43
Boardman teammates Greco, Vallos reunite on Browns' O-line
By Joe Scalzo
On July 30, just three days after agreeing to a one-year deal with the St. Louis Rams, guard John Greco got the call telling him he’d been traded to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.
“It was a surprise to me, but that’s how this business is,” Greco said. “I just went with it.
“You can’t think. You’ve just got to react.”
He got in his car and drove to Cleveland that night, where he was reunited with a couple familiar faces — his former offensive coordinator with the Rams — Browns coach Pat Shurmur — and, more significantly, his former Boardman High teammate, center Steve Vallos.
“It was exciting,” said Vallos, a 2002 Boardman graduate who was a year ahead of Greco. “I mean, it’s always exciting to have someone you know come to your team, especially on the offensive line.
“I heard it from people back home before I even heard it from him or the team. Word travels pretty quick.”
The duo played much of the preseason with Ursuline High graduate and offensive tackle Branndon Braxton — “It was pretty unbelievable to have three guys from our area on the team, especially with it being the local team,” Vallos said — before Braxton was released on Sept. 3.
Greco and Vallos both made the team, although there were a few nervous nights.
After spending his first season on the practice squad, Vallos played in all 16 games in 2008 and 2009 but was waived by the Seahawks on Sept. 1, 2010.
“It’s a fight every August to get a spot,” said Vallos, a 2007 seventh-round draft pick by Seattle who appeared in seven games for the Browns last season as a backup and is listed as the second-team center behind Alex Mack.
“I mean, you never know — [Jaguars QB] David Garrard was cut [this week].
“It was a stressful little weekend but it was good to make it through that and just contribute wherever I can.”
Greco, a third round pick in 2008, appeared in 20 games in his first two seasons with the Rams with four starts. But he fell out of favor last fall, appearing in just six games as a backup lineman.
He’s now listed as the backup right guard behind Shawn Lauvao and said he’s had a smooth transition so far, both because he’s near home (Greco also played collegiately at Toledo) and because he already knows Shurmur’s offense.
“I know the system, I know the terminology,” said Greco, who has a friend living in his house in St. Louis while he makes the transition. “The offensive line calls are different but I picked up on those quick and now I’m just rolling with it.”
Only three players in Boardman history have played in the NFL and Vallos grew up cheering for the other, Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar. Greco, on the other hand, was neutral growing up.
“My father and grandfather cheered for different teams so I just try to stay out of it,” he said, laughing. “My family is obviously excited [now]. A lot of people back home never got a chance to see me play in St. Louis.”
Although the Browns have 53 players on the active roster, only 45 can be on the game day roster. Vallos doesn’t expect to be active for today’s opener against Cincinnati, although Greco likely will be.
“We’ve got a new coach and everyone’s excited,” Greco said. “It’s a clean slate. Everyone’s 0-0 and everyone’s hungry.”
Vallos, who has a locker next to Greco, said this year’s team feels a lot like the ones he was on his first three years in Seattle, a stretch that included a 10-6 mark and a playoff win in 2007.
“We have a lot of young guys and a lot of new faces but I think we’ve got a lot of guys that can really play well,” Vallos said. “I think it’s important that we get started on the right foot. We’ve got a good game this week and starting off good can really make a season.
“Last year didn’t start off the way we wanted and it never really came together, but if we stay calm and stay with the game plan, we’ll be all right.”