Irizarry is a walk-on with YSU football team

The former Ursuline star, who played a year at Ohio State won't be eligible until 2006.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown State football team welcomed a handful of walk-on players this week, but one of them stood out from the others.
Louis Irizarry, the former Ursuline High standout who played one season at Ohio State, joined the Penguins Monday.
Irizarry won't be eligible to play this season since he didn't attend school last year, but will be eligible in 2006 and have two years remaining.
"He just walked into my office and asked if he could walk-on to the program," said YSU coach Jon Heacock. "We talked for some time and he said he wanted to be totally committed to the program."
Played one-year at OSU
Irizarry, who was a sophomore on Ursuline's 2000 state championship team, played his freshman season at Ohio State, seeing some part-time action.
He then got into off-season trouble, eventually being arrested and dismissed from the football team.
He was charged with three counts of first-degree misdemeanor assault after three people sustained minor injuries during a fight in a dorm room in October 2003.
He pleaded guilty on the charges and spent three days in jail and was placed on probation. He was also arrested in May of 2004, but pleaded innocent to charges he and another player assaulted a fellow student and took his wallet.
Dismissed after incident
It was after the second incident that Irizarry was dismissed from the football team.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end sat out all last season, before enrolling at YSU this fall.
He practiced Monday and Tuesday in shorts getting in his required conditioning days, but took part in several passing drills and showed he still had the hands and moves to catch and run with the football.
"Actually this is probably the best thing for him," Heacock said. "He can stay at home with mom and dad and still play the game he loves."
Heacock said that there were six or seven walk-ons this week who still have to do their required conditioning before taking part in practice.
About Irizarry, Heacock added, "He wants to be here, he came to me about playing again and we're happy to have him."