Etienne Sabino: 5 Things You Need to Know About Former Ohio State OLB

Etienne Sabino was the prized recruit of Ohio State's recruiting class in 2008, but he never materialized into the impact linebacker the Buckeyes hoped they were getting. 

The 6'2'', 247-pound defender played sparingly during his career; however, he does possesses athleticism and projects to the outside linebacker spot in the NFL. 

Here are five things you need to know about him.

Background

Full Name: Etienne Sabino

Birthday: 1990

Hometown: Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

High School: M. M. Krop High School

Major: Family Resource Management

Year: Junior

 

Sabino played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was ranked the No. 1 inside linebacker by Rivals.com coming out of high school in 2008. He enrolled at Ohio State in March of that year. He was one of the prospects Florida schools hate to lose, but the Buckeyes have that affect on players.

Statistics

2011: 62 tackles and two sacks

2012: 45 tackles and two sacks

He backed up James Laurinaitis in 2008, and during that season, he returned a punt for a touchdown in a 16-3 win over Purdue, his only score as a Buckeye.

In 2010, he took a healthy redshirt when he lost his starting linebacker job so he could retain an extra year of eligibility.

Draft Process

Measurables

Height: 6'2''

Weight: 247 lbs. 

Arm Length: 33''

Hand Size: 9.625''

Combine Results

40-yard dash: 4.75

Broad jump: 114''

Bench: 24 reps

Pro Day Results

Vertical jump: 34''

20-yard shuttle: 4.28

Things didn't go terribly for Sabino's workout, but he wasn't great either. Here's a tweet from Jeff Svoboda of OhioState.Scout.com in regards to Sabino's pro day workout:

"

Etienne Sabino has been hampered by a tweak in his hamstring, which is why he didn't run today, but thought his drills were OK

— Jeff Svoboda (@JeffSvoboda) March 8, 2013"

Interesting Facts

In high school, Sabino was a district champion throwing the discus (h/t OhioStateBuckeyes.com).

He was a co-captain as a senior for the Buckeyes.

Observations

What NFL.com wrote about Sabino's strengths as a prospect: 

"

Well-built, athletic linebacker who plays on the strong side and in the middle. Fights through blocks in the hole, and is capable of using violent hands to shed and grab running backs. Brings a powerful punch to pulling guards and fullbacks in the run game, and is tough to keep out of the backfield on A-gap blitzes.

"

And his weaknesses:

"

Lateral movement might be an issue if playing outside; he might not stay on the field in nickel situations unless he proves the short-area quickness to do so at the next level. Plays with a high pad level, failing to break down in the hole against quicker ballcarriers. 

"