Home Notice Box Sports OSU tackle Washington suspended for Fiesta Bowl

OSU tackle Washington suspended for Fiesta Bowl

0

Associated Press

COLUMBUS — Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington has been suspended for the Fiesta Bowl, coach Urban Meyer announced Friday.

Washington was cited for solicitation during a sting by Columbus police late Wednesday night. He will appear in Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday.

The Buckeyes play Notre Dame on New Year’s Day.

“I want to sincerely apologize to my family, to coach Meyer and the coaching staff, to my teammates and my friends for my lack of judgment last night, and for my actions that I truly regret,” Washington said in a statement Thursday. “I have wanted to be a high-character teammate, a contributor to the success of this program, and — most importantly — someone my family can be proud of.

“I am extremely disappointed in myself, and I can honestly say I will learn from my mistake, and I will accept the consequences that deservedly will come my way.”

Washington, a second-team All-Big Ten selection and a second-team All-America pick by CBS Sports, enjoyed a breakthrough final season. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound senior started all 12 games with 49 tackles and four sacks.

He recently accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and is projected to go in the top two rounds of the NFL draft next May.

Ohio State hires Schiano as defensive coordinator

Ohio State hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano as co-defensive coordinator on Friday.

Schiano has been out of coaching the past two seasons since being fired by Tampa Bay. He spent two seasons with the Bucs, going 11-21.

Before that he led a massive rebuild at Rutgers, taking one of the worst programs in major college football and turning it into a consistent winner. From 2001-11, the Scarlet Knights went 68-67 under Schiano, going to bowl games in six of their last seven seasons.

Schiano will replace Chris Ash, who left Ohio State to become head coach of Rutgers. Ash spent two years in Columbus working as co-coordinator with Luke Fickell.

Schiano was in the mix for recent vacancies filled at Miami and South Carolina.

Associated Press

AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this story.