Standing by Spence
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rather than see the conclusion of a troubling saga in the life of an incredibly talented young Ohio State player against Kent State, the story of Noah Spence took a much different turn.
Scheduled to return from suspension against the Golden Flashes, news broke the day before the game that Spence had failed another drug test, again testing positive for MDMA, the chemical found in ecstasy.
But rather than cutting all ties with the junior defensive end, who has been suspended indefinitely, Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes are standing by him.
"We're going to do the best we can to help a guy that was an Academic All-Big Ten, good student, great family, that has a problem, and its our job to help him," Meyer said Monday. "I don't think you will ever see our staff ever do that kind of situation.
"Unfortunately sometimes, it's not our decision."
On the wall of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center are painted the team's core values. Among those words, it says 'NO DRUGS'.
But, despite holding a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to breaking those values, Meyer said you have to do what is best for a player like Spence, rather than dismissing him outright.
"When a diction is set in, or a decision to harm yourself and harm your teammate, those are things we wrestle with all the time. I've been criticized for many years about (how) I treat these guys like they're my kid," Meyer said. "I'm not a fan of dismissal. I just don't do that very often. It's gotta be a severe one, when you're hurting someone else."
After practicing with the team last week, Meyer said Spence is beginning treatment for addiction full time.
"He's not going to practice now. That was just last week. He's getting full time treatment. He is working out just for his well being."
Starting linebacker Joshua Perry, who was a part of the same recruiting class that brought in Spence, said Spence needs the support now to get him through the tough times.
"This is the time where you've gotta surround him with people who care, and you can't abandon him," Perry said. "Guys on our team understand that he's dealing with a really tough thing in his life and that we're going to get him help. To be around him has made a difference, you put an arm around him and try to help him, its the most positive thing you can do."
Even though Spence is no longer practicing with the team, Perry said the players are doing what they can to spend time with, and support, the defensive end.
"Guys will go out of their way to say hi to him or visit him at his apartment," Perry added. "I think its the right thing to do, and we've got a group of guys that care a lot about him so we want to be there to help him."
Although it remains unclear if Spence will ever play for the Buckeyes again, and what the future holds for the young man, for now, the Buckeyes will support him.
"Ohio State University, it's an institution based on educating people so we're doing our very best," Meyer said. "To what the future holds for Noah, I have no idea, but to throw him to the street, I didn't feel like that was appropriate yet."
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