The Troy Smith Story

Troy Smith was one of the most interesting athletes in Ohio State and college football history both on and off the field. Smith was able to overcome a rough childhood in inner-city Cleveland that included the removal of both parents as his guardians at various stages of his life. Smith was placed in foster care for several years, but eventually found his way back to his mother who cleaned up her life after a batting with drugs. Against all odds, and after bouncing around at several high schools, Smith earned a football scholarship to Ohio State. However, he was not promised he would get a chance to play quarterback for the Buckeyes. He was listed as an athlete by the school when he arrived in Columbus and was part of a recruiting class that included quarterback Justin Zwick, who many touted as a future star at OSU. Undaunted, Smith eventually won the starting job and went on to become the first Big Ten quarterback in the modern era of college football to win the coveted Heisman Trophy in 2006. He also led OSU to a pair of Big Ten championships during his career and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. Although, even when Smith appeared to be on top, there always seemed to be a surprise or controversy just around the corner. Author Dave Biddle, with an insider s perspective, details Smith s life story beginning with his childhood and ending after his rookie season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.

Dave Biddle is assistant editor of Bucknuts Media Network in Columbus, Ohio, and has been a sports journalist for over 10 years. The Troy Smith Story is his maiden voyage in terms of authoring a book and he intends for there to be more to follow. Biddle attended college for two years at Ohio State and received his bachelor s degree from Wright State. While at WSU, he served as the sports editor of the campus newspaper, The Guardian, for two years. In his professional career, Biddle has worked as the sports editor for a pair of Ohio newspapers: the Kettering-Oakwood Times (1999-2000) and the Madison Press (2000-04). He began working at Bucknuts in late 2001, which coincided with the start of the Jim Tressel era and OSU s national championship the following year (and the arrival of a young QB named Troy Smith). As a longtime suffering Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan, Biddle is clearly loyal to a fault.