Former OSU football coach speaks at TU event
By Jill Gosche, jgosche@advertiser-tribune.comArticle Photos
Fact Box
"There is no week like Michigan week."
Earle Bruce, former OSU football coach
Like a turtle on a fence post, Earle Bruce got where he is with the help of others.
The former Ohio State University football coach told a story about driving in Dublin and seeing a turtle on a post. Bruce, who says he's proud of his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, wondered how the creature got there.
"He had to have help. Someone put him up there, and then the dawn hit me: That's what happens to get in the hall of fame. Someone put you in there, buddy," he said.
Bruce, who coached OSU football for nine years and now is director of football operations for the Columbus Destroyers, told the story about the turtle as he spoke to about 200 people during Tiffin University's Good Morning World event at Camden Falls Reception Hall Thursday morning. He was the first speaker of the breakfast lecture series' 25th year and received a standing ovation at the end of his talk.
Bruce said he visited Tiffin about a decade ago to speak to TU's football program, and this week is a great week to speak at the Tiffin event because Ohio State takes on the University of Michigan on Saturday.
"There is no week like Michigan week," he said. "It's unbelievable. ... It's the greatest rivalry."
Bruce said the Buckeyes are going for their fifth consecutive win over the Wolverines, which would set a record.
"If (the Wolverines) were 10-0, I'd be a little worried about it," he said.
Although Michigan is 3-8, the team will play like an 8-3 team Saturday, he said.
Bruce said the worst teaching of tackling is going on in high school, college and professional football teams.
"I like to think that when it's Ohio State playing Michigan, that we hit them hard every time," he said.
The former coach recalled asking Buckeyes whether they know how to tackle and whether they know what tackling really is.
"Buddy, you're going down. You know why you're going down? Because I said you're going down," he said. "That's what tackling is."
Bruce said he coached for 44 years, never worked a day in his life and has been blessed with good players and coaches. He recalled Chris Spielman as being a great linebacker who did not dress to play in his first game because he was injured. Ohio State was losing to Oregon State, 13-7.
"(He was) behind me, stomping on the ground. 'I gotta play,'" Bruce recalled. "I could hear him through everything."
He said he asked the defensive coordinator to put Spielman in the game, and the other coach questioned his instruction. He told the coach to start Speilman in the second half of the football game.
"He did," Bruce said. "Spielman made the first 10 tackles of the second half."
Bruce said preparing for a football game is like preparing for life. In football and in life, people have to line themselves up, and in football, players must make sure they're going the right way when moving toward touchdowns - not field goals, he said.
"I'm tired of that," he said.
After the speech, Ronald Jones, defensive passing coordinator in his first year at TU, met with Bruce.
Jones said he asked Bruce about player motivation, and Bruce told him to get to know players more for who they are. Jones said he had heard the advice before.
"(It's) something I need to use a lot more," he said.
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