Local kids learn from Valley football greats

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Football and the Valley basically go hand-in-hand and that was evident on Saturday for campers at Ursuline and United Local.

“To see 137 or whatever it was out here on a Saturday morning, spending 3 hours — wasn’t like they were here for just 10 minutes,” former Youngstown State and Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said. “They worked hard and the precision of the organization was amazing and just an honor to be here.”

There are plenty legendary names spread throughout the history of football in the area, but not a lot like these. At Ursuline’s skills camp here in Youngstown, former Irish and Penn State record setting quarterback Daryll Clark was back in town.

“Any time we get a chance to come back to work with some of the kids in the area as well with some of the high schoolers here at Ursuline, it’s an awesome opportunity to give back,” Clark said. “Now I’m in that seat, so to speak, it’s a privilege and anytime I have an opportunity to do it, I’m showing up to do it.”

While national championship winning coach Jim Tressel was out at United Local with over 130 kids from 15 different area schools.

“Well, if you saw all the parents and the people around here, too, wanting to hear Coach Tressel,” United head coach DJ Ogilvie said. “That that’s a celebrity on our school grounds and meant a lot to our community and you can see a lot of people stuck around just to hear him talk.”

Saturday’s events even stretched beyond that, with former Buckeye All-American and Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker Ryan Shazier checking out the Irish as well, making this day, and future practices that much easier for Ursuline head coach Dan Reardon.

“It also brings some validity to the message that we as coaches give them that they hear every day,” Reardon said. “When you’re here and hearing a different voice, someone who’s been there and done that and all those things, you know, goes a long, long way.”

It may still be a few months from real football, but it’s never too early around here.

“Having a camp out here in the middle of May and having these many kids speaks well of our communities,” Ogilvie said.

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