Sandusky High School commit
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:55 pm
By MARK HAZELWOOD
[email protected]
Sandusky High School senior Eric Jordan was a no-brainer.
Those were the thoughts of Bowling Green State University football coaching staff after a one-day camp held for high school seniors on June 19, as they offered a s c h o l a r s h i p on the spot to the 6-foot-0 1 8 9 - p o u n d Blue Streak star. Jordan quickly accepted it with his a verbal commitment.
“I’m really excited about it,” Jordan said. “It’s just very relaxing to not have to worry about the whole college process. I can just focus on school and football. It’s already set and done. It’s a great feeling to have in early July.”
After missing his entire sophomore season with a torn ACL, Jordan ran 226 times for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns out of the Blue Streak backfield in 2007. However, he will have to make a big adjustment this year as it wasn’t the running back skills that made him a no-brainer to the Falcon coaching staff.
“I will probably play at outside linebacker and defensive back there,”Jordansaid.“Theywantme to play somewhere on defense. It’s going to be a new challenge but I should be OK with it.”
After watching Jordan become his main cog on offense a year ago, third-year Sandusky coach Mike Franklin knows things will have to change.
“When you have an athlete like him, the best way we can be successful is taking full advantage ofhisabilities,”Franklinsaid.“And he will do several more things for us this year. He is our running back, but he will also probably line up as a wide receiver and will play on the defensive side of the football.”
Jordan also attended camps at Akron, Ohio State, Ball State and Notre Dame this summer but it was after spending an hour working with the linebackers that sixth-year BG head coach Gregg Brandon pulled Franklin, who attended the camp with Jordan and his mother Angie Warren, the news.
“Hecalledmedownandsaidhe was a no-brainer as a scholarship athlete,” Franklin said. “That was a huge highlight. That certainly doesn’t happen to every kid.”
For Jordan, the teaching abilitiesoftheBowlingGreenstaff made the decision fairly easy.
“They have a real nice place, but the coaching staff really set them apart,” he said. “When I did something wrong in drills, they would stop and show me what it was I did wrong. They showed me a lot of things I could get better at.”
Franklin is excited about havingaDivisionIathletetobuild around this season, but is quick to defer the success to Jordan.
“When you have a Division I player in your program, it’s a nice piece to work with,” he said. “But it’s his hard work and dedication that has really led to this.
“Many people already know he is a tremendous athlete, but he has pushed himself to get where he is. He is a tremendous student, and when you put those two together you produce a tremendous person.”
Jordan will enter a very successful program over the past vie years, as Brandon has guided the Falcons to three bowl appearances in five seasons and has compiled a 38-24 record at the Division I school located 57 miles from Sandusky.
BG finished 8-4 a year ago in the Mid-American Conference before losing in the GMAC Bowl to Tulsa.
Meanwhile, Jordan and the Streaks are looking to get over the hump this season as the longdominant program has struggled this decade in compiling a 26-54 record since finishing 6-4 and just missing the playoffs back in 1999.
“We expect a lot of things out of ourselves,” Jordan said. “We need to take the field expecting to win games and we have several key players back on our line along with some guys who stepped up late last season.
“The only way to win is with senior leadership, and this year is real hopeful. We have a lot of new assistant coaches that are really respected in the area and Coach Franklin helps out any way he can.”
With the looming switch to playing on defense along with the usual duties and running back and special teams, Jordan will have to prepare for the season differently.
“Ican’twaittogetthisgoing,”he said. “To play both ways I know I’ll have to get in better shape. I’ll run the ball, go right over to defense and then play special teams too. I might not leave the field at all.”
And like Jordan, having him on the field at all times may also prove to be a no-brainer for the Blue Streaks this fall.
Sorry everyone, I know it's a bit wordy, but I couldn't figure out how to post a link.
[email protected]
Sandusky High School senior Eric Jordan was a no-brainer.
Those were the thoughts of Bowling Green State University football coaching staff after a one-day camp held for high school seniors on June 19, as they offered a s c h o l a r s h i p on the spot to the 6-foot-0 1 8 9 - p o u n d Blue Streak star. Jordan quickly accepted it with his a verbal commitment.
“I’m really excited about it,” Jordan said. “It’s just very relaxing to not have to worry about the whole college process. I can just focus on school and football. It’s already set and done. It’s a great feeling to have in early July.”
After missing his entire sophomore season with a torn ACL, Jordan ran 226 times for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns out of the Blue Streak backfield in 2007. However, he will have to make a big adjustment this year as it wasn’t the running back skills that made him a no-brainer to the Falcon coaching staff.
“I will probably play at outside linebacker and defensive back there,”Jordansaid.“Theywantme to play somewhere on defense. It’s going to be a new challenge but I should be OK with it.”
After watching Jordan become his main cog on offense a year ago, third-year Sandusky coach Mike Franklin knows things will have to change.
“When you have an athlete like him, the best way we can be successful is taking full advantage ofhisabilities,”Franklinsaid.“And he will do several more things for us this year. He is our running back, but he will also probably line up as a wide receiver and will play on the defensive side of the football.”
Jordan also attended camps at Akron, Ohio State, Ball State and Notre Dame this summer but it was after spending an hour working with the linebackers that sixth-year BG head coach Gregg Brandon pulled Franklin, who attended the camp with Jordan and his mother Angie Warren, the news.
“Hecalledmedownandsaidhe was a no-brainer as a scholarship athlete,” Franklin said. “That was a huge highlight. That certainly doesn’t happen to every kid.”
For Jordan, the teaching abilitiesoftheBowlingGreenstaff made the decision fairly easy.
“They have a real nice place, but the coaching staff really set them apart,” he said. “When I did something wrong in drills, they would stop and show me what it was I did wrong. They showed me a lot of things I could get better at.”
Franklin is excited about havingaDivisionIathletetobuild around this season, but is quick to defer the success to Jordan.
“When you have a Division I player in your program, it’s a nice piece to work with,” he said. “But it’s his hard work and dedication that has really led to this.
“Many people already know he is a tremendous athlete, but he has pushed himself to get where he is. He is a tremendous student, and when you put those two together you produce a tremendous person.”
Jordan will enter a very successful program over the past vie years, as Brandon has guided the Falcons to three bowl appearances in five seasons and has compiled a 38-24 record at the Division I school located 57 miles from Sandusky.
BG finished 8-4 a year ago in the Mid-American Conference before losing in the GMAC Bowl to Tulsa.
Meanwhile, Jordan and the Streaks are looking to get over the hump this season as the longdominant program has struggled this decade in compiling a 26-54 record since finishing 6-4 and just missing the playoffs back in 1999.
“We expect a lot of things out of ourselves,” Jordan said. “We need to take the field expecting to win games and we have several key players back on our line along with some guys who stepped up late last season.
“The only way to win is with senior leadership, and this year is real hopeful. We have a lot of new assistant coaches that are really respected in the area and Coach Franklin helps out any way he can.”
With the looming switch to playing on defense along with the usual duties and running back and special teams, Jordan will have to prepare for the season differently.
“Ican’twaittogetthisgoing,”he said. “To play both ways I know I’ll have to get in better shape. I’ll run the ball, go right over to defense and then play special teams too. I might not leave the field at all.”
And like Jordan, having him on the field at all times may also prove to be a no-brainer for the Blue Streaks this fall.
Sorry everyone, I know it's a bit wordy, but I couldn't figure out how to post a link.