Saturday, August 15, 1998
The Associated Press
All-America linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, left.
(AP photo)
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COLUMBUS -- Three of Ohio State's top players -- including Lombardi and Butkus award winner Andy Katzenmoyer -- have yet to meet minimum academic requirements that would make them eligible for the upcoming season.
"It's a main concern for whoever's a sports fan or a Buckeye fan, but I'm going to take care of business and be out there Sept. 5," said Katzenmoyer, who must meet a 2.0 grade-point average by passing summer classes in music, golf and AIDS awareness.
Katzenmoyer, a first-team All-American linebacker, All-Big Ten safety Damon Moore and second-team all-conference offensive guard Rob Murphy likely will miss some of Ohio State's workouts for its Sept. 5 opener at West Virginia.
"I'm obviously not happy about it," Ohio State coach John Cooper said Friday at the team's annual media day. "I'm not happy whenever we have some players who miss practice. And we're going to have some miss to go to summer school."
If the three -- all listed as sociology majors in the Ohio State media guide -- are not able to play, it could severely cripple a Buckeye team that returns almost all of its starters from last year's 10-3 team and is ranked No. 1 in the preseason CNN - USA Today poll.
Ohio State is touting Katzenmoyer as a Heisman Trophy candidate, while Moore -- who had to pass a summer course in Swahili to be eligible a year ago -- is ranked among the best in the nation at his position by some preseason publications. Murphy, a Moeller grad, is the most experienced lineman for the Buckeyes.
"I had a lot of personal problems in the winter and spring that caused my grades to go down," Katzenmoyer said. "I screwed up in the winter and spring, so now I've got to put my time in."
Katzenmoyer, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound junior, pleaded no contest in March to a drunken driving charge after he was picked up for speeding and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.133 percent. The legal limit in Ohio is 0.10 percent and the legal drinking age is 21; Katzenmoyer is 20.
He served three days in an alcohol-counseling program, had his driver's license suspended for 180 days and paid a fine of $300.
