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Bengals draft Harding’s Herron
Four local players sign as free agents
By Joe Scalzo
The good news for Ohio State running back Dan “Boom” Herron? He found an NFL home on Saturday.
The bad news? The Cleveland Browns lost a couple fans.
Herron, a Warren Harding High graduate, was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of Saturday’s NFL draft, which means his family will now cheer for a different orange-helmeted team from Ohio.
“The first thing my dad [did] was he went upstairs and put an orange shirt on,” said Herron, who said he was raised as a Browns fan. “Everybody’s so happy and very thankful.”
Herron was one of two Mahoning Valley players drafted this weekend, joining Beaver Local’s Derek Wolfe, a defensive tackle taken by the Denver Broncos in Friday’s second round. His former high school teammate, Kent State center Chris Anzevino, signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Two Mooney graduates also signed free agent deals, with Kent State defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen also signing with the Ravens and cornerback Desmond Marrow going to the Houston Texans.
“Everybody keeps saying, ‘You’re a pro,’ but it really hasn’t hit me yet,” Marrow said. “I’m just chilling.”
Marrow (6-3, 210) also had offers from Dallas, San Francisco and Jacksonville but chose Houston since it was the only team he visited before the draft.
“I was comfortable with the organization and the coaches and it was a good fit as far as personnel,” said Marrow. “It was tough standing here and watching the picks go by but I know everything happens for a reason and I’m just ready to go down there and work.”
Kitchen (6-3, 335) also had interest from the Chiefs, Eagles and Rams but felt he would be a good fit as a space-clogging nose tackle in the Ravens’ 3-4 defense.
“I talked to them before the draft and they were really interested in me, so I felt it was the best fit,” said Kitchen. “I’m excited about the opportunity and I’m excited to play with Ray Lewis.”
Canfield’s Sean Baker, a safety out of Ball State, said he will get a chance with Tampa Bay, although reports that he signed with the Bucs are premature.
“Just don’t know if it’s as a tryout or a free agent yet,” he wrote in a text late Saturday.
Herron saw his stock drop over the past year for his involvement in Ohio State’s tattoo for memorabilia scandal but rebounded to earn team MVP honors after rushing for 678 yards in seven games.
“The questions always came up about it [with NFL teams] and I answered the questions honestly,” he said. “It [the adversity] definitely made me a stronger person and, also, a better player.”