Imagine coming into college ranked the best football player from your state.

But now imagine joining one of the most prestigious football programs in the nation as the No. 1 ranked player at your position.

Quite a bit of pressure, right?

Ohio State linebacker Mike D’Andrea is faced with that pressure every time he dons his scarlet and gray.

Growing up in Avon Lake, Ohio, a small city 18 miles west of Cleveland, D’Andrea was a standout in football and track, winning the state title in discus as a junior and in the shotput as a junior and a senior. In his final football season at Avon Lake High School, he recorded 140 tackles and was named the best prep linebacker in the country by high school recruiting magazines Parade and Superprep and a first-team All-American selection by USA Today.

“I think anyone at that age coming out of high school would feel that added pressure and all of the expectations,” D’Andrea said.

But an illustrious high school football career has led to a mediocre college tenure marred by a separated shoulder at the end of last season.

He ranks eighth on the Ohio State team with 12 tackles and is tied for second with one sack in three games this season.

D’Andrea initially injured the shoulder in the team’s first Big Ten game last season against Northwestern when he was pushed to the ground on a blitz and fell awkwardly on his shoulder.

“I hurt my labrum a little bit, and it was kind of hurting after that,” he said. “I couldn’t really lift because of it, so (my shoulder) just kept getting weaker and weaker throughout the season.”

Then D’Andrea attempted to make a tackle on a kickoff against Michigan State but fell on the injured shoulder, separating it completely. He was forced to sit out the team’s last three games after missing only one game in his entire high school career.

“At the time, it was pretty hard having to sit back and watch at practice or a game, and you can’t really do anything,” he said.

“It kind of gives you a wake-up call. You got to work harder and get everything strong in your body, so you don’t go through that again.”

The injury affected not only D’Andrea but the entire football team, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

“He was really growing into the position last year before he unfortunately had the injury, which really hurt us down the stretch,” Tressel said.

D’Andrea was held out of spring practices to allow his shoulder to heal properly, and it fueled his desire to play football again.

“He was champing at the bit during spring,” Tressel said. “They didn’t allow him any contact, and he’s a contact player.

After coping with his first major injury, D’Andrea was presented with another challenge before this season even started: a position battle.

With Air Force transfer Anthony Schlegel joining the team, D’Andrea wasn’t even assured a place on the field.

But D’Andrea won the starting middle linebacker job before Ohio State’s first game against Cincinnati, conquering his second major obstacle in 10 months.

“I think it was pretty good for both of us,” he said. “It made us both work harder. He’s a great player, and he’s still getting a lot of plays on the field.”

D’Andrea admits he hasn’t accomplished the goals he set for himself upon entering Ohio State. But with more than a season and a half left in his career, there is still time.

“I haven’t really done what I wanted to do, but I think right now I’m on track to have a good season and to keep getting better,” he said. “I just want to do the best I can. Each game I think I’m improving a little bit.

“There’re still a lot of areas in my game that I got to improve upon, but I think those will come.”

Reach Zach Silka at [email protected].