WOLFORD: DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

YSU FOOTBALL

Coach Eric Wolford logs extra miles for recruiting

By JOE SCALZO

Vindicator sports staff

New Youngstown State football coach Eric Wolford woke up Friday morning, saw a county full of white streets and closed schools and said, “Time to get to work.”

“Mahoning County was shut down but that doesn’t mean Trumbull County was,” said Wolford, an Ursuline High graduate.

Over his first month at YSU, Wolford figures he’s visited between 50-75 schools in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. He visited schools in both states on Friday “and I was still here at 11:30 [a.m.] for a Rotary luncheon in Canfield,” he said, his face full of pride.

“I’ve got 2,500 miles on my car,” said Wolford, who drives a Chevy Traverse. “I was getting ready to call Mr. Greenwood over at Chevrolet and say, ‘You said to turn this car back in here. I’ve got 2,500 on it. The last thing I want to do is run the miles up on it.’

“I’ve been driving it pretty good. It goes pretty good in the snow, too.”

Wolford, who has a reputation as a tireless recruiter, anticipates adding between 22-25 players for the Feb. 3 signing day. That could change based on the number of transfers he brings in, but Wolford said he’s spoken to about 40 high school seniors face-to-face.

One of those, Ursuline senior running back Allen Jones, became the first recruit of the Wolford era when he verbally committed last week. The second is La Cueva (N.M.) QB Meiko Locksley, who has already graduated and will start classes at YSU on Monday.

Wolford has offered scholarships to two other area players: Liberty senior guard Charlie Dann and Mooney senior WR/DB Donald D’Alesio.

“I think we’re on some pretty good guys and we’re headed in the right direction,” Wolford said. “And I think there could be some surprises.”

Speaking to the media for the first time since his introductory press conference, certain themes emerged.

UWolford is open to transfers, but only the right transfers.

He used former YSU coach Jim Tressel as an example of a coach who had I-AA success utilizing Division I transfers, but he doesn’t plan to stack his team with them.

“It’s got to be the right kid and the right fit,” he said. “Just because he came from a Division I program doesn’t mean he’ll transfer back here and be an impact player here.

“They may have been a mistake somewhere else.”

UHis focus will be on players from Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Florida.

Wolford has coached at several different areas of the country — he most recently spent a year at South Carolina of the Southeastern Conference after two years in Big Ten country at Illinois — and his preference is to build with players from the area and the region.

“I’m a Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Pittsburgh guy,” Wolford said. “Where they make the steel at. [But] we’ll venture down into Columbus and central [Ohio] and down to Florida.

“I’m not saying our whole football team will be out of Florida. But a couple key guys if they’re the right fit.”

If two players have equal ability, Wolford said he’ll target the local player. But if a player from Florida is significantly better, “we’re going to take the guy from Florida,” he said.

UHe wants to build up contacts in Ohio. Quickly.

Many of the 50 schools he’s visited don’t have players he’s recruiting this year, but they might have players down the line. Wolford wants to make sure he’s built a relationship with coaches at those schools.

“The high school coaches are excited,” he said. “People around here love football. They love Youngstown. They’re excited to see us hopefully get some local players back on the field and do what’s expected around here.”

UHe’s not afraid to go against the flow.

Wolford said he won’t recruit a player just because everyone else is. And he won’t avoid a player he likes just because other schools aren’t interested.

As proof, he cites players such as Illinois lineman Jeff Allen (who earned second team Freshman All-America honors from one publication in 2008), Jaguars lineman Eben Britton (who was a second round pick by the Jaguars out of Arizona) and former Patriots lineman Kenyatta Jones (who was drafted in the fourth round out of South Florida) as players who weren’t highly-regarded but validated Wolford’s faith.

“There are certain characteristics you look for on film,” he said. “Either your ego doesn’t let you recruit them or you say, ‘Hey, I like this kid. I believe in him.’”

URecruiting is just the first step.

Wolford wants players who have a good support system at home, and wants to develop a good support system at YSU so that things like academics and behavior aren’t a problem.

Take care of those things, Wolford said, and players can focus on football.

“Our job as coaches is to take players where they can’t take themselves,” he said. “You have to drive them. They want to be driven.”

scalzo@vindy.com