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Penguins lose starting linebackers Hill, Outler
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YSU’s linebacking corps — considered to be an area of strength going into the preseason — took a hit Monday with the loss of senior Na’eem Outler and sophomore Taylor Hill, shown here.
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YSU’s linebacking corps — considered to be an area of strength going into the preseason — took a hit Monday with the loss of senior Na’eem Outler, shown here, and sophomore Taylor Hill.
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
Linebacker was expected to be one of YSU’s biggest strengths this fall.
It just got a lot weaker.
YSU sophomore linebacker Taylor Hill, the team’s leading tackler last fall, is academically ineligible and will miss the 2010 season, while senior linebacker Na’eem Outler was dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons.
“As student-athletes, we have responsibilities that we have to do away from the football field,” said YSU coach Eric Wolford. “Sometimes when you don’t fulfill those things, you’re not able to play football anymore.”
Hill, a Cardinal Mooney High graduate, was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s All-Newcomer team after starting all 11 games at outside linebacker for the Penguins in 2009. He had a team-best 65 tackles and was the first freshman to lead the team in total stops since 1985.
Hill originally signed with Michigan and participated in training camp in August of 2008 before leaving the team. He enrolled at YSU in January of 2009. He had academic issues coming out of the spring semester and wasn’t able to meet eligibility requirements this summer, a source said.
Outler, an Occoquan, Va., native, started 10 games at weakside linebacker last fall and made 44 tackles. He also started 10 games in 2008. According to a source, no one incident led to his dismissal but a pattern of missteps.
“There’s certain expectations that we have here,” Wolford said. “You’re expected to perform a certain way. You’re expected to go to class, you’re expected to do things right, you’re expected to be respectful.
“If you’re not going to be, you’re not going to be here. And that will never change.”
The Penguins have lost more than 20 players since spring camp, most of them voluntarily. Hill and Outler are by far the biggest contributors from that list.
“It’s kind of like cancer,” Wolford said. “If you do chemotherapy, sometimes you hurt the good organs. Sometimes you’ve got to cut cancer out.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to do what’s best for the program. And if you’re not going to do things the Youngstown way, you’re not going to be a part of this program.”
Since Wolford was hired to replace Jon Heacock in December, change has been a constant. None of Heacock’s assistants were retained and the Penguins are expected to have 36 new players on their 90-man roster when fall camp opens Wednesday.
“We went through a tremendous culture change since I’ve been here,” said Wolford. “Any time there’s a coaching change, a lot of changes take place.
“Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes that’s a bad thing. I feel really good about the changes we’ve made.”