What kind of player were you? for real, and what could be.

kelbot · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 2121 Location: Dayton, OH

I quit playing before high school. I was 5'2" going into my freshman year. Wish I would've stuck with it, I was 6'3" 2 years later. I was a pretty good passing QB. My coach complimented my accuracy a lot.

Fun story: We had a very strong 6-1 record in 7th grade on the back of a very talented RB. He was phenomonal. Considered the best in the league. Fast forward the next year, and we are 0-2 heading into a big game with our fiercest rival. They take a commanding 28-0 lead into half. As a part of a passionate halftime speech, my coach decides he is going to "play only the guys that wanted to be here". My politicing to play 2nd team defensive line in practice morphed into starting OLB for the second half of this game. Their RB, while less heralded than ours, had owned us in the first half. He wore #6 and went by AJ Hawk.....Lining up for the first play of the second half, I start thinking of the sweep play they've been running to the wide side. It's been very effective. And sure enough, they run this play. I follow the pulling guard and have a clear shot 5 yards in the backfield. This is it, I thought. I will blow this play up and change the momentum of this game. Just as #6 gets the pitch, I lower my shoulder with perfect form and prepare myself for impact. And there was impact. Of me hitting his hip and me hitting the ground. He wasn't touched again. I actually think I gave him a boost en route to his 65 yd TD.

Side note: Nugent was on this team (not that kicking is a big part of the game at that age). And Mangold was on a team we played earlier that year. Neither were memorable for me. And it wasn't until their Buckeye years that I realized who they were.

I will also take this time to say that the GWOC is the SEC of Ohio high school football. I know you St. Ign and Glenville guys will argue, but it goes deep around here. Wayne, Centerville, Trotwood, Englewood, Springfield are pumping out a TON of top tier D1 talent.
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There's always money in the banana stand

candyman93 · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 12:26 am Post subject:

NateDawg · Joined: 03 Apr 2005 Posts: 14769 Location: Hilliard

I ended up playing D-1 baseball. I was a decent football player but gave it up before High School because I didn't want to risk getting injured for the sport I had potential in. Looking back, I wish I had been more well-rounded instead of focusing just on one sport. I was burned out by the time my senior year in college rolled around.
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cthomas09 · Joined: 30 Apr 2009 Posts: 7943 Location: ohio

hornbybrown · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:42 am Post subject:

I play rugby. i made it to the level below pro rugby so I did pretty well and at that level I got to play against pro players including Dan Carter who is maybe the best to ever play rugby.

I was a winger. Kind of WR/CB as we play both sides of the ball. It was my job to score trys (TD's) and chase kicks kind of like a ST's gunner and to try and stop my oppisite frome scoring.
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NateDawg · Joined: 03 Apr 2005 Posts: 14769 Location: Hilliard

cattleman78 · Joined: 13 Oct 2005 Posts: 6432 Location: ohio

hornbybrown · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:38 am Post subject:

sparroww77 · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:29 am Post subject:

went to a small school, 84 in my graduating class so had to play what the coach's wanted me to play and was force to play Right Guard which would be fine if i wasn't 5'10 180 during football season but wrestled at 152 only chance i had was when i was pulling to get some momentum into my blocks. But i loved playing Def End had a quick first step and rip threw that tackles didn't know what was coming and a little nose guard on passing downs where i could slip between the center and guard.
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Pruitt3443 · Joined: 29 Dec 2011 Posts: 263

Good High School player, played DB and WR and returned kicks. I was a fairly smart player and had some decent speed but could not have even made a Division 3 College team had I gone on with my "career".

Of course now on the wrong side of 50 the doctor's tell me that playing football is why I have as many bad joints and other aches and pains as I do now. And while getting out of bed sometimes is a real chore, not sure I would change a thing.