Jim Tressel Character Testimonial from Tyler Moeller

Submitted by BlueDragon on

Tyler Moeller's blog post on his personal experiences as an osu football player, and his thoughts on Tressel and tatgate.  Moeller's official biography. Update on Moeller's attacker. Moeller's injury report in 2010--he received a medical hardship waiver and will play in 2011.  This blog is three months old with 15,000 hits so far for you statisticians out there.  Key passages:

1. Coach Tressel is a better person than most people can ever dream about becoming and has helped me grow as a person since my first day at Ohio State. Yes, he made a mistake that has been blown out of proportion, but one mistake does not define a person. It’s funny, I walked into church last Sunday to find Coach Tress worshipping in the front row – 20 minutes early so he could give a speech to our group because a student intern asked him if he would come talk to us. That is just one of the things he does all the time that people don’t see. They don’t see the 1000′s of hours he has spent with young children, sick patients, our armed forces, etc… Sadly, many just see a coach in a sweater vest that “lied”. They miss the great man that gives back to the world 24/7 and helps young kids like me grow into men; even the ones that everyone had already given up on like Ray Small.
3. I drive a car my parents bought (my uncles old car) and they pay for my cell phone bill, car insurance, and health insurance. I live off campus in a dump apartment that hasn’t had screens in the windows or sliding door since we moved in while the AC has been broke for a month. I haven’t been out on the town socially in over a year and thankfully, my girlfriend isn’t into that knight and shining armour 50′s bullcrap, so we usually split the bill 50/50 when we do go out to dinner. Still, because I live in Columbus full time for school and football, by the end of the summer I’m often asking my parents to help me out a little. 4. ^ In reference to Number four many kids that come into the program are not fortunate enough to have the support system that I do. I understand their hardship and until you walk in their shoes, maybe you shouldn’t judge them so harshly on mistakes they make when they are young. Additionally, I understand that NCAA rules are in place for a purpose, but can you imagine being a player and watching calendars and photo’s of yourself being sold and auctioned off for lots of money, but you can’t even get a picture yourself to hang on your personal wall unless you pay for it at full retail? If I bought one from the dispatch I would have to pay $14.99 for a 5×7 of myself? Is that right?

Moeller then goes on to take this swipe at unnamed media figures:

6. You can take what I said out of context or you can say whatever you want because your basketball bench riding career is over and you have to talk about this stuff to keep to veiwers. I totally understand that keeping the drama alive keeps the $$$$ rolling in and your boss happy. It’s okay, I understand, WE understand and it’s not going to break us, you’ll see.

The voices of current and former players are important to us on MGoBlog. Discuss.

scottlarock727

May 29th, 2011 at 6:45 AM ^

What was not said here was the fact that he through Clarett under the bus to cover his own butt.  Thats the big problem here how many other young players careers did he take to maintain a clean image? I'm sure alot more will come out before it's over but the bottom line is Tressel messed up and many have done less to loose there job! He is no better and it's time for him to pay! Sorry the gig is up!

michiganbum3000

May 29th, 2011 at 7:25 AM ^

im not sure we can say he threw clarett under the bus, i think he did that to himself with his bigger than king kong attitude.  He would violate even some of the most minor locker room rules like no food in training room because his ego was so big he thought te rules did not apply to him.  He publicly stated that he should be playing linebacker when he is not at running back and started this frenzy about how he should be allowed to go to the NFL earlier than everybody.  All this was before he started doing armed robberies across from high street.  When you violate a lot of the rules like he did after his freshman season and then start robbing people in alleys with a gun, or get pulled over wit illegal weapons, alcohol, and a bulletproof vest in your vehicle, i think you threw yourself under the bus.  He had every opportunity to follow the rules, just like every other student-athlete.

Wave83

May 29th, 2011 at 8:47 AM ^

I agree with you that there were plenty of problems with Clarett that were his own fault and that he probably would have crashed and burned on his own. 

However, I also suspect (I obviously don't know first hand) that Clarett was given a lot of inappropriate benefits by OSU/Tressel/boosters along the way because he was an awesome talent and that they saw that he could help them beat Michigan and win a National Championship, which is exactly what they did during his freshman (and only) season.  Later, Clarett tried to bring these things to light -- probably to distract from his own failings and maybe more out of revenge than to seek justice -- and OSU undertook a concerted campaign to smear him (which was easy to do because of Clarett's own shortcomings).  OSU did not help a troubled youth, as Tressel likes to say he did with Clarett and with others.  They maligned him to save themselves, and that is what many of us mean when we say they "threw him under the bus."

I wonder whether a decent program and a decent coach could have saved Clarett from himself.  I think it is possible, but not for certain.  We'll never know.  I do know that OSU was interested in using Clarett and when they couldn't control him, they made sure he couldn't bring the program and coach down with him.

MGoAndy

May 29th, 2011 at 7:40 AM ^

They're just scrambling to make as many character testimonials as they can before the NCAA drops The Bomb on the program.  It won't help and doesn't matter.  He built a massive house of cards and now it's time for it to fall apart.  Fuck Ohio State and fuck Jim Tressel.

yahwrite

May 29th, 2011 at 9:34 AM ^

As far as Tressel is concerned, let's just say that different people probably see different sides of him. There are too many test drives amongst players at Youngstown State, Clarett, and Pryor to not think there isn't a connection. Those players were all stars on their teams, and may have needed a little extra to commit to Tressel. Other players have probably grown up in Ohio dreaming of playing for the Buckeyes and don't need any extras. Not every player is getting a car to test drive, just the ones who are difference makers and are looking for it.

Either that, or I've been throwing my money away on car rentals when I fly somewhere for a vacation. Next time I'm going to go to a dealership and test drive a car for a week.

JamieH

May 29th, 2011 at 8:41 AM ^

I think Mafia Dons go to church a lot too.  Does that make them great guys?

 

Anyone can show up on Sunday and ACT super-religious for a few hours.  It's the 166 other hours each week that get them. 

 

Tressel cheated at YSU and managed to slip away because "he didn't know about the cheating".  Now he's cheated at OSU, except this time he left a paper (email) trail.  The constant cheating throughout his career tells you FAR more about the content of his character than the fact that he showed up 20 minutes early to church one Sunday. 

bacon

May 29th, 2011 at 8:41 AM ^

First off, he needs to see a man in c-bus about a deal on a new car. I'm not an appraiser, but it sounds like they'll give him top dollar for his uncle's older vehicle on trade-in.

mstier

May 29th, 2011 at 8:43 AM ^

And Pete Carroll used to do some fantastic charity work and mentoring in some awful areas of LA.
<br>
<br>It doesn't mean he didn't break NCAA rules and that he shouldn't be held accountable.

willywill9

May 29th, 2011 at 8:48 AM ^

I don't doubt he's a good person, but even good people make mistakes.  He clearly violated NCAA rules and lied about it.  There's no getting around it.

coastal blue

May 29th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^

Was my attitude when the story first broke out.

I'm not so sure now. 

Its starting to feel more and more like he has been acting out this life of integrity, supplemented by a Mr. Rogers appearance, to ensure that no one would suspect him to be involved in any of his team's transgressions.

In the same vein, Lebron James' Decision donated a few million dollars to charity. But anyone with two eyes and a functioning human brain knows that was just an attempt to legitimize a terrible PR move. 

 

In reply to by coastal blue

dahblue

May 29th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^

I'd agree with you in part.  Yes, I think the "morality" and "integrity" thing is bullshit, but I don't think that he put up the front to avoid suspicion of wrongdoing.  I think he, like many others who wear their morality (and/or religion) of their sleeve is just full of shit.  Consider the moralizing and anti-gay preacher caught snorting methamphetamines from a male prostitues cock.  The louder they bark (or more books they write), the more full of shit they likely are.  He's not moralizing to avoid suspicion, he's doing it as a means with coping with his own lack of integrity. 

Vasav

May 29th, 2011 at 9:04 AM ^

I'll preface this by saying Jim Tressel lied, cheated, and has a trail of dirt that extends to Youngstown State, and for those reasons I think he should be fired.

But looking at Moeller's post - point 1 talks about Tressel's character. I'm sure he IS a nice guy. He's competitive to the point of cheating, which is probably why he's so succesful, and may also be his tragic flaw. But clearly he has impacted a number of young men in a positive way. And it's natural for them to defend him, especially when the nature of his crimes call his character into question

As for points 3 and 4, which basically get at the heart of the tat-gate scandal - I've got to be honest, while I don't think college athletes should be making regular salaries, I do find it a bit ridiculous that they can't sell their own stuff online. While I took some schaudenfreude in what happened to OSU players, when it was AJ Green at UGA I thought it was silly and I still think it's silly at Ohio State.

Yes Tressel broke the rules and should pay the consequences, but I don't think there's anything wrong with Moeller's defense of him. Does it change how I feel? Not at all. But I am going to refrain from judging the players who sold their memorabilia, and I'm going to think that while Tressel clearly was dishonest, there are positive traits to his character too. Like Arrogance said above - he's a hell of a nice guy. And a cheater.

robpollard

May 29th, 2011 at 1:27 PM ^

I agree that it is completely logical for someone who was "impacted in a positive way" by Tressel to have positive feelings about him.  That's human nature.

But he takes that natural inclination and turns it into, "...your basketball bench riding career is over and you have to talk about this stuff to keep to veiwers. I totally understand that keeping the drama alive..." and uses the word "persecution", i.e., haters gonna hate.  Nothing to see here.

As noted by you and others, Jim Tressel can easily be a) a coach who's helped hundreds of young men have successful careers in & out of football and b) a huge cheater.  Moeller completely discounts "b" and that why I think it's incorrect to state, "I don't think there's anything wrong with Moeller's defense."

beenplumb

May 29th, 2011 at 9:06 AM ^

At the end of the day, this isn't a question about morals and ethics, and it's not a question about Tressel's character. He did something supremely stupid, thought he could get away with it, and will now reap what he's sown. I'm sure he is a good guy when he's in church or when he's mentoring football players, but that's not enough to shield him from taking responsibility for being one of the biggest frauds college athletics has ever seen.

UMWolves

May 29th, 2011 at 9:09 AM ^

Character/Integrity isn't defined by what you are doing when the cameras are rolling and all eyes are on you.  Character/Integrity is defined by what you do when no one is watching.

pharker

May 29th, 2011 at 9:10 AM ^

I've always especially admired Tressel's commitment to honoring our military men & women. But all of the good things he does - and there are plenty - look a lot different in this light. He's not just a good man who got caught lying and cheating once. He's been suspected repeatedly of lying and cheating and turning continuously turning a blind eye to lying and cheating that's happening on his watch, and now - surprise! - there's stark evidence that he lies and cheats.

You build trust with lots of small deposits of effort over a long time. You destroy trust by breaking the rules and then lying about it. There are no small withdrawals from that account. Very simply, now every good thing that someone says about Tressel is tainted by his own actions. 

TRIPP3

May 29th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^

Gary moeller played at OSU. And Bo coached there. For some people it just takes time to come over to the good side. Tressel may do good things for kids and go to church. He still lied. and he has to go. If Kirk and Chris dont belive in him, that tells me all I need to know.

htownwolverine

May 29th, 2011 at 9:19 AM ^

St. Tress sits in the front row for effect and it seems to work on the sheeple.

JT has pulled the sweatervest over the eyes of the public for years and now the veil has been lifted and what has been exposed is not a pretty sight.

TampaBLUE

May 29th, 2011 at 9:45 AM ^

What you see in the media is what they want you to see not what they really are. How many times have we thought this is a good guy only to find our later he was not. Only the people in tressels inner circle know what the man is really like. We are always judged by our actions. He is a classic do what I say not what I do person. Just look at his book.

m1jjb00

May 29th, 2011 at 10:06 AM ^

Real life doesn't have simple story arcs.  Moral questions aren't black and white.  Standing up for someone you believe in when the conversation has turned against him is honorable.   And when the testimonial evidence comes from "bad guys" (Clarett, Small) you got an extra problem.  

But so what?  Is Tyler Moeller going to explain why I shouldn't believe that Tressel intentionally broke rules and covered up a minor scandal to preserve a chance at a championship?  Almost everyone else lost their job when found guilty of the same thing.  Did they not go to church?  Given the rumors, questionable characters and circumstancial evidence why shouldn't I demand an investigation and even believe that more misdeeds will be uncovered?  If I'm later found wrong on the latter we go on.

People are going to have different perspectives.  Some people are going to choose to ignore the evidence.  Others are going to think it's a tragedy.  I'm going to point and say, "Ha Ha".  All that is to be expected; none of them are more right than others.  And none of it really matters.

Mr. Robot

May 29th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^

I don't have any doubt Tressel is a decent guy, but that doesn't change the fact that he cheated, lied about it, and has probably been cheating for a good long while. Bobby Bowden was a good man too, but he still did some awfully questionable stuff running the football program.

Thing is, this isn't a poor kid from Detroit story in any of these cases. The stuff was sold for tattoos from a drug dealer. The car deals weren't a couple hundred off a basic high-milage junker, they were thousands off of almost-new luxury vehicles.

BRCE

May 29th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^

Character assassination and name-calling is not needed when discussing Tressel. All one has to do is state the fact that this looks like a 10.1 violation and the precedent for those are firings or show-cause orders. If Ohio State doesn't fire him or force him to resign, they are saying they are exceptional and shouldn't play by the rules that other athletic programs do.