COLUMBUS -- Here we go again.

Five years ago, Ironton's Tyler Whaley dismissed the naysayers and followed his heart to Ohio State. There he tediously worked his way into a major contributing roll as a senior fullback for the Buckeyes last season.

Last Friday, OSU's 2007 Most Inspirational Player started writing a new chapter in his well-documented career as an overachiever. But, this time, Whaley is surrounded by very few non-believers.

He's hoping this story has the same ending as the last one.

Following a tryout before NFL scouts and coaches at the OSU Pro Day in Columbus, Whaley walked off the field satisfied with his performance.

"I did the best I could have done," he said, noting that once he got his nerves under control he executed with a clearer focus. "I treated it like a game."

His day began on the bench press, where the 250-pounder hoisted 225 pounds a whopping 34 times, just three fewer times than Michigan All-American tackle Jake Long and Ohio State All-American defensive end Vernon Gholston's 37 reps at the national combine earlier in February. Gholston and Long are projected to be first-round selections in the NFL draft.

"I probably could have done more," Whaley said. "But, I was so amped up and a little nervous. Once I got that first one out of the way, I just kept rolling and wasn't so nervous anymore."

He had pushed 225 pounds 37 times in the weeks prior to the Pro Day, but said he was concentrating so hard on following posture rules, with everyone staring at him, that he ran out of gas toward the end.

"I almost got to 35, but didn't quite make it," he said.

Whaley said he also had a 31-and-a-half inch vertical leap and ran the 40-yard-dash in the 4.7 to 4.8 range, excellent numbers for a man of his size.

"I did well on the agility drills and caught all of the balls in the positional drills," he said. "It felt good. I walked off the field with no regrets."

Whaley said that while he spent a considerable amount of time talking to a scout from the Jacksonville Jaguars, some time will probably pass before he finds out if any pro team is interested in his services. The 2008 NFL draft begins on April 26.

"I felt like I produced my best results and did all I needed to do," he said. "Whether or not I make it (to the NFL), I know I put my best out there."

Speaking of having one's results noticed, Whaley is also the subject of an upcoming book that is being written by Ken Gordon, a sportswriter for The Columbus Dispatch. The book will debut sometime around the beginning of the 2008 college football season, with an "afterward" written by Whaley himself.

"That is such an honor," Whaley said of Gordon's book, adding that the people in his hometown of Ironton, along with his family, deserve the credit for his success. "To think you've lived your life to where somebody wants to write a book about you - that's awesome.

"I sure never thought all of this would happen to me," Whaley added with bewilderment.

It is surely no surprise to anyone who knows him.

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