Photo by: Robert K. Yosay

The Vindicator ( Youngstown)

Photo

Matthew Taylor 12, of Austintown gets some pointers from the class of 2008 kicke Michael Metzinger at the Ursuline High School Footbal Camp.

By JOE SCALZO

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Allen Jones has only been at Youngstown State for a few weeks but he’s already sensed something special in the air.

“At practice, it’s real energized,” said Jones, an Ursuline High graduate who will play running back for the Penguins. “You can tell how big of an impact [the new staff] is going to be this year.

“All the players love the new coaching staff and everybody’s real excited to see what we’re going to do.”

Jones made an appearance at his alma mater’s youth camp on Monday, where he got the teasing nickname of “Superstar” from former teammates Michael Paul Jenkins (a two-year starter at center from Walsh) and Matt Krause (who started as a freshman at Waynesburg last fall).

Jones was the first recruit by new Penguins coach Eric Wolford after a stellar career at Ursuline that saw him lead the Irish to two straight Division V state titles.

“I’m expecting to learn new things, different techniques, different game plans, different schemes and how you look at the defense at the college level,” said Jones, an early childhood special education major who is already enrolled. “I’m learning a lot already.”

Wearing an Ohio State T-shirt and New York Giants shorts, Jim Cordle made the trip to Ursuline to help with the Irish youth camp for the fourth straight year. The Lancaster native is engaged to a Canfield High graduate and is on a break from the Giants after minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs). The undrafted free agent is staying in shape by working out at Ohio State, where he was a three-year starter at center and guard.

“It was fun to go through,” he said of the Giants’ practices. “Just to have an NFL helmet on and go through practices with Coach [Tom] Coughlin yelling at you, it was very intimidating but very exciting at the same time.”

When asked what advice he gives the students, he said, “I try to tell them that the skills you learn in football translate into life so easily. That’s why it’s such a great game.

“You learn about teamwork and discipline and hard work and all that. That’s going to lead to success in life, not just football.”

Former Warren Harding High standout Sidney Glover, who was coached by Ursuline’s Dan Reardon as a freshman with the Raiders, said he just tries to set a positive example with the kids at the camp, who range from first grade to ninth.

“I’m just a kid who enjoys playing football,” said Glover, a senior safety at West Virginia who started the past two years. “Maybe to these younger kids, I’m a bigger role model than I see in myself.

“I’m just happy to be here, let them see my face, be something positive and hopefully they believe they can also go to college and play football and graduate with a degree.”

Glover, who was joined by Mountaineers teammate Rob Sands, started 10 games at safety last season as WVU finished 9-4.

Neither his team’s performance nor his own lived up to his expectations.

“To me, last season was a really big disappointment,” he said. “I really didn’t do a lot of things I expected out of myself, like making bigger plays and even giving up some big plays in big games. That’s out of character for me.

“This offseason I spent learning my craft and becoming the best player I can be this year. I’m want to continue playing football [after college] and hopefully me and my teammates can do a little better than last year.”