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Gerberry credits coaches for success
By Greg Gulas
AUSTINTOWN
When Dan Gerberry was a sophomore at Austintown Fitch High, he was a promising football player who was just hoping to play junior varsity baseball in the spring.
“That’s when former Falcons coach Carl Pelini asked me if I would rather play JV baseball or varsity football,” said Gerberry, speaking to the Curbstone Coaches at Monday’s luncheon at Lucianno’s Banquet Center. “My reply was varsity football and that’s when I began to take the game seriously.”
Gerberry didn’t letter as a sophomore football player, but after using the spring to bulk up, he started the following two years under Pelini and his successor, Neal Kopp, drawing interest from college scouts.
“I really wanted to go to YSU, but Ball State University offered me a scholarship and I accepted their offer,” Gerberry said.
Unlike most FBS players, Gerberry wasn’t a grade school standout.
“As a seventh-grader at Austintown Middle School, I was a running back on offense, cornerback on defense and one of the worst on the team,” he said. “ By the time I was a freshman I was an outside linebacker who also played tight end. While practicing under the chutes one day, I fired off the ball and the coaches felt like something was there.”
At Ball State, Gerberry played for current Michigan head coach Brady Hoke. He earned scout team player of the year honors as a redshirt freshman, eventually developing into a starter and an NFL prospect.
“I played for coach Hoke for five years and he gave me the opportunity to be a better football player while also becoming a better person,” Gerberry said. “He’s a throwback and his disciplined, hard-nosed style really helped me develop both personally and athletically. What you see is what you get. I love the fact that he is at UM because he’s a Michigan man; someone who takes pride in being head of one of the nation’s most proud and successful football programs.”
As a kid, Gerberry dreamed about playing in the NFL. But that was a “non-thought” in college.
“So to be able to play almost four seasons at the top level of the sport was an absolutely great experience,” said Gerberry, who spent four years with the Detroit Lions (2009-2012) before getting cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 2013 season. “Some players are motivated by the NFL but money was never my motivation. I just loved playing the game and wanted to learn everything about it because I wanted to become a coach when my playing days ended. I’ve been blessed to be around some of the very best caches and people at every level and now that continues with coach [Eric] Wolford at YSU as a part of his staff.”
Next week, Austintown trustee Jim Davis and Hollywood Gaming general manager Mike Galle will serve as guest speakers.