CLEVELAND ? Browns running back Trent Richardson?s baseball career ended in the ninth grade. He picked track and weight lifting in the spring.
Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer?s time on the diamond stopped after two years in the Braves? minor league system. It wasn?t his decision. He attempted a comeback, but it ended with a failed tryout and sent him to football.
Two of Ohio?s favorite ? and newest ? football figures revisited their baseball dreams Monday before the Indians-Reds game at Progressive Field.
?I used to come here all the time,? Meyer, 47, said. He grew up in Ashtabula and named Duane Kuiper and Rick Manning as two of his favorite Indians.
Monday was Meyer?s day at the ballpark. He was joined by his 13-year-old son, Nate ? it was really more his day ? and was followed around by a Sports Illustrated writer.
But when he showed up in the outfield under threatening skies, he was greeted by Richardson playing catch with Cleveland left fielder Shelley Duncan. Richardson was one of the ones that got away from Meyer when he was Florida?s coach. Richardson grew up in Pensacola and attended the same high school as Emmitt Smith, a Gators legend.
?I got to know Trent real well,? Meyer said. ?He?s obviously a great football player.
?I wish we would?ve got him. I?m glad he?s with Cleveland now. Because I?m a big Browns fan, too.?
Richardson turned in the leather for a pigskin and played catch with reliever Joe Smith, who dropped down to his familiar sidearm slot a couple of times. Richardson showed off a little, snaring a high throw with his left hand like it was nothing.
Meyer didn?t pick up the football. He played catch with Nate in the outfield ? the former shortstop and the current one. Then they hung out in the clubhouse before taking turns in the indoor batting cage.
Nate, who was wearing his new Indians uniform, showed some skills using Damon?s bat. Then Dad stepped into the right-handed batter?s box and wasn?t bad himself.
As Nate finished a second round, Meyer marveled at All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera hitting rockets just feet away. Meyer once thought he would be in that spot.
?When the draft came around, I got a phone call from the Indians and they invited me to the Pewter Mug, I think it was called,? he said. ?Gabe Paul took me down to shortstop and said, ?Maybe someday you?ll play shortstop for the Indians.?
?They were supposed to draft me, said they were going to draft me. I was hoping the Indians would take me.?
Meyer, who was taken in the 13th round by Atlanta, wore gray shorts and a scarlet Ohio State golf shirt Monday. The details of his contract had been revealed earlier in the day.
He will make a minimum of $4 million a year through 2017, with the potential for much more in bonuses. The university included more specific language regarding what he should do if he becomes aware of any possible NCAA violations. Predecessor Jim Tressel was forced to resign after not reporting potential violations.
?I really don?t look at the contract,? Meyer said. ?I had my attorney look at it. We talked through it and I?m OK with it.?
Richardson?s contract is also a newsworthy subject. He and quarterback Brandon Weeden, a fellow first-round pick, are the only Browns? rookies unsigned. Richardson was the No. 3 overall pick and is waiting for Nos. 1 and 2 ? quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III ? to set the market.
?I think it?s about done. Just gotta wait on the big boys,? said Richardson, who bought a house in Columbia Station. ?I?m ready to get it done. I just want to play football.?
Richardson?s Monday tour of Cleveland sports began with a visit to Browns headquarters from Cavaliers Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. The recent rookies spoke to the new rookies.
?It was real good,? Richardson said. ?They talked about fans, how to embrace the city, stay out of the way of the girls all the time, stay out of the limelight. Talk to people like you want to be talked to.
?It was a good conversation. I liked those guys. They?re big inspirations, models of how to do it coming in as a rookie.?
Richardson said his swings in the cage went pretty well.
?It?s been a long time since I was hitting,? he said. ?It gets you tired more than I thought you?d get.?
Meyer?s day at the ballpark wasn?t over after batting practice. Donning his own pristine white Indians jersey, he and Nate threw dual ceremonial first pitches. They were simultaneous strikes.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
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