NEW ORLEANS — No Buckeye is happier to be in New Orleans than junior defensive tackle Nader Abdallah, the only Louisiana native on Ohio State’s roster and one that waves his hometown flag proudly.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world to come back to my hometown and make my family proud and play against players I grew up playing against,” said Abdallah, a backup who came on strong towards the end of the season. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling. I don’t think anything could be better.”
“I think he’s the first one that left Columbus (for Christmas break),” said OSU coach Jim Tressel. “I think it’s a very exciting thing for him and he’ll experience some tremendous emotions during the game.”
One of the emotions Abdallah will undoubtedly experience during the trip is sadness at what New Orleans and its surrounding areas have become after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
Much has been done to restore the city to its previous state, including a refurbishing of the Superdome — the site of the BCS National Championship Game — but there is never-ending work remaining and plenty of Louisiana natives still displaced.
That was Abdallah’s situation after an uninsured family-owned store in his hometown of Metairie, La., was destroyed, forcing his relatives to live with him in Columbus for a spell.
Abdallah’s sister and brother moved to Houston to start new lives, while his parents left the United States for a family house in Palestine before moving back to Metairie in 2006 to try and pick up the pieces.
“It’s like a ghost town,” Abdallah said of his hometown. “There’s nobody around. You see maybe one or two people on the streets during the day. Everybody’s still trying to get on their feet.”
When New Orleans will stand proud again — if ever — is anyone’s guess.
“Maybe 10 years,” predicted Abdallah. “I know some people that aren’t even thinking of coming back yet.”

Press pass

OSU offensive linemen Kirk Barton, Alex Boone and Tim Rehring turned the tables on reporters at media day Saturday, grabbing microphones and interviewing their teammates with tongue-in-cheek questions.
“I’m in the minor leagues of interviewing,” Barton said. “I’m Grady Sizemore. I’m going to get called up from (Triple-A) Buffalo and tear it up.”
Barton and Boone are the Buckeyes’ starting tackles, and two of the more quotable players on the roster. Barton, a senior co-captain is considered the most outspoken, while Boone, a junior, the most outrageous.

Tressel tales

Much has been made about the different personalities of the opposing BCS head coaches, Tressel and Elyrian Les Miles. Tressel favors a conservative approach to Miles’ more aggressive style.
“He’s averaged 10 wins in seven seasons,” Miles said of his counterpart. “Maybe I need to change my personality a bit.”
It was reported earlier that Miles, an Elyria High grad, and Tressel, a Berea High grad, met on the field during a scrimmage between the two schools. Not so, said Miles, who after talking with Tressel recently, said the two never played against each other, missing the confrontation by a year, with Miles a freshman and Tressel a sophomore at the time.
Tressel has stepped out of his mold a bit this season, compiling a video for his players, which contained disparaging comments from the media about the Buckeyes. He also selected 4114 as the combination of the lock to the OSU weight room — the final score of last year’s BCS title game loss to Florida. 
“Coach Tressel’s a master motivator,” Barton said. “He’s the best coach in the country in my mind. People like to criticize him and blame him for everything that goes wrong with this program — stuff that he can’t always control.”
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

INSIDE THE GAME

NEW ORLEANS — LSU head coach Les Miles found out where Terry Robiskie’s BCS championship loyalties stood when he visited the Miami Dolphins practice facility a few weeks ago, and bumped into the former Cleveland Browns assistant and interim head coach. 
Robiskie, a longtime NFL assistant who recently lost his job in Miami when Dolphins coach Cam Cameron and his staff were let go, is the father of Ohio State’s leading receiver Brian Robiskie. But he himself played at LSU from 1973-76 and was an All-SEC running back for the Tigers during his senior season.
“He said, ‘It’s good to see you and I’m glad you’re here and all, but you know I’m pulling for the other team,’” Miles recalled of the meeting. “I said, ‘That’s your call.’”
Brian, a junior who had 50 receptions for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, knew all along that his dad was turning his back on the purple and gold to pull for the scarlet and gray.
“He’s made it pretty clear that he’s supporting me,” he said.
Miles, a staunch family man from Elyria, isn’t going to hold the traitorous act against the elder Robiskie.
“It is his son and all,” he said.

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