Tremendous article, couldn't agree more with everything you said. Eric Wolford is what Youngstown State needs. Get ready for the victory parades and the late nights welcoming the team back at the airport because those days are coming again. See ya in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the first week of January.
| February 04, 2010
In his National Letter of Intent Day press conference yesterday, new Youngstown State Head Coach Eric Wolford said, “I think the thing we gotta make people realize here, and I don’t know how to say this without telling you the way it is: We’ve got to change the perception of Youngstown." Isn't that the truth!?Like I eluded to in my column on Tuesday, for the Mahoning Valley to make a rebound, Youngstown State University will need to lead the way. People often ask me why I am such a big supporter of the Youngstown State Athletic teams, and its because I know that success on the playing field translates into gratification in the community. When Youngstown State was the power of the I-AA/FCS ranks in the 1990s, the Mahoning Valley felt a sense of pride in our boys as they went on to win four Division 1-AA National Championships under Jim Tressel.
Despite everything negative people say about this area, I still think it is a great place to live. There is no doubt we've had it rougher than most parts of the country, but it just goes to show that we are a tough town that will not go down without a fight.
Just take a look at the high school football statistics in this area for a second. In 2009, some 17 high school teams in the Mahoning Valley made it to the OHSAA Playoffs, which is a record. Yesterday, 27 members of that senior class signed with Division 1 FBS or FCS programs, which is astounding for a two county area of about 450,000 people. Per capita, that has to be the best in Ohio and perhaps in this entire country. For a shrinking area, our performance on the gridiron is quite remarkable.
In closing, Eric Wolford was absolutely right when he said we need to change the perception of this area. For far too long politicians and our lack of economic development have contributed to our label as the "Laughing Stock of Ohio." Those days need to end. With more people like Eric Wolford, there is no doubt we'll restore that sense of pride in this area that has been lacking in recent years.
Go Penguins!
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