North Ridgeville's Jordan White was just selected 244th in the seventh round by the New York Jets.

White, set Western Michigan's single game record for receiving yards (265) and set new MAC career receiving yards (4,187), single season receiving yards (1,911) and tied for career receptions (306).

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Vermilion's Robert Lear has selected Heidelberg University to continue his education, play football and wrestle.

Lear is a three-year letter winner in football and four-year letter winner in wrestling.   

As a senior in 2011-12, Lear won the football team's Sportsmanship, Captain and Craig Reed awards and garnered the Sportsmanship Award in wrestling as a freshman in 2008-09.     

This past season, he was the West Shore Conference's heavyweight champion, qualified for the district championships and earned the Steve Mustard Award.   

As a junior in 2010-11, Lear was a second-team All-WSC performer and district alternate while earning the Captain and Baguba awards.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Avon's Ross Douglas, one of the top 2013 high school football prospects in the country, tweeted Wednesday night that he had verbally committed to Penn State.

Douglas, ranked No. 242 on Rivals.com’s Top 250 players, is the second player to commit to Penn State’s class of 2013.

Douglas also had offers from Maryland, Boston College, Tennesse and Louisville. He had 15 touchdowns as a junior and helped lead Avon to their first state football championship appearance in school history.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

North Ridgeville's Jordan White helped his NFL Draft status with 13 catches and 249 receiving yards, including a 49-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of the Pizza Bowl, as Western Michigan lost to Purdue, 37-32 on Tuesday night.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

North Ridgeville's Jordan White became the first Western Michigan football student-athlete to be named a Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American as he earned second team honors.

White was also named American Football Coaches Association All-America earlier this week and needs to be named All-America by either the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America or the Sporting News to be considered WMU's first Consensus All-American.

White joins Biletnikoff Award finalists Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma) and Robert Woods (USC) on the All-America team, leading his fellow All-America team members in every NCAA statistical category except total receiving TDs in 2011.

White is just 110 receiving yards from becoming the Mid-American Conference's career record holder and needs 125 yards to become the MAC's single-season record holder. He already owns all but three receiving records in WMU program history.

The sixth year wide receiver and the rest of the Western Michigan Broncos will take on Purdue in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl on Dec. 27 at 4:30 at Ford Field.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke and five other Baldwin-Wallace teammates were named to the 2011 Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference squad.

O’Rourke, who carries a 3.65 grade point average in education, is earning his first Academic All-OAC honor. He is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, Dean’s List and was a Capital One Academic All-District IV selection.

O’Rourke has been the starting quarterback for the past two seasons and served as one of four team captains this season. This season, he completed 129 of 221 passes for 1,611 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. O’Rourke also has rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown.

For his career, he has completed 248 of 434 passes for 57.1 percent for 3,124 yards with 28 touchdowns. O’Rourke has been twice selected as the OAC Offensive Player of the Week.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

COLUMBUS — One day during his brief haiatus from coaching, Urban Meyer admitted something to his wife, Shelley, while the couple were taking a walk.

“I don’t think I can do this,” Meyer said of being away from football coaching.
Starting today, he won’t have to. At least for the next six years.

Meyer ended his self-imposed break from coaching on Monday by agreeing to a six-year contract to become the 24th head football coach in Ohio State history.

“There’s a right time for certain leaders,” OSU athletic director Gene Smith said. “This is the right time for Urban Meyer to lead this football team ... He gets it.”

A 47-year old native of Ashtabula, and former assistant on coach Earle Bruce’s OSU staff in the 1980s, Meyer succeeds interim coach Luke Fickell, whose team finished the regular season at 6-6 with a 40-34 loss at Michigan last Saturday.

Fickell will remain on Meyer’s staff as an assistant coach, though Meyer did not divulge if he would be defensive coordinator or a postion coach.

“ESPN has been an exceptional experience,” said Meyer, who spent his off-year from coaching as an analyst for the station.

“If it wasn’t for the coaching position at The Ohio State University, I would not have coached this coming year.”

Meyer will be paid a base salary of $4 million. Additionally, he will receive supplemental compensation bonuses based on milestones, academic accomplishments for the football team and retention payments of $450,000, $750,000 and $1.2 million if Meyer is still employed as head coach on Jan. 31 of years 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Meyer stepped away from his coaching position with the Florida Gators last December, citing health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family.
As he stood at the dais in front of a jam-packed room that included the likes of former OSU linebacker Chris Spielman and Bruce, Meyer clenched in his hand a pink piece of paper — a contract drawn up by one of his daughters.

Meyer said it was a contract “my kids made me sign,” presumably to keep the balance between work and family that he went in search of when he left Florida last December.

“Health-wise, I feel great,” Meyer said, noting a health scare in 2009 that gave him time to reflect. “I feel fantastic now.”

He said he was “checked out” by doctors and also talked with his family over the Thanksgiving weekend — and promised to not go “to that place” of overexertion he ventured while coaching the Gators.

“I don’t want to be one of those guys that’s sleeping in the office, saying, ‘I missed this, I missed that,’” Meyer said. “I was proud I had balance for quite a while. I lost that near the end.”

Meyer cut his coaching teeth on Bruce’s staff as a graduate assistant from starting in 1986.

He spent two years (2001-02) at Bowling Green and two years (2003-2004) bringing the Utah football program to prominance, including a berth in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl — Utah’s first BCS bid.

He then took the Florida position where he led the Gators to the 2006 and 2008 BCS national championship games — including a 41-14 win over Ohio State in the first of the two title bouts.

“Other than those 60 minutes in Glendale,” said Meyer, where the 2006 BCS national title game was held, “I’ve always followed the Buckeyes.”

Meyer brings with him to Columbus a 104-23 (.819) career record. His teams are 7-1 in bowl games, with the lone loss coming to Michigan.

In announcing Meyer, Smith said the search committee sought “an outstanding coach and an outstanding recruiter.”

Meyer, whom Smith said was the only candidate who was interviewed and offered the job, suggested more.

“Our objective is simple,” he said. “To make the state of Ohio proud, recruit student-athletes who will win in the classroom and on the field.

“My goal right now is to put together a fantastic recruiting class and ... I think Ohio State deserves the best group of assistants in America.”

Smith said recruiting and forming his staff will be Meyer’s primary duties for the coming months. Meyer will not be part of the coaching and game-planning for any bowl game Ohio State might accept.

There are possible sanctions looming from the NCAA in the aftermath of the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal that removed former coach Jim Tressel and helped create the opening Meyer filled on Monday.

Meyer said he researched the possible bowl ban and other items, but trusts Smith and OSU president Gordon Gee that no further sanctions would be forthcoming.

Meyer admitted he had “second, third, fourth and fifth” thoughts about jumping back into the coaching fray. He said his wife and three children also had second thoughts.
But as the introductory conference, which lasted 45 minutes, wore on, he glanced over to his wife and other family members and smiled.

“This is my home state,” he said. “And it’s great to be back home.”

courtesy of John Kampf

Clearview's James Washington was tabbed as an Honorable Mention in the Ohio Athletic Conference postseason awards.

Washington led Muskingum with 738 yards and four touchdowns. His 738 receiving yards rank second all-time for a single season at Muskingum. The standout receiver ranked fifth in the OAC in receiving yards and eighth in receptions.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Clearview's Anthony Hitchens recovered a fumble in Iowa's 31-21 win over Purdue on Saturday.

Hitchens has played in six games and has recorded 22 tackles and now has a fumble recovery in his red-shirt freshman season.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

The game featured 82 points and 843 yards of total offense. With its win, Baldwin-Wallace improved to 8-2 overall and finishes second during the OAC regular season with a 7-2 record.

The victory returns the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy to B-W and Berea for the first time since 2008 and gives the Yellow Jackets a 24-23-4 all-time series lead and a 12-11 advantage in the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy series.

Tied at 14, B-W regained the lead at 21-14 as Midview graduate Josiah Holt scored on a 5-yard run to cap a 6-play and 53-yard drive in 3:20.

Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke ran 9 times for 67 yards and completed 6 of 9 passes for 87 yards.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

The second-ranked University of Mount Union football team scored a late fourth quarter touchdown to rally and defeat Baldwin-Wallace College, 25-20 on Saturday in an Ohio Athletic Conference game at Mount Union Stadium.

The Purple Raiders clinched their 20th straight OAC title, won their 61st straight regular season game and improved to 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the OAC. B-W is now 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the OAC and ends its regular season next Saturday when it hosts cross-town rival John Carroll University in the Annual Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 1:30 p.m.

Elyria’s Tyler Almeida connected on a 26-yard field goal and a 25-yarder as time expired in the second quarter to give the Purple Raiders a 6-0 lead at halftime.

Down 19-0, Midview’s Josiah Holt returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown with 4:19 left in the third quarter. The touchdown was the third career kick return score for Holt.

B-W continued to cut into the lead when junior quarterback Andrew Dziak scored on a three-yard touchdown run at 14:53 of the fourth quarter. Mohler tacked on the extra point to cut the lead to 19-14.

B-W took its first lead of the game when Dziak scored his second touchdown of the game on an one-yard dash with 5:53 left in the game. The two point conversion by Avon’s Ryan O’Rourke gave the Yellow Jackets a 20-19 advantage. The lead by the Yellow Jackets marked the first time the Purple Raiders trailed in a game since September 10, 2009 when Capital University lead the Purple Raiders 21-14 early in the fourth quarter.

The Purple Raiders won the game when Denton caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a 29-yard pass play from Piloto on a fourth down and 11-yards to go play with 2:14 remaining.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Freshman running back Rod Smith rushed for a career-high 172 yards and a school-record three touchdowns and Admiral King graduate Cameron Bryant contributed nine tackles on defense as Lake Erie College picked up its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football victory in record fashion with a 52-42 road win in a shootout over Tiffin University on Saturday at Frost-Kalnow Stadium.

The 52 points scored were the most in the Storm’s (2-8, 1-8 GLIAC) four-year varsity history, as were the five total rushing touchdowns. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for Lake Erie.

Smith and senior quarterback Sean Bedevelsky (Brunswick) each ran for two touchdowns in the first half as the Storm ran out to a 34-21 lead. The duo were part of Lake Erie’s season-high 270-yard rushing day.

Defensively for the Storm, Gus Armbruster (North Royalton) had a game-high 11 tackles, while Bryant had nine.

Vermilion graduate Mike Virgin had 11 tackles to lead Tiffin.

The Storm closes out the season next week at home on Seniors Day and Veterans Appreciation Day against Ashland University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Jack Britt Memorial Stadium.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Midview graduate Josiah Holt was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Yellow Jackets’ 75-0 victory at Wilmington College on Saturday.

The Baldwin-Wallace sophomore is a wide receiver and kickoff return specialist for the Yellow Jackets.

Holt returned the second half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. It marked his second kick return for TD in his two years with the Yellow Jackets. This season, Holt tops the Yellow Jackets in both receiving and kick returns. He has a team-high 20 catches for 220 yards and two TD’s. He also has returned eight kickoffs for a 27.6-yard average.

The victory improved B-W’s record to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the OAC.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Avon Lake’s Brian Mihalik recorded his first tackle while playing in his second game for Boston College in a game against UMass.

Mihalic was an All-Ohio Division II Second Team selection and All-Northeast District First Teamer as a defensive lineman. He also earned All-Lorain County and All-Southwestern Conference First Team honors.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Avon graduate Ryan O’Rourke was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Football Offensive Player of the Week for his performance during Baldwin-Wallace’s 35-20 home and OAC-opener victory against Heidelberg University.

This is the second time in O’Rourke’s career that he has earned the weekly honor.

O’Rourke completed 24 of 29 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He threw TD passes of four yards to freshman running back Willie Jackson, seven yards to senior wide receiver Troy Van Meter and 14 yards to Midview’s Josiah Holt.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Elyria’s Danny Noble caught a 24-yard touchdown pass from Austin Dantin to give Toledo an early lead, but the fourth-ranked team in the nation Boise State routed Toledo 40-15 on Friday night.

Quarterback Kellen Moore threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns to lead Boise State. Moore misfired on his first two throws but didn’t miss many after that, connecting on 32 of 42 passes.

It looked for a while as if Toledo (1-2) might give Boise State a scare just six days after the Rockets came within a play or two of knocking off No. 17 Ohio State. But the Rockets couldn’t stop Moore.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

No. 22-ranked Michigan Tech scored the first 27 points of the game before halftime and never looked back on its way to a 41-10 GLIAC football victory over Lake Erie at Sherman Field.

Admiral King graduate Cameron Bryant had three tackles and recovered a fumble in the loss.

Lake Erie (1-1) will host Saginaw Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Oberlin’s Hugh Thornton paved the way for freshman running back Donovonn Young, who ran for a pair of touchdowns, while Nathan Scheelhaase ran for two more on Saturday in a 56-3 blowout over South Dakota State.

Illinois hadn’t won this big since 1944, in a 79-6 crushing of Illinois-Normal played in front of 5,000 fans.

The 42,000 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday saw the Illini (2-0) score on seven consecutive drives between their first possession early in the opening quarter and a punt with 22 seconds left in the third, when they were already up by a comfy 46 points.

Illinois rolled up 519 yards of offense and allowed the Jackrabbits (1-1) just 96.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Iowa raced to a 10-point first-half lead, but couldn’t hold on Saturday during a 44-41 loss in three overtimes against Iowa State in front of 56,085, the second-largest crowd in Jack Trice Stadium history.

Iowa State improved to 2-0 and overcame three fumbles, two missed field goals and 11 penalties.

Iowa is 1-1, losing for the first time in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series since 2007.

Clearview graduate Anthony Hitchens recorded four tackles in the loss.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

Elyria’s Danny Noble could only nab one catch, a 13-yard reception, as Toledo stood toe to toe with heavily favored Ohio State in front of 105,016 in Ohio Stadium.

The Buckeyes prevailed, 27-22, holding on as Toledo failed to complete a fourth-down pass on OSU’s 16-yard line with just 48 seconds to play.

The Rockets (1-1, 0-0 MAC) have six days to prepare for No. 4 Boise State at the Glass Bowl on Friday.

swalker@MorningJournal.com