Hilliard grad can't play QB for Buckeyes
By Phil Shie (Hilliard Northwest New Sports Reporter)
In the end, Steve Baird’s dream of playing quarterback for Ohio State cost him the chance to play football for Ohio State.
Baird, a 1994 Hilliard graduate has left his playing days behind him due to a medical condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome.
The 6-0, 195 red shirt sophomore-to-be left the squad after learning that to be able to return to quarterback, he would have to undergo surgery. The operation would remove his first rib- forcing him to sit out at least eight months.
“It would affect school and everything,” Baird said. “And they couldn’t even guarantee that it would be successful. It’s something where they aren’t absolutely sure what it is and they could only find out by eliminating this possibility. It was the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make.
Baird switched to defensive back last spring and earned a letter for the Buckeyes at backup safety and special teams, but always saw himself as a quarterback. After spring practice Baird decided to switch back to quarterback.
“I never really liked playing safety very much,” Baird said. “I always wanted to be a quarterback. And with the situation the way it was this year (the Buckeyes lost three-year starter Bobby Hoying) I really thought I could give it a shot. I love football and I wanted to do it the right way. If I was going to play, I was going to play quarterback.”
But Baird’s arm problems continued. With thoracic outlet syndrome, the rib pinches the nerves attached to the arm, forcing the arm to go numb.
“I would lose all feeling from my elbow down,” Baird said. “It was pretty scary.”
But Baird will still be a Buckeye. He will maintain his athletic scholarship on medical waivers and will be on the sidelines during games, which will be the hardest part.
“I’m still very close to the team which makes it very tough,” Baird said. “Every time I go past the stadium I think about it. The toughest part I think is for my parents because I know they got a thrill out of watching me play. It’s been hard to cope with.”
Baird is majoring in communications/public relation at OSU and thinks he’ll finish in two years, with three years left on his athletic scholarship. And he’ll always have some great memories.
“I guess the first time I made a tackle is the biggest memory,” Baird said. “It was against Notre Dame and it was just amazing.”
Baird also won’t rule out helping out the team in a student assistant coaching capacity in the future.
“They talked to me about it, but it would be very tough emotionally to handle,” Baird said. “In my opinion, the players have to respect the coach and I’m still too close to the guys right now. But I will help out with scouting reports and reviewing tape. But I think I’ll sit out this year and relax and see what happens.”
Baird also dislikes leaving the Buckeyes in what he thinks will be a great year.
“That’s what I really hate about it, because we’re going to have such a strong squad this year,” he said. “I did get to letter last year. I’m very grateful to the coaches. I have some great memories. I was just hoping for a lot more.”
In the end, Steve Baird’s dream of playing quarterback for Ohio State cost him the chance to play football for Ohio State.
Baird, a 1994 Hilliard graduate has left his playing days behind him due to a medical condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome.
The 6-0, 195 red shirt sophomore-to-be left the squad after learning that to be able to return to quarterback, he would have to undergo surgery. The operation would remove his first rib- forcing him to sit out at least eight months.
“It would affect school and everything,” Baird said. “And they couldn’t even guarantee that it would be successful. It’s something where they aren’t absolutely sure what it is and they could only find out by eliminating this possibility. It was the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make.
Baird switched to defensive back last spring and earned a letter for the Buckeyes at backup safety and special teams, but always saw himself as a quarterback. After spring practice Baird decided to switch back to quarterback.
“I never really liked playing safety very much,” Baird said. “I always wanted to be a quarterback. And with the situation the way it was this year (the Buckeyes lost three-year starter Bobby Hoying) I really thought I could give it a shot. I love football and I wanted to do it the right way. If I was going to play, I was going to play quarterback.”
But Baird’s arm problems continued. With thoracic outlet syndrome, the rib pinches the nerves attached to the arm, forcing the arm to go numb.
“I would lose all feeling from my elbow down,” Baird said. “It was pretty scary.”
But Baird will still be a Buckeye. He will maintain his athletic scholarship on medical waivers and will be on the sidelines during games, which will be the hardest part.
“I’m still very close to the team which makes it very tough,” Baird said. “Every time I go past the stadium I think about it. The toughest part I think is for my parents because I know they got a thrill out of watching me play. It’s been hard to cope with.”
Baird is majoring in communications/public relation at OSU and thinks he’ll finish in two years, with three years left on his athletic scholarship. And he’ll always have some great memories.
“I guess the first time I made a tackle is the biggest memory,” Baird said. “It was against Notre Dame and it was just amazing.”
Baird also won’t rule out helping out the team in a student assistant coaching capacity in the future.
“They talked to me about it, but it would be very tough emotionally to handle,” Baird said. “In my opinion, the players have to respect the coach and I’m still too close to the guys right now. But I will help out with scouting reports and reviewing tape. But I think I’ll sit out this year and relax and see what happens.”
Baird also dislikes leaving the Buckeyes in what he thinks will be a great year.
“That’s what I really hate about it, because we’re going to have such a strong squad this year,” he said. “I did get to letter last year. I’m very grateful to the coaches. I have some great memories. I was just hoping for a lot more.”