Kurt Coleman

For Ohio State’s draft-eligible football players, the next two months will be a nervewracking time.

These outgoing Buckeyes are working hard right now with OSU strength and conditioning coach Eric Lichter and his staff to prepare for their workouts for NFL scouts.

Five former Buckeyes have been invited to next weekend’s NFL combine in Indianapolis. That group includes junior-eligible defensive end Thaddeus Gibson and outgoing seniors safety Kurt Coleman, defensive tackle Doug Worthington, offensive lineman Jimmy Cordle and kicker Aaron Pettrey.

OSU’s remaining draft contingent – including safety Anderson Russell, linebacker Austin Spitler, defensive tackle Todd Denlinger and defensive end Lawrence Wilson – will join that group for OSU’s pro workout day Fri., March 12 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. (The 2010 NFL draft will be April 22-24.)

All of these outgoing players are working under the watchful eyes of Lichter and his assistants, Jeff Uhlenhake and Doug Davis.

“He’s killing us, but we knew that coming in,” said Gibson, who is passing up a fifth year as a Buckeye to enter the draft. “I’m familiar with the guy. I have been working with him since my junior year in high school. I wouldn’t go anywhere else to train. Being here for four years, I’ve been in tune with his workout plans. He’s a great trainer and a great guy.

“We’re grateful he’s here. Not only is he a great coach and a great guy, he’s here for the guys. He gives it everything. He’ll stay here till late at night to make sure you get your start right or your steps right. He’ll put you in the right position to get it done.”

The Lichter plan calls for the draft-eligible players to work out six days a week.

“We’re in here on Saturday mornings,” Gibson said. “If he said it was good for us, we’d come in here Sunday mornings. We are just trying to make the most of every day.”

During their time at OSU, Lichter prepared these players to get ready for the football season. The preparation changes as they gear the workouts toward the combine workouts.

“He works on technique a lot more,” Worthington said. “You’re working on your 40 and your stance and the way your foot hits a certain area. I give E a lot of credit because he is a master at what he does. He knows what he is talking about and it pays dividends.”

Below is a look at the five Buckeyes due to work out in Indianapolis. Those workouts begin with the offensive linemen, kickers and tight ends next Friday (Feb. 26). Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will work out Feb. 27. Defensive linemen and linebackers will work out Feb. 28, while defensive backs will work out March 1.

Gibson Gearing Up

Most projections view Gibson as the first Buckeye to be taken in the 2010 draft. Depending on his workouts, Gibson could go as high as the late first round or sometime in the second.

“This training now is like training for a track meet,” Gibson said. “It’s not anything that has anything to do at all with football, if you ask me. It’s all about the steps you have to take. You have to go out there and get it done.

“You just have to be confident and give it all you’ve got. This is one of the biggest interviews of your whole life. You just have to make sure you give it your all.”

Gibson knows that his future depends on how he performs in these workouts.

“It is truly a business,” he said. “Your body is your business now. You have to make sure you treat it well and take care of it.”

Coleman Shaving Time

Most are projecting Coleman anywhere from the second to the fifth round. He got a head start on his draft preparation by playing in the Senior Bowl.

“I’ve talked with Mike Doss and Will Allen and James (Laurinaitis) and Malcolm (Jenkins),” he said. “It’s hard to put yourself in their position. But I went down to Alabama for the Senior Bowl, we worked with the Detroit Lions (staff) and I really understood what it takes to be a professional and what they’re expecting out of each and every player. I think that has helped me come back here and prepare for the next level.

“Down there, they saw I was a versatile safety. I don’t think a lot of safeties are able to cover and come down on the slot or fill the run responsibilities. I think I am a combination of both and teams wanted to see that versatility.”

Coleman said that experience will serve him well as he goes for his audition of sorts next week in Indianapolis.

“The thing that helped me was going down to the Senior Bowl,” he said. “That got a lot of my nervousness out. I’m very confident. I know who I stack up against. Going into Indianapolis, it’s going to be fun for me. I know I will interview well and I know I am going to show them what I can do and they’re going to be excited about what I can do.”

One knock on Coleman is his size. He was listed at 5-11, 195 pounds as a senior at OSU.

“I’m not going to be able to grow,” he joked. “I just have to continue to gain some weight and use that weight to my advantage. My height is my height. When I go out there, I’m playing football and I don’t think my height or my weight will be a big disadvantage.”

Coleman said he played at 195 pounds. He thinks his ideal weight would be 198 pounds.

When asked about his ideal diet, he smiled and said, “Filets, filets all day.”

In terms of his workout regimen, Coleman said, “Right now, we’re working on our 40 times and our agility drills. It’s not all football drills. They want to see you run a fast 40 time and that’s what we’re working on.

“I’m looking forward to testing my limits. I think I can go to the next level and play right away and make a big contribution to the team. I think teams will understand that after they see me at the combine. They’ll understand my competitiveness and the way I go about my business.”

As for a goal in the 40, Coleman said, “Anything under 4.5 would be acceptable. I think I can run a low 4.4, maybe even a 4.38. I just need to keep working with Eric Lichter and keep grinding and I think I can get it.”

Worthington Working Hard

Worthington enjoyed a stellar senior year at OSU and now is hoping to catch the eye of an NFL team that could use an athletic defensive tackle. He projects anywhere from the fourth round on.

“As far as a 40-yard time, 4.8 would be beautiful for me at 290 or 295 pounds,” he said. “The L-drill would be good at 4.4. I’m shaving numbers all the time.

“That helps your stock if you have better numbers than other guys. It shows you are more athletic than those guys. At the end of the day, it comes down to your film. You just put that who profile and resume together.”

Worthington, like the others, is being drilled by Lichter on perfecting the drill techniques.

“You have to be technique-sound and work on your footwork and every little thing,” he said. “It’s very crucial to get those things down. Each tenth of a second is important. It is a lot different than football, but they also look at it to see your level of competitiveness and athletic ability.”

Versatility Helps Cordle

At Ohio State, Cordle played every offensive line position except right guard. That versatility could help him go anywhere from the middle rounds on.

“I think most teams are looking at me as an inside player,” he said. “But as one scout said to me, the good thing is I can play them all. You can only dress usually eight linemen and sometimes just seven. I could be a guy who fits in there as an emergency tackle. It was nice to get all of those reps down there at center. It was a nice time.”

Cordle knows how tough the grading process can be for draftable players.

“They try and find something and pick you apart,” he said. “They try and find your weakness and pick you apart. You have to have the complete package with the film, the runs and the lifts – all of that stuff.”

At Indianapolis, players perform drills with their position groups. That can be kind of daunting, Cordle said.

“It’s different here because you have all of the guys around you,” he said. “There, you’ll be by yourself. It will be different. You’re the only guy out there and everybody is watching you. That makes it stressful.”

Cordle is looking forward to OSU’s pro day, which always attracts a large crowd of NFL coaches, front office personnel and scouts.

“I’ve been coming to pro day here since I was a sophomore in high school watching all of these guys in here,” he said. “At Ohio State, the good thing is the combine comes here. You have double-digit NFL coaches and most or all of the GMs here and a ton of scouts.

“You see some of the drills they do and seeing the guys run. I think it will help that day. I will be used to all of that going on.”

As for his draft status, Cordle is keeping an open mind

“I have heard anything from the fifth to the seventh round to free agent,” he said. “I just think I have played so many positions that some people don’t know exactly where I fit in yet.”

Pettrey Back To Full-Go

Pettrey missed OSU’s last four games after suffering a knee injury against New Mexico State. He returned and kicked a field goal in the Rose Bowl and also played in the recent Texas against the world all-star game.

“A few scouts at the game asked me if I could handle the pressure,” he said. “I said I played in front of 104,000 fans for four years and the Buckeye fans are about the harshest out there, so I said, ‘I guess so.’

“I’ve been in pressure situations here. Hopefully they will see that.”

It is rare that a kicker is selected in the first three rounds of the draft. Pettrey, one of the strongest-legged kickers OSU has ever had, is just hopeful he hears his name called sometime in the seven rounds.

“There are a lot of great free agents,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a kicker doesn’t get drafted because there are a lot of free agents floating around out there. The sixth or seventh round would be great. I’ve always had a goal of wanting to be drafted, but free agency would be fine. I just want to get into camp and show them what I can do.

“For me, it will all be about being at the right spot at the right time.”

After the injury, Pettrey underwent surgery. He rehabbed the injury in time to play in the Rose Bowl.

“I could have let it heal on it’s own because they don’t do MCL surgeries that much anymore,” he said. “But they said they wanted to do it because I could be kicking with it for a long time. That would be the best chance to make it 100 percent.

“I feel like I am back. I’ve probably been back for a couple of weeks now. I kicked real well down at that all-star game.”