COLUMBUS: Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said it is Dante Booker’s time to shine.
While Booker acknowledges the pressure that comes from such expectations, the junior linebacker from St. Vincent-St. Mary doesn’t run from it.
And, according to his roommate Raekwon McMillan, Booker can definitely run.
“He makes plays on the field that I can’t make. He’s very fast as a linebacker,” McMillan said Sunday during Ohio State football media day at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “You don’t really expect that from a guy who’s 235 pounds. Seeing him out there running like that is very crazy.”
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, Booker is expected to take over at strongside linebacker for his mentor, Joshua Perry, a fourth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers. Fickell said junior Chris Worley from Cleveland Glenville will likely win the job at walk-out linebacker vacated by Darron Lee, the 20th overall pick of the New York Jets, with junior co-captain McMillan in the middle.
Fickell said Booker was ready last season, when he played 98 snaps on defense, 99 on special teams and finished with 22 tackles, including a career-high five against Penn State. After being named Ohio’s Mr. Football at St. V-M in 2013, Booker got in 11 games as a true freshman in 2014, when the Buckeyes won the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship.
“You can tell he’s unbelievable athlete,” Fickell said of Booker. “[It’s time] for him to just go out there and let it go. He did it a little bit last year, but he had to come off the bench, he wasn’t thrown in the limelight. It’s his time. He’s got to take hold of the reins and go be a leader.”
McMillan said he and Booker are “very clean guys, perfectionists” in their apartment. On the field, that trait may have held Booker back last season.
“There’s times when you’ve got to be hard on yourself and there’s times when you’ve got to let it loose and say, ‘There’s going to be some mistakes,’ ” Fickell said. “He’s one of those perfectionists, OCD to a good point. But in the game of football there’s some times when you’ve got to let it go.”
Booker has gained about 25 pounds since he arrived in Columbus two years ago. He said he’s also made mental strides, has done what he’s been told and learned from a lot of great leaders.
“Joshua brought me along and set a real high standard for me,” Booker said. “He showed me how it’s done, the steps you have to take. Focus on the little things first. I definitely learned a lot from him.”
Fickell said Booker is “a lot different” player than Perry, although each have strengths.
“He could be more of a big play, more of an impact type of guy,” Fickell said of Booker. “Physically that’s what his ability brings.”
Booker is obviously aware of what’s being said about him and ready to step into a big role on a Buckeyes team that returns just six starters, along with their kicker and punter.
“All the hype, I want to live up to it and show people what I know I can do,” Booker said. “There’s definitely pressure, but you’ve got to apply pressure to create that diamond. You’ve got to embrace that.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.