Tuminello continues family tradition
The redshirt freshman tight end is the fifth member of his family to play collegiately.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN — Nick Tuminello of Boardman is carrying on the long collegiate football tradition in his family.
A redshirt freshman tight end for Bowling Green State University from Boardman High, Tuminello is the fifth member of his immediate family to play collegiate football, and the fourth to play at the NCAA Division I level.
He also will be the second in the family to play in Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, when Bowling Green will take on Idaho Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho, on national television (ESPN).
The Tuminello family tradition began when Nick’s father, Jim Tuminello, played college football for Southwestern State College (now Southwestern Oklahoma State University) in Weatherford, Okla., and for Slippery Rock University.
Then he and wife, Debra, had four sons who all followed in his footsteps, first Chris (Toledo), Brian (Ohio University), Kevin (Georgia Tech) and now Nick (Bowling Green).
The first three sons all became engineers, while Nick is a business major.
Jim credits his wife for leading their sons on the right path academically. But he said his boys did the football part mostly on their own.
“It was definitely her, the discipline part, and I just went along with the program. Most of [the football] was on their own, the offseason and the camps, and they did the best they can,” said Jim, a 1971 graduate of New Castle High where he was a lineman on the football team that went 10-0 under coach Lindy Lauro.
“We started [the boys] at St. Charles in the fourth and fifth grades.”
But, “If they did play sports, that’s fine, but academically — that is the key so that they learned to keep their grades going.”
Jim and Debra, also a 1971 New Castle graduate, were high school sweethearts. Debra is a West Virginia University graduate who majored in nursing, and now is affiliated with St. Jude’s Hospital.
“Chris, the oldest, led the charge and set a good example academically and what you have to do off the field, and the rest followed suit,” said Jim, who went on to play three years of football at Southwestern State College, and then transferred to Slippery Rock where he played one season to conclude his career.
Jim also said that Brian, the second-oldest, was influential on Kevin.
“Kevin was five years younger, so Brian set a good example for him,” said Jim, who after college went on to a business career. “Those two [Chris and Brian] led the way.”
Chris, a 1998 Boardman graduate, became a four-year starter at center for Toledo and an All-Mid-American Conference selection.
He now is a civil engineer in structural design for the state of Ohio in Cincinnati.
Brian, a 1999 Boardman graduate, was a defensive back at Ohio U. but, after being redshirted his first year, he suffered a knee injury the following season which ended his career. He had injured his other knee while playing for Boardman.
A 2003 Ohio U. graduate, Brian now is an engineer in Cleveland.
Kevin, a 2003 Boardman graduate, played center for Georgia Tech and made the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team. He also played in two Humanitarian bowls.
A 2007 Georgia Tech graduate, Kevin now is a project engineer in Chicago.
Nick (6-4, 240), a 2008 Boardman graduate, played quarterback and defensive end at Boardman, and continued as a defensive end at Bowling Green during his 2008 redshirt year.
But after winning the Falcons’ Most Improved Freshman Award in 2008, he was switched to tight end at spring practice this year.
A business major, Nick is listed the No. 3 tight end on the Falcons’ depth chart. He has played in five games this season, and is hoping to get into the Humanitarian Bowl game.
Nick will be joined in the bowl by three other Youngstown-area players on the Bowling Green team, although none of the trio actually will be on the playing field for the game.
Stan Watson (Austintown Fitch) will be coaching the Falcons’ cornerbacks, while freshman defensive backs Aunre’ Davis (Warren Harding) and Cameron Truss (LaBrae), both redshirted this year, will be dressed and on the sidelines providing moral support for their teammates.
kovach@vindy.com