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Savage gets second chance
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FIRST-TEAM HONOREE: Defensive lineman Mychal Savage was first team all-Gateway Conference during the 2007 season.
By Pete Mollica
A knee injury against Ohio State wiped out his “first” senior season.
YOUNGSTOWN — Mychal Savage is glad to be back.
The 6-2, 305 pound defensive tackle is happy to have another year of eligibility for his Youngstown State football team and he’s intent on making the most of this chance.
Savage, who earned third team All-American honors in 2007 and was a pre-season All-American selection in 2008, played all of 40 snaps in three quarters last season before suffering a season ending knee injury in the Penguins season opener at Ohio State.
He applied to the NCAA for a medical redshirt and a fifth season and was granted that this spring. Now he has to get ready for what he hopes will be a great season with the Penguins.
“I’m so happy to be back playing again,” Savage said. “Last season was the most difficult of my life because there was nothing I could do to help them out on the field.”
“Right now I’m depending on my teammates, especially those on the offense, to help me get back into football shape,” he added. “The harder they work against me the better it is going to be for me.”
Savage said he feels healthy.
“It has taken a lot of hard work just to get me back to where I am right now and that’s still not where I need to be,” he added.
A year ago Savage was just the first of several key injuries on the defensive line, that also claimed tackle Torrance Nicholson and Luke Matelan and left the team moving players around trying to find a combination that worked.
“The one thing that it did was give a lot of guys some much needed experience and that’s the reason we have some of the best depth on the line that we’ve ever had,” he said.
Savage, who graduated from New Rochelle High in New York, spent one season at Hargrave Military Academy before joining the Penguins in 2005.
He was an immediate success with the Penguins, playing in 10 games, starting seven and being selected to the All-Gateway Conference Newcomer team.
In 2006 he was a first-team All-Gateway selection and played in all 14 games, starting 13 as the Penguins advanced to the FCS semifinal round and posted an 11-3 record. He led all linemen with 54 tackles including 26 solos, three sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses.
His junior season in 2007 he was first-team All-Gateway and third team Sports Network All-American. He started all 11 games had 43 tackles, 26 solos, five tackles for losses and 4.5 sacks.
“There is definitely a lot of talent on this football team, on both sides of the football, but for us to become a great team it is going to take a lot of hard work over these next few weeks,” Savage said.
“I’m excited, we’re all excited, about this group and it’s up to us to get this thing turned around.
Last season, his first senior year, Savage was named a team captain by his teammates.
Savage and the Penguins will put on full pads today for the first time when contact drills begin at 9:50 a.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins will have an off day Tuesday.