Tuesday, December 18, 2001
Chris Tuminello, a Verizon Academic All-American, has helped to pave the way for Toledo.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORT STAFF
What makes Chris Tuminello block? His main incentive is to help the team.
"The offensive line is where the game is won or lost up front," said Tuminello, the University of Toledo's starting junior right guard from Boardman High. "We set the tone as to how the offense does.
"If the line struggles, the offense is struggling," Tuminello said. My incentive is to block well so the offense will play well."
With his unselfish blocking, Toledo has achieved a 10-1 record, won the Mid-American Conference championship, and now is preparing for the Motor City Bowl against the University of Cincinnati (7-4) Dec. 29 at noon in Pontiac, Mich. (ESPN).
Knows defenses: "I pull on counters and trap plays, and then basically it is base blocking one-on-one against the defensive tackle on run and pass blocking," Tuminello said.
"My main asset is the ability to recognize the defenses based on formations," Tuminello said. "I can tell what they are going to do by looking at [defensive players]."
Tuminello also is versatile and spirals the long center snaps for punts and field goals.
"I started 10 games at right guard and one at left guard. And I also played center a couple of games, and I do long snaps and field-goal snaps," he said.
Academic ace: Another of Tuminello's assets is his intelligence.
A major in civil engineering with a 3.89 grade-point average, he recently was named to the 2001 University Division Verizon Academic All-American Football Second Team Offense, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Tuminello said the Rockets have a lot of motivation to do well in the Motor City Bowl, after being beat out for the berth last year by Marshall despite routing the Thundering Herd during the regular season, 42-0.
"The extra incentive [is that] we want to come out this year to prove to everyone that we are a bowl-caliber team," said Tuminello, who played in all 11 games last year, starting one of them.
Set-up: The MAC champion, determined by a playoff game between the East and West Division kingpins, automatically qualifies for the Motor City Bowl. Marshall got the bowl berth last year by winning its fourth straight MAC crown over Western Michigan, 19-14. The Thundering Herd then went on to defeat Cincinnati in the Motor City Bowl, 25-14.
Toledo won this year's MAC title with a 41-36 win over Marshall.
Area teammates: Two other Youngstown-area players are on the Toledo roster -- sophomores Tim Averhart (Ursuline High) and Anthony Abron (Warren Harding).
Averhart plays free safety while Abron is an inside linebacker, and both are third string.
"Those kids [Averhart and Abron) are going to be good football players," Tuminello said.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, has one Youngstown-area player on the roster -- J.J. Wilson from Farrell High, who is a sophomore defensive back and special teams player.
Wilson was a first-team all-state selection at Farrell High in his senior year.