{mosimage} Holiday season and all that, so I thought it was time for a "feel good" story regarding OSU football coach Jim Tressel.

Some of you might remember Tyson Gentry. Tyson, an Ohio native, was a walk on member of the Ohio State football team as a wide receiver. Tyson went over the middle for a pass, came down wrong and has been paralyzed from the waist down since.

Tyson rehabs at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The story, per my understanding, is that recently Coach Tressel walked by Tyson as he was rehabing on a particular machine. Tyson and the Coach engaged in small talk with eventually the talk turning to rehab. Gentry then explained to the Coach that this particular machine seemed to help the most, but being a popular machine, was not always available. The small talk continued and Coach Tressel went about his business.

About a week later Tyson went to his physician and upon arriving home finds a newer $6000.00 version of the same machine in his garage. With the new machine is a note that says, " You'll never have to wait in line to use it again." Nice job Coach!

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Lloyds Apple said:

	Nice story, but not sure if it is true. If it is true, it seems like a violation. hmmm..
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December 11, 2007
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JEH45 said:

	Lloyds: Why don't you pull the story as I think it may be an urban myth.
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December 11, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

	It's still a nice story
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December 11, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

	I'm now reading it's a true story. haha JT is the man!
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December 12, 2007
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kerribuckeye said:

	If it is true which I so hope it is, it would not be a voilation because the kid was a walk on player - not under scholarship thru ncaa. Tressel is a class act.
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December 12, 2007
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CHEDDARTHIEF said:

How could anyone even mention that this is a violation of NCAA rules? The kid is paralyzed and in no way will help OSU on the playing field. This was not a gift from a booster to help a team win a national championship. This was a gift from a man with a good heart and soul. I live in Youngstown where Tressel was the coach of the YSU Penguins and won 4 National Championships in 1-AA and I can tell you that this type of thing is something he has done forever. He always made himself available in the Youngstown area for good things that helped people. We could only wish that more people were this selfless in this world. Coach Tressel is a class act and should be applauded for his work outside of football, not scrutinized.

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December 15, 2007
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JEH45 said:

Dear Cheddarthief: I wrote this article, later suggesting to the "editorial" staff that it be removed because it may not be true. The decision was made to leave it up-why, I do not know. I then did some further research after the fact and have come to the conclusion that even if the story is not true, it is complete character for Coach Tressel. Personally, it is these kinds of stories I would take any day over the BS in the Mitchell report. Re a violation of NCAA rules, if it is, I would like to see that rule violated each day of the week under these circumstances. I appreciate your thoughts.

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December 15, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

Well, it's the thought that counts: http://www.sportingnews.com/yo...p?t=318513 Posted: December 13, 2007 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State coach Jim Tressel quashed an e-mail rumor Thursday that he purchased a $6,000 exercise machine for an injured former player. Tyson Gentry, a walk-on receiver and punter, landed awkwardly while trying to catch a pass during a practice in spring 2006. He broke a vertebra in his neck and damaged his spinal cord and has been unable to walk ever since. An e-mail rumor circulating this week says Tressel saw Gentry waiting to use a workout machine at Ohio State's weight room. Gentry told the coach it was one of the few machines that he could use and that he felt he was gaining strength. But the machine was popular with players and Gentry often had to wait. The story continues that Gentry found the $6,000 machine in his garage a few days later, courtesy of the Buckeyes coach. A great story, but Tressel said at Ohio State's bowl media day Thursday that it wasn't true. "There's a little e-mail floating around that I purchased a weight machine for Tyson Gentry," Tressel said. "No, that's not the case." Tressel said he did talk to Gentry about the machine, and asked Ohio State's conditioning coach if he knew the company that made the machine and if it were possible to get one. Tressel said he was looking into NCAA compliance issues about helping Gentry get one of the machines when the company replied to an inquiry from the conditioning coach and provided one of the machines to Gentry. "In all those e-mails I look like a good guy, but it was just the idea that was my good part," Tressel said.

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December 15, 2007
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