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Leaders beginning to emerge
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
YSU senior guard Eric Rodemoyer has been playing college football long enough to have been a starting lineman for Rich Rodriguez — when the latter was still West Virginia’s head coach.
“After five years, I feel like an old man,” he said, laughing.
Since transferring to the Penguins in 2008, Rodemoyer has become more than just an all-conference lineman. He’s emerged as the perfect senior leader for a team long on young talent and short on experience.
“I know what it’s like coming into a new program and not knowing everybody,” said Rodemoyer. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had a different head coach. This is my fourth head coach.
“So that’s going to help me in the change department.”
As a redshirt freshman in 2007, Rodemoyer started six games at right guard for a West Virginia team that came within one game of playing for a national championship. Weeks later, Rodriguez, bolted for Michigan.
After interim coach Bill Stewart led the Mountaineers to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma, Rodemoyer transferred to YSU, where he emerged as a second team all-conference lineman under Jon Heacock.
After Heacock resigned, new coach Eric Wolford overhauled the coaching staff and the roster, nudging out nonbelievers while bringing in loads of new players to battle for playing time and make the incumbents sweat.
As a fifth-year senior, Rodemoyer could have scoffed at the changes. Instead, he and senior defensive lineman Torrance Nicholson played the biggest roles in keeping their teammates accountable this summer during the coaches’ non-contact period.
“I think change is hard for everybody,” said Rodemoyer. “With change comes more responsibility, so I guess you could say people were resistant but now the guys we have, have bought in.
“For me, as a senior leader, I accepted it. That’s the only choice you really have.”
Nicholson, who played in 28 games over the last three years, admitted there were times when he struggled with learning a new system and new terminology after growing comfortable with the old way.
“It’s hard going against something you want to do, something you think you know is best,” he said. “But really we’re just trying to do what’s best for the team.
“Me and Eric are just trying to get everybody to buy into Youngstown as a team.”
That wasn’t difficult for sophomore running back Jamaine Cook. Although he was one of the standouts at spring practice, repeatedly drawing praise from Wolford, Cook could have pouted when the staff brought in highly-touted freshman running back Adaris Bellamy.
Instead, he’s embraced everything about the transition.
“I think the new people are really going to help us,” he said. “I think we have all the pieces to make a run for a championship.
“My role, I think I can help the younger guys get in place, get acquainted and get them used to being at YSU.”
Cook said the communication between the coaching staff and the players has improved over the previous regime and said he’s noticed better team unity over last year.
“Last year we didn’t really have a family,” he said. “We had too many individuals. It feels like a family now.”
Things aren’t perfect, of course, and there’s always going to be tension when 90 players are battling for 22 spots. But Rodemoyer said the key is embracing that competition, not complaining about it.
“Competition makes you a better football player,” he said. “When everyone is competing for their job, it makes you a better football team in general.
“Right now, I think there’s a good feeling. You just feel there’s something going on here and that’s exciting.”