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OSU’s Tressel lauds Wolford, Covelli
The former Youngstown State coach tried to recruit the current Penguins coach when he was a senior at Ursuline in the 1980s.
By JOE SCALZO
Vindicator sports staff
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Eric Wolford
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Ohio State coach Jim Tressel
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Sam Covelli
BOARDMAN — In the late 1980s, YSU football coach Jim Tressel tried to recruit a standout offensive lineman from Ursuline High named Eric Wolford.
“Coach Tressel did a great job of making all the local players feel welcome at YSU,” said Wolford, who ended up going to Kansas State, where he was a four-year starter. “He knew in the back of his mind that a certain percentage would go off to college and feel like they were misled in recruiting and want to transfer back home.
“Look at the transfers he got back. They were a part of some of the teams that had success.”
Twenty years later, the Penguins finally snagged their man when Wolford was hired to replace Jon Heacock as YSU’s head coach.
“He’s a passionate kid, he loves the game and he’s dying to be here at Youngstown State, which to me is huge,” said Tressel, who attended YSU’s scholarship/ring dinner at Mr. Anthony’s. “I know he’ll work like crazy.”
Monday’s event honored Sam Covelli as YSU’S Penguin of the Year. Covelli, a Warren JFK High graduate who is the nation’s largest franchisee of Panera Bread LLC, was an early supporter of Tressel when he came to YSU. At the time, Covelli ran dozens of McDonald’s restaurants.
“When we first got here, we didn’t have much going for us and he was always there to step in,” Tressel said. “He sponsored our football camp and we had the Golden Arches on the back of our camp T-shirts and he even helped our graduate students eat a little bit.
“He was always a great mentor, always willing to do anything.”
Covelli said he was honored to join former honorees such as Tressel, Ron Jaworski and Carmen Policy.
“I was really humbled when I saw the names on there,” Covelli said, then adding with a smile, “I think they must have lowered the bar this year.”
Tressel, the 2009 winner, coached Ohio State to its fifth straight Big Ten title last fall, capping the season with a 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
“Not everything went perfect. It seldom does,” Tressel said. “We had a young bunch that I think matured and learned some lessons and I think at the end of the year we were playing pretty well.
“Hopefully that’ll give us a good jump start into 2010.”
Earlier this month, quarterback Terrelle Pryor had arthroscopic surgery on his knee but Tressel said it won’t hamper his development.
“He’s doing fine,” he said. “He was just having some discomfort.
“We want his wheels just right.”
Tressel had three local players on the roster last fall — RB Dan “Boom” Herron of Warren Harding, DL John Simon of Cardinal Mooney and OL Corey Linsley of Boardman — and added two more on signing day in Boardman DL J.T. Moore and Ursuline DL Jamel Turner.
“J.T. is a great student, a great kid and he loves to get to the football,” Tressel said. “He’s going to be a heckuva player.”
He lauded Simon’s work ethic and Herron’s leadership. Both players saw significant time last fall.
“Boom is a leader,” Tressel said. “He’s a tough Warren kid. Football means a lot to him and family means a lot to him.
“And if anyone works as hard as John Simon, they’re going to play. He’s special and he just works like crazy.”
In 2007, Tressel and his wife, the former Ellen Watson, made a $1 million donation toward an indoor training facility. The groundbreaking, however, was delayed.
“We always say we need an indoor facility for the playoffs, so we’ve got to get that thing started so the Penguins can get to the playoffs and have somewhere to practice,” he said.
Wolford is working on the playoff part. In the weeks since signing his first recruiting class, Wolford has split his time between recruiting his 2011 class and preparing for the 2010 season.
The Penguins have been working out at 6 a.m. for winter conditioning and spring football starts March 17.
“It will be here before you know it,” Wolford said. “I talked to the weather gods and they said they’ll cooperate.”
YSU recently hosted a coaches clinic that drew 60 area high school coaches, allowing Wolford and his staff to exchange coaching ideas while cultivating relationships that will help with recruiting.
With four national titles, Tressel set a high standard for his successors on the football field, but Wolford knows it doesn’t end there.
“The whole key with Coach Tressel is, don’t ever speak after him,” Wolford said. “You’ll sound like a buffoon.
“He’s the best speaker in the United States.”
scalzo@vindy.com