Buckeye stars sign at Sandusky Mall

PERKINS TWP.

Former Ohio State football players Chris "Beanie" Wells and Brian Hartline visited the Sandusky Mall Sunday for a two-hour autograph session.

Wells and Hartline sat at a table set up in the center court as fans waited in queue down a side corridor. The line spanned from Gamestop to Elder Beerman and back. Before the players arrived at 1 p.m., the line stretched down the main corridor as far as

Fans snapped photographs with a variety of cameras -- either disposable, cell phone or digital -- of the two-year starters. Some even posed for pictures with Wells and Hartline.

The event was free to the public, while autographs and memorabilia, including photographs and Ohio State miniature and full-size helmets, were available for purchase.

A signature from Hartline cost $10 per item, while Wells, who was a preseason Heisman candidate and is a likely first-round selection in the April NFL Draft, ranged between $25-$35 per item.

Both players decided to forgo their final year of eligibility with the Buckeyes, who finished 10-3 with a 24-21 loss to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl.

Wells ran for 1,197 yards and eight TDs in 2008 despite missing three full games with a foot injury he sustained in the season opener.

Coming off a stellar sophomore season where he ran for more than 1,600 yards with 15 TDs, including a school-record 222-yard performance against rival Michigan, Wells was considered the top back in the country entering the 2008 season. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound All-Big Ten pick is a rare blend of size and speed.

Considered by some draft experts as a top-10 pick, Wells' stock may have slipped at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Wells clocked 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash. That, plus his struggle with nagging injuries, might keep him out of the top-10.

Hartline caught 90 career passes for 12 touchdowns in his three seasons.

The 6-foot-2 Hartline saw his productivity drop from 52 catches in 2007 to 21 in 2008 -- mostly because the Buckeyes switched starting quarterbacks from Todd Boeckman to freshman Terrelle Pryor.