By BRUCE HEFFLINGER
hefflinger@crescent-news.com
COLUMBUS -- What a past month it's been for Dan Dye.
From walk-on to scholarship player, from a top 20 team in the nation to No. 1, from watching on the sidelines to getting in every game. The 2003 Napoleon graduate has been enjoying life as a fifth-year senior with the Buckeyes of Ohio State, the top-ranked college football team in the land this week.
"Dan is living proof that if you have a goal or a dream, and you truly want it and are willing to work and sacrifice for it, you can achieve it," said his high school football coach, John Snoad. "Dan did this all by himself. This was his goal since he was very young."
Once a walk-on who saw sparse time on the field on Saturdays, Dye has seen action in all seven games this year heading into Saturday's home game with Michigan State.
"I've played in all seven games in some way or another," Dye said. "This past weekend was the most extensive. I played three series and 25 plays total."
With the Buckeyes on top of Kent State 38-0 at half last Saturday, Dye started the third quarter at left guard. On the first possession the Buckeyes scored on a short running play with Dye helping lead the way.
After sitting out a possession, Dye returned to action helping the Buckeyes drive down the field for a field goal.
"I would say my biggest highlight is just being a contributing member of the team and knowing that the staff and my teammates know that they can count on me if and when they need me," Dye related.
But there are two plays from earlier in the season that Dye remembers most. The first was on Chris Wells' initial touchdown of the season in the opener with Youngstown State.
"It was a power play to the right and I pulled and helped to clear the way," Dye reflected.
The next big play for Dye came in a 58-7 win over Northwestern one month ago.
"I was the lead blocker on a counter on Mo Wells' second touchdown of the day," Dye said.
It's been quite a change from his earlier days of just trying to make the team.
"This is really the first time I've played any meaningful time in a game since Napoleon's 2002 playoff game against Akron Buchtel," said Dye, who graded out at 100 percent in his first two games this year. "It sure is nice to feel like I'm a contributing member and helping to make this team better. It really is a dream come true to suit up and play for the Scarlet and Gray."
The dream became even better a month ago when the fifth-year senior was awarded a full athletic scholarship.
"It was more of an honor than anything," Dye explained. "As happy as I was, I think my mom was even more excited. I received messages from past players, as well as everyone now, congratulating me. It's just an honor that coach (Jim) Tressel and his staff felt I had become a good enough player to deserve one.
"I found out the Monday before classes when offensive line coach (Jim) Bollman called me to deliver the good news. Coach Bolls had mentioned to me before that I was being considered, so I had some idea that it was coming. But that didn't lessen the joy I felt when it finally happened."
Dye was one of four former walk-ons who have been put on scholarship along with wide receiver David Lisko, long-snapper Dimitrius Makridis and punter/holder Jon Thoma.
"I put in a lot of hard work to get here," Dye pointed out. "Coming out of high school I could have gone to a lot of smaller schools on full scholarship, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could play at this level. It took a while, but now that I am finally playing and have been awarded a scholarship I am completely confident I made the right decision."
There were some doubts, though, along the way.
"He told me there were times when he questioned if it was worth it being on scout team for four years," Snoad said. "Today he can proudly say after playing in meaningful snaps, traveling to Washington and now being the recipient of a scholarship that it was very much worth it."
Dye is the third Napoleon football player to ever receive a Division I football scholarship. Ross Durham had a full-ride to Bowling Green State University in 1998 and 1996 Napoleon grad Ryan Fortner walked on at the University of Toledo and was awarded a scholarship his senior year.
"Everyone here in Napoleon is extremely proud of Dan," Snoad added. "It has been very rewarding to be able to watch him in live competition with the Buckeyes."
It's been a surprising season to many thus far, with the Buckeyes not considered a national title contender following last year's blowout loss to Florida in the BCS championship game.
"The championship game is pretty far back in everyone's memory nowadays," Dye said. "Being there and on the sidelines during that game ... it just seemed like it was a bad dream. I don't know what team was wearing the Scarlet and Gray, but it certainly didn't appear to me that that was us.
"But we learned a lot from that experience. I think we were a little bit more complacent than we should have been and I know that's a mistake we won't ever make again. This is a different team this year and we want to make our own mark. We are working hard to get back to the championship game again this year."
That hard work is paying off with the Buckeyes on top of the first BCS poll, which was released earlier this week.
"I believe the biggest key is to just keep getting better," Dye noted. "The coaching staff always stresses that there is not a more important game than the next one.
"We want to win the Big 10 title again this year. We have not won or shared it in three consecutive years since the late '70s and we want to do it again this year. We practice hard, devote time in the film room and do what we need to do to get better every day."
The early success of this team is not a surprise to Dye.
"Everyone seems to be a lot more emotional this year than I've seen in years past," Dye explained. "Coach Tressel is a lot more fired up on the sideline than I can remember him being. Practices seem to be a lot longer and more intense than in years past, too. I feel like we've kind of gone back to the blue-collar, hard-work team like from years past. I think we are playing with a chip on our shoulder after last January."
Making it even better is the fact that Dye is one of just 12 seniors on this year's squad.
"Being a senior on this team has a lot of responsibilities," Dye noted. "As always, we are here to be mentors for the younger guys and to set the example for them as they go through what we all have been through.
"On top of that, coach Tressel appoints different seniors to different committees to help the operation of the team. For me personally, I am on the committee in charge of keeping our locker room clean and the honor committee. The honor committee is responsible for setting the team rules of conduct as well as being the jury for any disciplinary issues that may arise in-house."
All that while also being a student.
"I am four classes short of finishing up my double major in finance and accounting," Dye said. "I am not taking classes in the winter as I have a full-time internship in downtown Columbus. Because of that, I will be graduating in the spring.
"I hope my internship turns into a full-time job to start. Ultimately, I want to get my CPA certification and move somewhere warm. I've always enjoyed the Charlotte and North Carolina area, so we'll see what happens."
Maybe Dye will get to visit a warmer climate in early January ... say New Orleans and a BCS Championship game.
"My goal has always been to earn a varsity letter," Dye said. "Coming in as an undersized walk-on, I was realistic and never had dreams of the NFL. They generally give varsity letters to seniors regardless, but I have always wanted to earn it as opposed to being given one.
"As for the team, I think we can compete for the Big 10 and a spot in the championship this year. We have a lights-out defense and an offense that is starting to find itself. The thing I like best about our team is that we get better every week and I believe we're going to peak at just the right time. I expect good things from this year's team."