Ohio State seeing good things from some of its safeties

COLUMBUS - Before getting his first two career interceptions last Saturday, Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman might have been wondering if it was time to get his visualization checked.

Not his vision. His visualization.

The OSU junior is a believer in visualizing making big plays before games. It's something his dad told him to do when he was growing up and Ohio State's coaches also recommend it.

But until last Saturday against Troy, Coleman had come up empty in the interception department.

"Coaches always say to visualize how you're going to play the night before. I always lie in bed for about 30 minutes and try to picture the game in my head, picture myself making the plays," he said.

"My dad always told me if you can visualize it, you can do it, that it can come true."

Coleman started last season and, after missing the first two games this season with an ankle injury, has been in the lineup the last two games.

Jermale Hines, who started in Coleman's place against Youngstown State and Ohio University, has been one of the pleasant surprises on the Buckeyes so far.

Many people are visualizing big things for him.

Between Coleman's injury and an injury to Tyler Moeller, the extra defensive back when Ohio State plays a "nickel" defense, Hines has had opportunities to display his abilities every week.

Assistant coach Paul Haynes said Hines was no surprise to OSU's coaches.

"We were expecting big things from him before the season started," Haynes said earlier this week. "He's got great football instincts, he's got great size. He can run but his football instincts are incredible. A lot of times you may not tell him something but he'll just do it.

"It's amazing, you'll be sitting there thinking, ‘That's exactly what I want him to do' and he's doing it without you telling him."

Hines, a 6-foot, 2-inch, 210-pound sophomore, was recruited out of Cleveland Glenville High School, where he played quarterback and linebacker.

All along, though, Ohio State envisioned him as a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety. That type of player is highly valued by major college programs because they are too strong to be blocked by receivers but can still cover those receivers in passing situations.

"Those are the guys who are hard to find," Haynes said. "What makes it hard is that everybody wants them. If they're not here in Ohio, if they're out of state, the top schools in those states are recruiting them."