Stadelmyer verbally commits to YSU

By Joe Scalzo

The Girard standout was recruited as an athlete by the Penguins.

GIRARD — Girard High senior Kyle Stadelmyer grew up watching Youngstown State dominate I-AA football.

He wants to help the Penguins get back to that point.

Stadelmyer (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), a standout running back and defensive back for the Indians, verbally committed to YSU on Tuesday after taking an official visit to the campus last weekend.

“They have such a winning tradition and they haven’t had the national titles or the conference titles over the last few years, but you can see the fire in the players eyes that they want to get back to that winning tradition,” Stadelmyer said.

“I really like the people there and when you combine that with the education I can get from there, it was the place for me.”

Stadelmyer, who holds several school records including for career rushing and scoring, rushed for 1,119 yards on 157 carries with 20 TDs as the Indians finished 9-1.

He also caught 10 passes for 207 yards and had four interceptions as a safety on defense and was also a terrific special teams player. He was known for his physical style on both sides of the ball.

Stadelmyer is being recruited as an athlete by the Penguins, who offered a $4,000 per year athletic scholarship with government grants expected to take care of the rest, his father, Keith Stadelmyer, said.

“They don’t know what they’re gonna do with him yet,” Keith Stadelmyer said. “They want to see him on the field. He’s well-liked on both sides of the ball.”

Added Kyle, “I’m open to anywhere the coaches want to put me. I like to think of myself as a team player and wherever they need me to play, I’ll play and play wholeheartedly.”

He was a first team All-American Conference Blue Tier running back this season and was a first team all-district selection as a defensive back.

Stadelmyer is also strong in math and science and plans to become a civil engineer.

“It’s something that seems interesting to me,” he said.

He’s the third area player to commit to YSU this month. Fitch senior defensive back Sylvestry Gibbs and former Mooney defensive lineman Taylor Hill (transfer from Michigan) have also verbally committed.

National Signing Day is Feb. 4.

scalzo@vindy.com