Ginn the leader for helmet stickers stressing Buckeye teamwork

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ Junior receiver Ted Ginn Jr. holds the lead in the annual competition among Ohio State football players to see who can gather the largest pile of leaves. <br/><br/>The familiar helmet

Tuesday, January 2nd 2007, 10:24 am

By: News On 6

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ Junior receiver Ted Ginn Jr. holds the lead in the annual competition among Ohio State football players to see who can gather the largest pile of leaves.

The familiar helmet stickers featuring a cluster of five buckeye leaves are awarded for accomplishments on the field, in a tradition that Ohio State pioneered in 1968. Ginn's headgear is plastered with 99 decals.

``My helmet was full after the Northwestern game,'' he said. ``But some people think I cheat because my head is not so big.''

The stickers are a coveted icon, and the counts are followed closely.

``I actually have players come to me on Monday wanting to know exactly how many they earned,'' said Lewis Vanhoose, the Buckeyes' equipment manager. ``If they are missing any, they are sure to let me know before the next game.''

Vanhoose maintains an official tally in the practice facility at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, after coach Jim Tressel and his staff review each game and decide which players receive leaves and how many each gets. When a player runs out of space on his helmet, Vanhoose said they just start placing stickers on top of one another.

Trainer Ernie Biggs began giving out the decals in the days of coach Woody Hayes to recognize outstanding individual achievements. Ohio State's invention inspired other schools to develop their own helmet or pride stickers.

For the Buckeyes, the custom of awarding stickers now stresses teamwork, in a bit of a transition under Tressel. There are 37 ways a player can earn leaves, and only six of those celebrate individual performance. When the team loses, no one gets a decal.

Junior wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez and senior fullback Stan White Jr. are tied for second in this year's decal derby, each with 98. Gonzalez said he doesn't think about the number much, though he does like having lots of leaves.

``The more you have, the nicer your helmet looks,'' he said.