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12/09/2006 11:15:00 PM

Rising To The Occasion

Rich Kane/US PRESSWIRE

NEW YORK -- Jim Tressel was checking e-mail on his Blackberry on the ride back to the airport Saturday night when he saw one that moved him to read it to his fellow passengers.

"It was from a foster father in North Dakota whose foster daughter has been having some problems," said the Ohio State coach. "He said he was watching [Saturday night's Heisman presentation] and he could tell what a great influence [I'd had] on Troy.

"It was the icing on the cake on an already special night."

Troy, of course, is Troy Smith, the senior quarterback for Tressel's top-ranked Buckeyes and now officially the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner. Every player who's ever won the Heisman had his own special achievements and took his own unique path, but as anyone who tuned in Saturday night could see, few have led a more inspirational journey than Smith.

Take his own coach. No one in the country plays a better straight-man than Tressel, the buttoned-down, poker-faced guy in the sweater vest, but when Smith turned and hugged his coach shortly after his name was called Saturday night, one could see the hint of tears in Tressel's eyes.

"He stands there in 90 degree weather in a sweater-vest and a tie up to his neck," Smith said Saturday night. "If you can shake and rattle him, you know you've done something."

Tressel wasn't the only person close to Smith to be overcome by emotions. His mother, Tracy, from whom Smith was separated for several years growing up while she struggled to get her life together, let out a yelp and hugged Smith's sister, Brittany. Smith hugged both of them, and then he gave his longest hug of the night to Ted Ginn Sr., the Cleveland Glenville High School coach who became Smith's de facto father figure. Back home in Cleveland, Irvin White, the man who coached Smith's municipal-league pee-wee team and briefly served as his foster dad, was undoubtedly celebrating as well.

While Saturday night was certainly a happy moment for Ohio State fans, Smith's Heisman struck deeper than that. In a touching segment played shortly before his victory, ESPN showed images of the poverty-stricken streets of inner-city Cleveland where Smith was raised. And many of his comments afterward were directed to that community.

Asked by a reporter what he plans to do if the NFL doesn't work out, Smith said, "I'm going to go back to the Cleveland-Glenville area and try to make that place better. My passion for the mean streets of Cleveland runs so deep. I want so badly for there to be change in that community. Who better to start it than a Glenville guy?"

There are no shortage of cynics out there probably rolling their eyes at that quote, who refuse to believe that a guy who got kicked off his high-school basketball team for decking an opponent, and who just two years ago was suspended for allegedly taking benefits from a booster, could really be such a good Samaritan. They will criticize those who hold up Smith as a role model.

It's hard to remain jaded, however, when you see just how many people he's had an impact on. Back in Cleveland right now, there are kids from the worst imaginable neighborhoods, from broken homes and drug-infested families, picking up a football and dreaming of becoming the next Troy Smith. The Heisman now gives his story a tangible symbol.

"[Winning the Heisman] shows that any kid in any situation can do anything he puts his mind to," said Smith.

Smith did not do it alone. He was given a chance -- actually many, many chances -- first by White, then Ginn Sr., then Tressel. Some will argue he shouldn't have gotten that last "second chance," the one after the booster incident, from which he returned to win back the starting job, rack up a 25-2 record and lead his team to the national championship.

Smith acknowledged all those people and more -- even naming each of his starting offensive lineman -- in his Heisman speech Saturday night. It was one of the more touching speeches this ceremony has seen.

It touched a foster dad in North Dakota, for one. Who knows how many others.