Bring Berry to Buckeye Town?
He can play.
That’s what we know for sure about Jaamal Berry. Thursday the drug charges against Berry were lowered from a felony to a misdeamor in Miami-Dade County Court. Does that mean he should still get a chance at Ohio State? In my opinion, yes. A very weak sauce yes.
Jim Tressel has an impressive track record of working with kids who make legal mistakes and getting them in line. He’s had players with misdeameanors before who’ve turned out to be good students and players for OSU. Take Doug Worthington. Just a year ago he was answered drunk driving charges. He paid his legal consequences and some consequences inside the Buckeye program. I can honestly say there are few Buckeye players I enjoy talking with more than Doug. He has a bright future, thanks to a second chance at OSU. Now in Tressel’s defense, he knows which offenses are too heinous for a second chance. I’m not sure marijuana possession, although poor judgement and illegal, is worth blowing up a kid’s college future. Having said that, one false step and I’d set him loose.
Kids have to make smart decisions, but we all did dumb stuff as kids—things we should’ve never done but did anyway. Sometimes making a big fat mistake can lead to a rapid maturity process. Perhaps that’s what Berry will do. Tressel has not commented on what he’ll do in Berry’s case, but I say bring him to Columbus, redshirt him and then let’s see. If he can become a good citizen, it’s worth the second chance. If OSU doesn’t give it, someone else sure will.
