Ohio State's Posey didn't waste time lost to suspension

MOBILE, Ala. - The tattoos that cover DeVier Posey's arms tell a story, but Posey feels it isn't just the one about the entitled big-time college athlete who ended up in the middle of a huge scandal.

Posey, a wide receiver from Ohio State, is at the Senior Bowl trying to give NFL scouts the look they didn't really get during the 2011 season, when he was suspended for the first 10 games of his senior year - five games for trading memorabilia for tattoos, the NCAA violations that took down Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, and five games for accepting what the NCAA deemed excessive remuneration from a part-time job provided by a Cleveland-area booster.

Posey and quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who opted for the NFL over an Ohio State suspension last year, were at the epicenter of the probe. The five extra games added to Posey's original suspension were a bitter, unexpected blow - Posey's mother told the Cleveland Plain Dealer it was "the most egregious witch hunt that I think I've ever witnessed."

Posey played in the final two regular-season games, and in the Gator Bowl loss to Florida, and caught 12 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Those are excellent three-game totals, but they don't make much of a senior year.

You think about someone involved in a scandal, maybe you expect someone a little different than Posey, who comes off as thoughtful, reflective and mature. At 6-1 5/8, 219, with good speed, he has stood out in Mobile.

"I know it's been a big question, going into the interviews [with NFL teams]. It happened, and it's something I have to deal with," Posey said this week. "It's hard for me. But I feel like I've overcome that, like it's made me a better person, and also a better player. I missed the game a lot.

"I'm still the same person. I feel like I'm still a good guy . . . I really haven't gotten into trouble outside of that. NFL teams know that. I messed up, man. I made a mistake. It cost my program a lot. It cost my teammates a lot. I've learned, and I'm looking forward to moving on to the next level."

Posey didn't waste the 10 weeks of his suspension. Before the season he volunteered for scout-team duty, telling coaches he wanted to mimic the opponent's best offensive player each week, regardless of position.

"I feel like I got back up to speed. I don't feel like I lost too much time [away from the game]. I was in the film room, breaking down film with the other guys, watching practice every day. Along with that, I was running scout team, [against] the first-team defense, trying to run full-speed and give those guys a good look, whether it was at quarterback, running back, slot, wide receiver, whatever they wanted me to do, I'd do it," Posey said.

"Along with that, I had a chance to teach, because we had a lot of young receivers, a lot of freshmen and sophomores, and we had a first-year receivers coach, as well. I had to be their leader in that room, teaching techniques every morning, teaching route concepts, coverage and sight adjustments as well. I really feel like the best way to learn and conquer your craft is to be able to spit it back out and teach it. I really feel like I was able to accomplish that this year, and that's where I've grown."

Posey said he will graduate with a communications degree in the spring, something he promised his mother.