season. Shortly after, I got the opportunity of a lifetime: to be the color analyst for the Ohio State Radio Network.

Truthfully, I didnt really know much about the broadcasting end, but I was very confident in my ability to talk football. After working the 1997 season with talented play-by-play announcer Terry Smith, he left for the California Angels play-by-play job. The Ohio State network was seeking a replacement. It was a highly sought-after job, and many applied from all over the country.

The decision was made, and I was informed we had hired Paul Keels from the Cincinnati Bearcats Radio Network. He was a legend in Cincinnati. Paul grew up there, went to Cincinnati Moeller High School, then Xavier University, and the whole time, he was involved in student radio stations, broadcasting football games and other sports.

I was excited because I had heard him call Bearcats games in the past, but I never had the chance to meet him. The first time we met was in July 1998, when we played golf at Ohio State before the football season began. I think we both knew this was going to work and that, hopefully, we would have some fun along the way. We are now in our 21 st year working together and, yes, we are still having a blast.

It all started with the 1998 season opener on the road against West Virginia. It was Pauls first Ohio State football game, and the Buckeyes won 3417. Paul was great! I think in about five hours of broadcasting that day, he made only one mistake. When describing the uniforms while announcing the starting lineups, he mentioned red trim on the players pants. I quickly mentioned that we like to call that scarlet around here. From then on, it was scarlet.

Paul was a professional all the way. We have had the opportunity to follow the Buckeyes teams led by John Cooper, Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell, and now Urban Meyer. What a ride its been. Certainly, the 2002 national championship game against Miami will always be considered one of the greatest ever. The Hurricanes had a 34-game winning streak and a roster full of future NFL stars. The Buckeyes fought, scratched, and clawed their way to a double-overtime victory. I will never forget, long after the game, walking with Paul and the crew from Sun Devil Stadium to the parking garage. There was not much talking until we got to the car. We were all stunned and looked at each other and started laughing, screaming, and we even had a few tears of joy.