Brian Rolle

A year ago at this time, Brian Rolle was just another name on a long list of potential candidates who could fill two open spots in the Ohio State linebacker corps.

Most assumed that Tyler Moeller would fill the open outside spot and Austin Spitler would replace James Laurinaitis in the middle. But Moeller was lost for the season when he suffered a head injury in an off-the-field incident just prior to camp.

Rolle went to work and eventually won the full-time job in the middle, relegating Spitler to spot duty outside. The result was a breakthrough junior year, where Rolle ended up second on the team with 95 tackles. He also tallied seven tackles-for-loss and one interception. (Outside linebacker Ross Homan led the team with 108 stops.)

It was just one more case where people had underestimated the 5-11, 221-pound Rolle and he proved them all wrong.

“Most people, when they first would see me, would say, ‘You’re not tall enough to play linebacker. You’re not big enough,’ “ Rolle said. “But I would tell them, ‘My heart’s big enough and I’m fast enough.’ I’m just out there trying to make plays.”

Rolle, a native of Immokalee, Fla., showed what he was made of as a junior. He was OSU’s leading tackler most of the year before Homan overtook him near the end of the year.

He made news in his first career start in the opener against Navy when he intercepted a potential game-tying two-point conversion pass and returned it 98 yards for a two-point defensive conversion late in the game. He had a team-high nine tackles in that game.

He had eight tackles against USC, Toledo and Illinois, also intercepting a pass against the Illini. He had a career-best 14 tackles against Wisconsin, posted 10 more against Penn State and ended the regular season with nine tackles (three for losses) in OSU’s win at Michigan.

Yet, even as the number two tackler on the Big Ten’s best defense, Rolle wasn’t even picked as an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection – let alone take a spot on the first or second teams.

“I didn’t even know the teams were out until somebody texted me and said, ‘That’s bullcrap,’ ” Rolle said. “For me, personally, that’s somebody else’s opinion about how good somebody is. All that matters to me is what the coaches and the players on this team think about me.

“I will just do what I am supposed to do and maybe the people who voted will see, ‘Hey, maybe this kid should have been on this team or that team or whatever.’ I just do what I can for this team and hopefully it turns out for the best.”

Rolle had three tackles in OSU’s 26-17 Rose Bowl win over Oregon.

“I actually looked at the film of that game the next day,” he said. “I wanted to see how I played. It was kind of unreal the way we won and held a high-powered offense like Oregon to so few points.

“I told my coaches that we won a state championship when I was in high school. But this felt way better than that. There were a lot of ups and downs in that game. We showed a lot of resiliency to come back like we did. Seventy-seven percent of the country (on ESPN.com) didn’t give us a chance.

“But we were a group of guys with our heads on right and we got the job done.”

When asked how he felt he played in the Rose Bowl, Rolle said, “I felt I got the job done. The way we play in our defense, I thought I made the plays that came to me. There were a couple of tackles where I needed to be in better position. But as a whole, I have to give it up to our defensive line for making the plays they made.”

OSU went into the off-season looking to replace as many as five starters on defense. But Rolle said there are plenty of candidates for those open jobs.

“We just have to reload,” he said. “That’s how we look at it every year. We have some guys behind those guys who have played. I don’t think the coaches will change that much. We will be younger with some guys who are inexperienced. But we have spring, summer and fall camp. I know they will do a great job of getting those guys used to playing in the positions we need.”

The Buckeyes lose Spitler at one outside spot. Rolle figures to be back in the middle and Homan returns at one outside spot. Rolle listed several players who could fill that role.

“There are a bunch of guys there,” Rolle said. “Storm Klein from Licking Valley, he is one of the young guys who is doing well. Every time I look at him, he reminds me of James Laurinaitis. He has a great work ethic.

“I think Etienne Sabino can be a stud at the Sam linebacker this year. He is big and physical. Tony Jackson is a walk-on we have from Westland High School. He is a guy who could get a chance to play.

“Andrew Sweat is coming off surgery. People don’t know that much about him. But when he was healthy, he was always hitting and going hard. He has a good chance to get into the rotation.”

Rolle said he is planning on taking a leadership role with the Buckeyes as a senior in 2010.

“I told our strength coach that I am going to speak up and get the guys motivated,” he said. “I have been raised as a leader since I was a little kid. I plan on speaking up to get the guys learning. Hopefully, they can learn from what I’ve done. You have to fight through adversity and fight through without complaining.”