Sanzenbacher ready for OSU football season

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After spending most of the summer in Columbus, involved in rigorous workouts with his Ohio State teammates, former Central Catholic standout Dane Sanzenbacher slipped home to Toledo for a couple of days.

After filming some promotional spots for his alma mater Thursday, Sanzenbacher was back at it - working out.

"That's part of the job description, so I don't take too many days off from it," he said. "Preparation is so important, and I don't want to ever feel like I didn't do everything I could to prepare myself for the upcoming season."

Sanzenbacher said the informal summer workouts at Ohio State are run by the seniors, with a lot of weight-lifting, running and conditioning, and then seven-on-seven drills every Sunday. He said those sessions were set up like mini practices, and the level of enthusiasm he saw displayed left him very encouraged about what could lie ahead for the Buckeyes.

"When there's no coaches out there telling you what to do, and showing up is all optional, our guys were still willing to put in a lot of extra time," Sanzenbacher said. "I was impressed with how much people were willing to work over the summer."

Sanzenbacher, a wide receiver who started in all 13 games for OSU last season and caught 36 passes for 570 yards and six touchdowns, said it was nice to have the opportunity to get back to Central Catholic before the start of preseason camp next week.

"I'm glad I could get over there and take part in the project," Sanzenbacher said about the filming, which he expects to be part of a larger venture incorporating other Central grads. "Anything I can do to help out the alma mater, I want to do."

Sanzenbacher heads to Chicago this weekend as one of the Buckeyes' representatives at the Big Ten's annual football preview.

Sanzenbacher, who had nine receptions in OSU's Rose Bowl win over Oregon that capped an 11-2 season, said he has mixed feelings about his final year.

"It's crazy how fast my time at Ohio State has gone. People told me it would be that way, but it never really hits you until you start doing things for the last time. I had my last spring football, and now I'm about to start my last camp," he said.

"It's kind of bittersweet, because you love it so much you don't want it to end, but you also know how much work has gone into getting to this point, where you can have that senior year and try to make it something extra special."

The Buckeyes open the season on Sept. 2 against Marshall.

- Matt Markey