OHIO STATE WR’S DAD: “THEY’RE TRYING TO RUIN HIS CAREER”

Ohio State wide receiver Ray Small has been suspended from the team, and his father says Ohio State’s coaches are hurting his son."We don’t think he’s getting a fair shake, and we don’t know why,” Ken Small said of the way Jim Tressel and his staff have treated Ray. “It seems they’re trying to intentionally ruin his career."Ken Small’s biggest complaint is that Ohio State won’t just release Ray from his scholarship, which the Small family asked for in the spring, when Ray faced team discipline for being late to classes. But while it might seem unfair that a kid who wants to go elsewhere isn’t being allowed to leave, that’s a long way from trying to ruin his career.And, frankly, both Ray and Ken Small should know that when a player’s dad has to fight his battles for him, it tends to reinforce the perception that he’s not conducting himself responsibly.Ray Small’s current suspension is, officially, for an undetermined length of time, and the result of an undisclosed violation of team rules. But the Smalls say it’s for two games, and because Ray was accused of missing a class, even though he hadn’t.A 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior, Small leads the Big Ten in punt returns with a 13.2-yard average, and he was the team’s leading receiver early in the season, before Tressel started limiting his playing time. But despite his talent, Tressel may be close to the point where he decides Small is not worth the headaches, and gives him the release from his scholarship he’s been asking for.