In 1995, 15 years before Instagram, a linebacker from Cincinnati Elder suited up for Ohio State.
Dave Becker was a great athlete, good enough to play in the Toronto Blue Jays organization before he returned to football. He played for John Cooper on a team that featured famous Broadway actor, restaurant entrepreneur, and landscape architect Eddie George, who also won the Heisman.
Dave later had a son he named Charlie. The little fella grew up to become the 891st-ranked player his senior year in high school and took his three stars to Indiana.
Scouting report on Chuckie: 6-foot-4, 208 pounds. Great hands. Good speed. Wins one-on-one matchups. Clutch on third down. Has a real potty mouth.
Last December, Charlie hauled in a 33-yard catch on third-and-6 that, as FOX’s Gus Johnson put it, “ripped the heart right out of the Buckeyes” and sealed Indiana’s 13-10 win in the Big Ten title game.
Then, at the postgame podium, Dave’s kid shouted, “O-H!” and, where the “I-O” is supposed to go, mouthed what we’ll generously assume was “Fudge you.” The clip recently resurfaced — just in time for today’s Peach Section.
Seriously? Would Charlie “Fudge you” Becker kiss Karl Bushby’s mom with that mouth?
Maybe this is just a sign of the times, but let’s face it: Indiana hasn’t been this interesting since Ohio State alum Bobby Knight sent a poorly constructed plastic chair sailing across Assembly Hall because it squeaked.
This all feels a little Double-A bush league to us. So, if there’s any justice on this football planet, Charlie will learn the proper response to “O-H” by about 3:30 Saturday. After all, the only thing that tastes better than a tray of chocolate-covered buckeyes is revenge served cold in Bloomington in mid-October.