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Big Brothers make big impact
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
When Youngstown State coach Eric Wolford was an offensive lineman at Kansas State in the early 1990s, he went through the Wildcats’ “Big Brother” program, in which a veteran player took a younger one under his wing and taught him not just how to play college football, but also conduct himself off the field and in the classroom.
“When you’ve got young players, which we do, the veterans just need to educate them a little bit,” said Wolford, who brought the program to YSU this summer. “It’s part of the nurturing process.”
That program is crucial on days like Wednesday. The Penguins had their first two-a-day session of the summer and were met with sweltering heat and humidity in the morning session.
After a lackluster practice, Wolford challenged his players to amp up the intensity and junior linebacker David Rach took it upon himself to set an example for the freshmen.
“It’s contagious,” said Rach, a South Range High graduate. “If you’re getting excited for practice, you can get the younger guys excited.
“All of us take pride in being linebackers and the way they play is a reflection on all of us, and I think they realize that. So I guess we’re trying to get the whole group to play at a higher level.”
Rach and junior linebacker John Sasson are taking on bigger roles for the Penguins this summer after the team lost starting linebackers Taylor Hill (academics) and Na’eem Outler (disciplinary reasons). Sasson started four games at the Mike (middle) linebacker spot last fall, while Rach earned his one start at the Sam (strongside) spot in place of Outler, who started every other game. Hill, meanwhile, started every game at the Will (weakside) position.
Although the departures meant more opportunity for Sasson and Rach, they both said it didn’t change their approach entering training camp.
“I think each player has to take care of himself,” said Rach. “Anytime you lose one of your own, it changes things but you’ve got to worry about yourself and getting better every day.
“As dry as it sounds, you don’t have time to worry about who isn’t here.”
Added Sasson, “We know we have some young guys who can step up and play. We’re just going to work with the guys we have.”
With 29 summer practices, training camp can be a grind and it’s important for players to take care of their bodies between sessions, a message Wolford wants his veterans to get across.
“When it’s time to get back to the dorm room and rest, you need to rest,” Wolford said. “You don’t need to be sitting around, playing around, cracking jokes. You need to be getting rest, getting in your playbooks, getting treatment, taking care of your body and eating right.”
Those things don’t just build good players, Sasson said. They build good teams.
“We know what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “We’re trying to come together as a family, not just on the field but off the field and in the dorms.”