Tainted Herron forgiven

Photo

Ohio State running back and Warren Harding grad Dan Herron (1), who was suspended twice by the NCAA this year for accepting improper benefi ts, is now adored by fans because the team is winning and he’s picking up big yardage.

The Ohio State tailback is excelling after long suspension

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The word rolled down from the top rows and picked up steam in the expensive seats at Ohio Stadium: “Booooom!”

Not so long before it might have been an extended boo. Not anymore.

Twice suspended by the NCAA this year for accepting improper benefits, Dan “Boom” Herron (Warren Harding High) is now adored by Ohio State fans because the team is winning and he’s picking up big yardage.

“It kind of gives you a spark,” Herron said of the chant. “It’s always good to have your fans behind you and supportive of you.” Held out of the Buckeyes’ first six games, the senior tailback has rushed for 274 yards and a touchdown in his two games — not so coincidentally victories over ranked opponents.

Once a pariah, now he’s a team leader and favorite of Ohio State’s fickle fans.

Herron had a huge junior season as the Buckeyes went 12-1, won their sixth straight Big Ten title and then went on to edge Arkansas 31-26 in the Sugar Bowl. He was all-conference while rushing for 1,155 yards.

But a month before the bowl victory in New Orleans, Herron was one of five Buckeyes implicated in a scandal involving a local tattoo-parlor owner.

The players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, starting offensive lineman Mike Adams and second-leading receiver DeVier Posey, traded championship rings, signed jerseys and other memorabilia for cash from Eddie Rife, owner of the parlor and the focal point of a federal drug-trafficking investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s office notified Ohio State that it had found the roughly $12,000 in merchandise while searching Rife’s home. Ohio State notified the NCAA, and the university and college sports’ sanctioning body recommended five-game suspensions for all the players. In a curious twist, the NCAA permitted them to play in the rich bowl game, with their suspensions to begin with the 2012 season.

A later search through then-coach Jim Tressel’s emails found that he had known about the players’ involvement for 10 months, yet contrary to his contract and NCAA rules he had not told any of his superiors and had filled out forms declaring he knew of no violations. That led to his forced resignation in May, part of a revelation-a-day summer of embarrassments for Ohio State that included other suspensions for taking money to attend a charity event.

Pryor bolted to the NFL, but the other four players were about to rejoin the team early in October when Ohio State announced that Herron and Posey, along with others, had accepted too much pay for doing too little work at a summer job provided by a Buckeyes booster.

Herron was suspended for a sixth game, and Posey was hit with five more games on the sidelines.

Ohio State, which vacated the 2010 season, could receive its final sanctions from the NCAA any day.

Herron returned in peak form, however. He rushed for 114 yards and a score at No. 15 Illinois, then carried a career-best 33 times for 160 yards in Saturday’s stunning 33-29, last-minute upset of No. 12 Wisconsin.“