Time & Change: Frey stays involved
Catching up with former Ohio State quarterback, who was a comeback king
Bernstein Associates/Getty ImagesGreg Frey scrambles against USC on Sept. 23, 1989 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.Greg Frey was the starting quarterback for Ohio State from 1988-90 and played in some incredible games.
The first big comeback was a 36-33 victory over LSU where he rallied the Buckeyes from a late 13-point deficit to win in just his third game as a starter.
Time & Change
- June 21: Tom Tupa (1984-87)
- June 28: Mike Kudla (2002-05)
- July 5: Greg Frey (1987-90)
- July 12: Dave Burba (1985-87)
- July 19: Mike Lanese (1983-85)
- Aug. 2: Anthony Schlegel (2004-05)
- Aug. 9: John Hicks (1970-73)
- Aug. 16: David Patterson (2003-06)
- Aug. 23: Craig Krenzel (1999-2003)
- Aug. 30: John Frank (1980-83)
- Sept. 4: Andy Katzenmoyer (1996-98)
- Sept. 11: Mark Sullivan (1978-80)
- Sept. 18: LeCharles Bentley (1998-2001)
- Sept. 25: Bam Childress (2000-04)
- Oct. 16: Roy Hall (2002-06)
Frey threw for 6,316 career yards, which ranks fourth in school history. He is the only quarterback in Ohio State history to throw for 2,000 or more yards in a season three times.
Frey, 44, lives in Columbus and works for AdvoCare, a health and wellness company offering nutritional and skin-care products. He is also a color commentator for high school football games for SportsTime Ohio.
In addition, Frey provides personal coaching for amateur quarterbacks. His most famous client is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn. Under his watch, four of his students have won state titles in Ohio since 2007.
BuckeyeNation caught up with Frey, who talked about his history with Urban Meyer, his work today and that infamous fourth-and-1 against Michigan in 1990.
BN: You were a part of two great comebacks. What's the best memory you have from your time at Ohio State?
Frey: I can't tell you there's one. Those ones are way up there, obviously. It's kind of hard to replace those experiences. As time passes, I miss the camaraderie with the guys. That was awesome, but LSU was a big one because it was at home and it was only my third start. For me personally, it was a dream-come-true moment to throw a touchdown pass to win the game. Emotionally, it was more than you could ever even fathom. It was great for our team to knock off a team that I think was ranked fifth at the time. That was a great win because they were a little sure of themselves. Let's put it that way.
BN: Is there another Brady Quinn in the making out there?
Frey: I've got some good young quarterbacks, but he was the best athlete I've coached, no doubt about it.
“BN: Working with SportsTimeOhio, do you ever find yourself wishing you were back on the field or wanting to coach?For me personally, it was a dream-come-true moment to throw a touchdown pass to win the game. Emotionally, it was more than you could ever even fathom.
” -- Former Ohio State quarterback Greg Frey, on the 1988 comeback win over LSU
Frey: I had a brief stint coaching football from 2004 to 2008. I loved that. I enjoyed the coaching process, but the reality was it took so much time away from your family. Fortunately, I'm blessed to be in the booth, so I'm still involved. It's awesome. I have so much fun doing that, minus the stress. It's fun knowing Saturday morning I don't have to watch film following a loss and grind it out. I don't miss that. I love the game and I love the atmosphere at STO. It's always a high-quality production.
BN: What are your thoughts on the Urban Meyer era?
Frey: Ironically, Urban was a graduate assistant at Ohio State my freshman year. So, I certainly got to know him and follow his career. I think it's going to be great. It's pretty obvious he's very demanding and has great expectations of himself and the program. There's no doubt in my mind, I'd select Urban Meyer in a heartbeat. A lot of people don't know he was a volunteer at St. Xavier High School [Frey's alma mater] before coming to Ohio State.
BN: Michigan game, 1990. The missed fourth-and-1 attempt that probably kept you from the Rose Bowl. Do you ever think about it?
Frey: I don't anymore. It amazes me that people still bug me about that and want to know what happened. Unfortunately, the circumstances were big and that's what everyone remembers. No one remembers the other plays. It was one of those games where it just wasn't meant to be. We had third down twice. We got the first down once and they called the penalty. In my mind, we were going to win. We were past the 50. We were going to kick the field goal and it was done and you get the hanky. It was one of those things where as time passes, it just wasn't meant to be. [Michigan won 16-13 on a J.D. Carlson 37-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining.]
BN: What does the future hold?
Frey: That's a good question. I want to grow my AdvoCare business and help others through it. I love changing lives. That and family time. I get to spend more time with them.
- Reporter for BuckeyeNation
- Covers Ohio State recruiting
- Joined ESPN in 2012
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