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Afterbeinglabeledanunproductiveunitduringtheoffseason,lefttackleJackMewhortandhisfellowoffensivelinemenhaverespondedtothecriticismandhaveworkedtoelevatethe2012OhioStateoffensetooneofthemostproductiveinthecountry. “Weusedthecriticismearlierthisyearasfuelandmotivationtokeepimproving,”theredshirtjuniorfromToledo,Ohio,said. Astheonlytworeturningstartersontheoffensiveline,MewhortandleftguardAndrewNorwellhaveledtheBuckeyesinfashioninganoffensivelinethathaspoweredtherunninggameandno-huddleoffenseoftheBuckeyes. “Ourgoaleverygameistogooutthereandplayashardaswecanfortheguynexttous,”Mewhortsaid. TheeffortsoftheoffensivelinehaveenabledtheBuckeyestoaverage431.8yardsagamesofarthisyear.Theseeffortshavenotgoneunnoticed.FollowingtheMichiganStatevictorySept.29,theentireoffensivelinewasnamedoffensiveplayerofthegame.Mewhortwasrecognizedindividuallyafterthewinvs.IndianaOct.13asa“Champion”bytheOhioStatecoachingstaffforhisoutstandingperformance. “Despitehowmuchwehavebeenarushingforce,there’sstillmorewecando,”the2011All-BigTenhonorablementionsaid.“We’veleftalotofyardsonthefieldinthepastfewgames.” In2011,Mewhortstartedall13gamesasasophomore.Beginningtheyearatleftguard,heswitchedtorighttacklebeforeclosingouttheseasonatrightguard.EventhoughMewhorthasbouncedaroundfrompositiontopositionontheoffensiveline,hehasembracedhisnewrole

thisseasonaslefttackle,apositionformerlyheldby2012second-roundNFLDraftpickMikeAdams.MewhorthasnotplayedthispositionsincehissophomoreyearinhighschoolatSt.John’sJesuitHighSchoolandAcademyinToledo,Ohio. “I’vedefinitelyembracedlefttackle,”thefamilyresourcemanagementmajorsaid.“It’sbeenfunplayingontheedge.CoachWarinnerandmyteammatesmakeiteasyformetoimprove.Iwanttobebetter.” Mewhortcreditsmuchofthesuccessoftheoffensivelinetothebondsthegrouphasformedwitheachother. “Ourteamunitydefinitelygivesusanemotionaledgeoverouropponents,”Mewhortsaid.“Whenyoureallylovetheguystandingnexttoyou,itmakesyouplayalotharder.Youknowyoucan’tletthatguydown.” Whileotherunitsonthesquadhavebeengivennicknames,suchasthedefensive“silverbullets”andthe“freakshow”specialteams,theoffensivelinehasdevelopedapersonareflectiveoftheirbandofbrothersmentality. “I’veheardCoachMeyerandCoachMarotticallusthe‘FiveGuys,’”Mewhortsaid. Thesefiveguyshavecreatedaclose-knitfamilythathasplayedaninstrumentalroleintheoffensivesuccessoftheBuckeyes. “Wehaven’tbecomecomplacent,”Mewhortsaid.“Wecomeouttopracticeeverydayandtrytoimprove.Weareafamilyandwetrusteachother.Thatisabigfactorinoursuccess.We’regoingtokeepgrindingandkeepworkingtobecomethebestwecanbe.”

JACK MEWHORTOFFENSIVE LINEMAN

By Chelsea Zoellner, AthleticsCommunications