Savage key to rebuilt defense

By Pete Mollica

Youngstown lost plenty of defensive seniors from 2007.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State University football team was hit hard on the defensive side of the ball by graduation, with nine players who saw starting time gone from the unit.

One defensive standout returning is senior defensive tackle Mychal Savage. The Penguins will be counting heavily on the 6-2, 290 pounder from Hartsdale, N.Y.

Savage has been a starter ever since he became a Penguin in the 2005 season. He has earned postseason honors each of his three seasons.

As a true freshman, he was named to the Gateway Conference All-Newcomer team and has been selected to the Gateway All-Conference first team each of the last two seasons. Last year, he was selected as a third-team member on The Sports Network All-American team.

Savage sees a lot of new faces surrounding him this spring, but he is still very optimistic.

“There are a lot of new faces out here,” Savage said. “But this spring things are starting to mesh and the team is really coming together.”

Being a senior, Savage knows he’s expected to be one of the team leaders, but he doesn’t think his role will change all that much.

“It will change a little bit because now that I’m a senior the other guys will be looking to me to show them the way,” Savage said. “We’ve got a lot of great senior leaders on this team so I know that it’s not all on my shoulders.”

Savage is not one who likes to set goals for himself, but he does have one this season.

“My one and only goal right now is to stay healthy for the season,” Savage said. “That’s what is most important to me because in order for me to have a good season I’ve got to be healthy, no injuries.”

“If I stay healthy it can only help the defense, and if the defense is playing well we have a good shot at the conference championship and getting back to the playoffs,” Savage saidd.

Savage’s position coach, Antoine Smith, is expecting big things from his senior veteran.

“I expect Mychal to be a big leader on this football team this year,” Smith said. “I expect him to be in the best shape of his life and to be more accountable and really bring something to the table different from last year. For Mychal, last season was just an average year and he can be much better.”

YSU head football coach Jon Heacock also feels that senior leadership is the one thing that Savage must bring to the Penguins.

“I think that the leadership role is so important to this and every football team,” Heacock said. “He’s a very talented football player and one we will be counting heavily upon — and I think that it’s up to him to bring his game to another level this year.”

In three seasons with the Penguins, Savage has totaled 124 tackles and 10 quarterback sacks. He had 43 stops a year ago and 54 as a sophomore. His best game last year was the season final against Western Illinois when he had a career-high 12 tackles including nine solo hits.

The Penguins will work out again today at 3:30 p.m. They will hold a kicking scrimmage Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. The lone jersey scrimmage of the spring will be next Saturday at 10 a.m.

mollica@vindy.com