Told he not only could help launch a special season for his two grandsons — Ross and Adam Homan, stalwarts of the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes — but maybe re-enact some history of his own, Herman had just one question:
“Will I get to meet Jim Tressel?”
Instead the Ohio State coach wanted to meet him.
“He treated me good,” Herman said a couple of days later as he sat at his dining room table back in St. Henry. “He shook my hand — a couple of times. We took some pictures and we talked.”
Alice Homan, Ross and Adam’s mother and Herman’s daughter, grinned: “They kidded about things. Jim Tressel told him, ‘I should ask you for some special plays because you’ve been watching football for a long time.’ ”
In turn, Herman told the Bucks’ boss: “I supplied you guys with a lot of athletes.”
Tressel nodded and said “Yes you have. You’ve done your share.”
Some 15 of Herman and Merilda’s grandchildren have gone to or now attend Ohio State. That includes four grandsons who have made quite an impact on Buckeye football.
First came Bobby and Tom Hoying. Bobby was Ohio’s Mr. Football at St. Henry High, then became one of the most heralded quarterbacks the Buckeyes have ever had before playing six years in the NFL.
Tom led his unbeaten St. Henry team to a state title. then made his mark as a Buckeye quarterback and tight end.
Now the two Homan boys — playing in what likely will be their last season ever together — are just as impressive.
Ross, a fifth-year senior linebacker out of Coldwater High, led the team in tackles last year and has gotten some preseason All-America consideration. Adam — slightly bigger than his older brother at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds — is a sophomore fullback and a special teams standout.
And that brings us to the re-enactment.
Fifteen years ago, Herman came to Photo Day and had his picture taken in between Bobby and Tom, both in their scarlet jerseys. Today that photo is framed and on display at his home.
Last Sunday, Herman maneuvered out of a wheelchair and positioned himself between Adam and Ross, as Merilda — “a real firecracker,” Adam called her — helped direct the operation.
“I think it will be pretty cool to compare images of the two sets of grandsons,” Ross said. “I know pictures like that make our whole family proud.”
Drawn to football
When the Homans grew up, Coldwater had no peewee football — nothing until junior high — so, as their older brother Ryan did, they got their football fix in rough-and-tumble backyard games with neighbor kids.
“Back then their big sport was Rollerblade hockey,” said Dave Homan, their dad. “They played in Celina.”
Alice nodded: “Ross was a striker, the one who scored, and Adam was a really good goalie. They played in the Junior Olympics in Cleveland, and we even went to Georgia with Adam.”
Dave remembered how it ended: “We were in Columbus for a tournament and Ross goes, ‘Well, this is it. I’m done. Seventh-grade football starts in two days.’
“Adam was younger and stayed with it a little longer, but when football started for him, roller hockey was done for our family and we sold all the equipment.”
The Homan boys were drawn to football, especially Ohio State football. Their area has supplied the Bucks with noted players like Jim Lachey and Todd Boeckman and, of course, their cousins.
“I’m afraid if you were a Michigan fan back home, they’d run you out of town,” Ross laughed.
The Hoying boys were “good role models” for her sons, Alice said: “I can remember if Bobby or Tom were home at Christmas, our boys were tickled to get their picture taken with them.”
Saturdays in the fall they were glued in front of the TV watching Bobby and Tom play and, on a couple of occasions, Alice remembers Ross, because he was older, going with them to watch the Bucks in person.
By the time the Homan boys were in high school, the roles were reversed.
“When he was a sophomore, Ross had a great game at St. Henry and Bob happened to be there,” Dave said. “He told (OSU assistant) Luke Fickell, ‘I don’t know if you’re looking at this kid yet, but you gosh-danged better before somebody else grabs him.’ But Luke told him, ‘Oh, he’s on our radar.’ ”
After being named the 2005 Ohio Division IV prep player of the year, Ross became a Buckeye and Adam — also a celebrated high school player — said he longed to follow suit:
“That was my major goal — to be good enough to play at Ohio State — and thankfully my dream came true, too.”
Both Homan boys credit the late John Reed, their Coldwater High coach, as the man who gave them the instrumental lessons in football — and life.
“That man did everything for me,” Ross said quietly. “I owe my whole football career to him.”
Special brotherhood
At OSU home games, the Homans have a routine:
“We move around before the game,” Dave said. “We go to the parents’ tailgate for a while. Alice’s niece has a place by the hockey arena and a lot of different friends tell us to stop at their tailgate and our son, Ryan — he lives in Columbus — he’s got a spot right outside the stadium.”
Alice smiled: “There is one tradition we never miss. Before the games we always go to the Skull Session at St. John Arena and then the Players’ Walk. For that we’re right by the front door. One of the ushers knows me by my first name and always saves me a spot.
“Ross and Adam know we’re always going to be there. A year ago Ross started stepping out of the line so he could give me a hug. That’s a special moment for me.”
This whole season will be filled with them, they believe.
Ross could have left for the NFL after last season — he was projected as a third-round pick — but he came back for a variety of reasons, especially because he would get one more season to play alongside his brother so he could help “sculpt him and teach him everything I’ve experienced.”
Adam talked about “the brotherhood” that develops among players during a season and how it’s multiplied when experiences are shared with a sibling.
In fact, Dave said, they share it with Ryan, too: “They try to break bread with each other at least once a week. It could be Sunday breakfast at Bob Evans or Paul’s on Fifth or maybe dinner at Champs.”
Although Ross and Adam are close friends, they don’t live together. Each lives with friends from Coldwater — Adam sharing a place with fellow Buck Tony Harlamert.
Alice said her two younger sons, in some ways, are quite different. Adam is right-handed, Ross left- handed. Adam is more outgoing, Ross more impulsive.
“Adam is very organized about everything,” she said. “All his ducks are in a row. Ross is like, ‘Mom, I don’t know what I’m doing 10 minutes from now.’ I say he’s like Scarlet O’Hara and how she says ‘I won’t think about that today; I’ll think about it tomorrow.’
“But, in truth, Ross might be the person who’s better at last-minute decisions.”
An example of that came at the wake for Reed, who died of cancer May 7.
“It was the first week of November when we found out about Coach Reed’s cancer,” Alice said. “A couple weeks after that we were playing Michigan.
“Ross said, ‘We always battle Michigan and Coach is battling cancer. My gold pants (the small golden keepsake given to OSU players when they beat Michigan) are going to him.’
“But the day the gold pants finally came in is the same day Coach Reed died. Ross brought them home with him and as we went through the line (at the funeral home), we didn’t know what he was going to do.
“He gave them to Coach Reed’s wife, Jan, and she was so excited by that. She got a chain to put them on and she said she’ll wear them with pride. They are special.”
This whole season — for the Bucks and especially the Homan brothers — should be.
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