My Unexpected Path to Broadcasting

Whenever I meet someone new, or even longtime family friends, they always ask me what I want to do with my life. When I respond with broadcasting, they immediately ask me where that came from or how I ever decided I wanted to go away from the status quo of a 'normal' job, if you could say that.

Truth it, I knew I wanted to go into sports broadcasting at a very young age. My family tells me stories of when I was three or four years old reciting every NASCAR driver and their car number or watching Tigers baseball games, Red Wings hockey games, and Lions football games with my family. When I was a kid (I think everyone is like this), I went back and forth between becoming an artist (which I was awful at), a meteorologist (who at the time was afraid of storms), a massage therapist, and several other strange career choices.

Then, one day I was in sixth or seventh grade and my cousin called me asking if I'd like to be on his friend's sports radio show at Central Michigan University and their on-campus radio station to talk about the Detroit Tigers. I obviously accepted and loved every second of talking sports, which is when I decided I had to work towards a career at it. For the next two years, I had no idea how to get a jump start on my career, especially being in just eighth grade. Little did I know the unexpected journey I'd be on towards gaining experience in my field.


One spring day on April 26, 2011, I was standing outside with my dad and little sister watching storms roll in which is a frequent occurrence with a father who loves thunderstorms. But this storm was different. I remember seeing a funnel cloud, my dad pointing it out and urging it to drop to form a tornado, since my dad's dream is to chase them out west. Well, he got his wish. A few seconds later, we watched a small twister turn over 27th street in my hometown of New Salem, Michigan bringing debris with it and throwing it wherever it pleased. I watched in awe and fear as my dad anxiously waited while it approached our field and near our house.

Immediately, I grabbed my little sister and darted for the basement and after a few minutes, we stepped back upstairs to see my dad in the field watching it head northeast towards our general store. At that moment, my dad yelled at me from across the field and told me to call the news, so I did. First, I attempted to call WOODTV8 in Grand Rapids, our NBC affiliate but the lines were busy for several minutes due to the storms in the area. That's when I turned to WXMI-Fox 17 in Grand Rapids and within seconds, they answered my call. I pleaded my case for what we saw, which was in fact a tornado, their operator got my name, address and phone number saying they'd be at our house in about twenty minutes. Sure enough, the Fox 17 Jeep pulled into our driveway and the reporter interviewed my dad. As cool as I thought that was, I was more focused on how the cameraman and what the reporter was doing since that was the path I wanted to go with my life.

Following the interview, the reporter spoke to my mom as they looked my way before the Jeep finally drove off. Minutes later, I asked my mom what they were talking about, but her answer was nothing. The next week while I was in my freshman English class at Hopkins High School, I received a note saying my mom would be picking me up early, which was something she had never really done before. Assuming I had an appointment, I went to meet my mom in the high school office. As soon as we were in the car, she explained to me that I was going to Fox 17 for a job shadow and had been invited to their studio to see how everything worked.

After about a half hour drive or so to Plainfield Avenue in Grand Rapids, I had arrived to Fox 17 and was in complete shock. The first person I met was Steve Amorose, the sports anchor, who I had watched on television nearly every evening. He explained to me that he was sending me with Kent Wassink, their sports cameraman and I would be going to a Hudsonville High School softball game and a West Michigan Whitecaps game to watch him work and what not. From there, my mom stayed behind as I hopped in the Fox jeep with Kent and the crew to our two destinations. Following our evening of shooting simple highlights and Kent explaining how everything worked, I was in shock and knew this was what I wanted to do. Not only that, but I was given a studio tour following our arrival back to the station. Seeing behind the scenes of a newscast was something that caught my eye and something I never imagined doing.

After several thank you's and photos, I left the station and immediately asked my mom how to do it again. I went home later that night and emailed all four news stations in my area asking how to get experience and if I could "intern" with them for the summer or fall.

However, due to my age and only being fifteen years old, I was shot down after all of the stations told me I needed to be a college junior or senior, obviously, to receive credit. WOODTV8 was nice enough to offer me a job shadow with them, which I obviously accepted and got a chance to follow their sports director, Jack Doles around for an evening, seeing their studio as well. Still, I knew I wanted to help out or at least watch them night in and night out.

Weeks later, as high school football season approached, I woke up to an email from Ms. Tara Hernandez at Fox 17 saying that I could come back to their station for a night of High School Football and the Football Frenzy, which is their Friday night show. So the first Friday of the 2011 High School Football season, I arrived at Fox 17 and was ready to learn, which is when I walked in to Tara Hernandez at her desk as she told me I'd be riding around with Mr. Chris Poturalski, one of their Friday night cameramen and a very important news guy at the station as well. Following that week of High School Football, which was one of the craziest nights of my young life just seeing how much goes into the show and what not, I was asked to return and was given "internship" papers. However, it wasn't truly an internship since I wasn't in college, but I was Friday night help.

After helping out the entire High School Football season with simple things like grabbing rosters, holding the microphone for interviews, and editing their score ticker at the bottom of the screen, I was given the opportunity to help out with some college basketball. Between playing high school basketball myself, I struggled to find time to help out. Going forward, in the High School Football season of 2012, I had an increased role and also had a car so I didn't need to be brought to the station on Friday nights. After several weeks of football, I was asked if I'd like to attend a few Detroit Lions football games with Fox 17 as a media member. Completely in shock, I obviously accepted and covered four games in the 2012 Lions season and had a chance to hold a microphone next to Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Jim Schwartz and several others throughout the season while also shooting some on the field stand-ups and demos after the game.

Now, with technically five years of television experience, I've learned so much and met so many incredible people that I can't say enough about. I owe so many thank you's to everyone who has helped me reach this point. I am now twenty years old, I've traveled for a summer in Rochester, Minnesota and have shot, edited, produced, and scripted several 'Northwoods League Now' shows on Fox Sports North and Wisconsin and have done the same for our pregame shows. Not only that, but things are really going well for me at Buckeye Cable Sports Network in Toledo as I have begun doing audio, studio camera work, ENG shooting and editing as well as on-camera play-by-play.


What I'm getting at is I can't believe the journey I've been on. I haven't done anything special; I'm not overly smart and not overly talented, but I've been dealt some insanely lucky and timely hands and have met some of the best people this world has to offer and for that, I thank the Lord and everyone who has helped me along the way, you know who you are.

This journey has consisted of sleepless nights, insane amounts of stress, time away from my family, and a loss of a few friends since I, "grew up too quickly" or "changed," but I wouldn't trade that for the world. Everything granted to me has been a blessing, I've been given several outstanding opportunities that I wish to thank you all for and all of your support has only helped me along this insane journey. As I continue to grow and mature and graduate college within the next two years, I'll never forget those that have helped me along the way and will never forget that little tornado that went through my hometown which has led to this dream chase.


So THAT is how the small EF-0 tornado helped change my life as I continue towards my goal of reaching the peak of sports broadcasting.

Toledo Football Recruiting Update

TOLEDO RECRUITING CLASS NOT FULL YET -- WHO TO WATCH FOR:

THANKS FOR READING! 14,000 PAGE VIEWS!

BY: ZACH HARIG (@ToledoZach on Twitter) -- January 28, 2016

The Candle era is underway.

The 2016 recruiting class has been shaping up well for the Toledo Rockets as of late, but inside of one week until signing day, Power Five schools are looking to fill their recruiting classes with MAC-level commits, which is part of college football. In recent years, Toledo has been plagued by bigger programs stealing commits just days before signing day. In the 2014 class, it was an incoming phenom out of Ithaca, Mich. named Travis Smith. Many thought the four-time MHSAA State Champion could come into The Glass City and compete for the starting job right away.

Instead, former Bowling Green head coach, Dave Clawson, called Smith just days before National Signing Day and reportedly promised him the starting quarterback job for all four years at Wake Forest. Ultimately, Smith would decommit from Toledo and commit to the Demon Deacons. Just months later in fall camp, Smith was beat out for the starting job by a fellow true-freshman and would transfer to Eastern Michigan, before deciding to transfer from Eastern Michigan just months later once again and the list doesn't end there.

Last year, in the Class of 2015, Fort Wayne, Ind. defensive back, Jessie Bates was prized as one of the best commits in Toledo's class. However, once again, Clawson offered Bates just days before National Signing Day and the then-Toledo commit would flip his fax to the Deacons. Bates would not play in the 2015-16 season as a true-freshman.

Miami, Fla. product Jamal Hudson, who decommitted from
Toledo earlier this week. Photo Courtesy: 247Sports.

Once again, like prior years, the Rockets have had two decommitments in the previous week as Miami, Fla. defensive back, Jamal Hudson and Pittsburgh, Penn. linebacker, Ron George have decided against Toledo. Hudson tells me he will decide between Air Force, Appalachian State, and Florida Atlantic most likely on National Signing Day.

From the day Hudson "committed" to Toledo on December 31, there have been doubters on if he truly wanted to play in The Glass City. In fact, one anonymous commit told me that he could tell on their official visit that Hudson didn't want to play in Toledo and had a stand-offish approach to him.

George on the other hand, a three-star linebacker and one of the top commits, at the time, in Toledo's class, decided to make a lateral flip. After visiting Western Michigan on January 22, George informed the Toledo coaching staff and a few commits that he would become a Bronco rather than a Rocket.

"Western Michigan was a better fit for me as a player and as a person," George told me, "My family loved it. I feel like I can play anywhere in the country but the off-the-field benefits played a major role (in flipping commitments). The things they teach you about life and how to become a better man are just remarkable to say the least," George continued on his commitment to Fleck and the Broncos.

Newest Toledo commit, Tre'Shun Wilson.

So what's next after losing two solid commits? Those questions are slowly but surely finding answers prior to Wednesday. On Thursday, Toledo received a commitment from Tre'Shun Wilson out of Montgomery, Alabama. Wilson is a freak athlete at the linebacker position, standing 6'1", nearly 200-pounds with a 4.53 40-yard dash. Other than the physical attributes, Wilson has had a stressful recruiting period to say the least. The Alabama native had offers from Colorado State, Alabama A&M, and Delaware State but when Wilson went to take visits, the coaching staffs informed him that they were full and that he would be placed on hold. That is, until Coach Jason Candle and the Rockets called. Wilson will visit Northwest Ohio for the first time on the weekend of January 29.

"Toledo never left me hanging," Wilson told me, "Coach Ricky (Ciccone - new Director of High School Relations) never left me hanging, even though they didn't offer me (at the time), he would still always check up on me."

With Wilson's commitment, he becomes the first true linebacker in the Class of 2016 for the Rockets after George's decommitment.

At defensive back, the Rockets have turned to a junior college product in Baltimore native, Darren Kelley. The 6'1", 200-pound safety is a dangerous ball-hawking athlete who registered a 34-inch vertical two years ago at Potomac high school in Maryland.

"My top three are Northern Iowa, North Dakota State and Toledo," Kelley told me, "I turned down offers from other FBS schools because of the quality of UNI and NDSU. I visited UNI last week, got back from Toledo yesterday (the 27th), and I'll be at NDSU on the 29th."

Darren Kelley on his official visit to Toledo.

One thing working in Toledo's favor is the relationship between Kelley and new cornerbacks coach at Toledo, Cory Robinson.

"My visit at Toledo was awesome, Coach Cory and I have a great relationship, I knew him before he even got to Toledo. He's basically a legend in Baltimore because he's had his hand in the success of many inner-city athletes that probably would not be where they are today without him. He trains defensive backs in the DMV area and that's how I knew him before Toledo offered me."

Coach Candle made a difference during Kelley's visit, but his wife, Nicole, also helped in on Kelley's visit. "Coach Candle's wife gave me some insight regarding my business major and nursing minor, the alum at UT and the professors."

Kelley also stated that Toledo is his favorite but he does have one more visit to take, which will be to North Dakota State this weekend. "I will make my decision on Monday or Tuesday, I feel that it's more professional to let coaches know I will or will not be signing before signing day."

Due to the relationship between Kelley and Coach Robinson as well as the player connection between him and his visit hosts, Kennedy Frazier and Delando Johnson, I'd say Toledo is a certain landing spot for Kelley's services. Another added benefit is that Kelley has three seasons of eligibility remaining, rather than just two, like several JUCO products.


In recruiting, the "Athlete" position can be quite confusing. For those that don't know, an Athlete is exactly what it sounds like, someone that can do anything, play anywhere, and make plays. Jacksonville, Fla. product, Jacquez Williams is the definition of the term, "Athlete."

Jacksonville, Fla. product, Jacquez Williams.

"I'm a receiver, I can play slot, I play cornerback and safety, I'm pretty much everywhere," joked Williams. Despite the versatility of Williams, Toledo is recruiting him as a cornerback. Williams will officially visit Toledo the weekend of the 29th of January but one interesting aspect to him is that the Rockets have yet to offer.

"I have offers from Marshall, Western Kentucky, Charlotte and UMass but Toledo is one of my dream schools and I'd commit on the spot," he told me. Wow, high praise for a player with some notable offers to his name already but Toledo would be fortunate to have a ball-hawk like Williams. Coach Ricky Ciccone setup Williams' official visit while head coach, Jason Candle has been contacting him for the over the past week or so.

The question isn't if Williams will choose Toledo, the question is will Williams receive an offer during his official visit to Northwest Ohio?


Let's now turn to the offensive side of the ball. As Rocket Nation knows, Toledo has had one of the most dynamic offenses in all of College Football for the past five or so seasons, especially under the offensive coordination of Jason Candle. People always say, "Players make coaches, coaches don't make players," which could be true to an extent but Jason Candle was able to bring in an extremely high quality signal-caller on January 25.

Columbia, Tennessee native, Tylin Oden was on Toledo's campus this week for the men's basketball game against Ohio, a campus tour, and much more. Oden is a 6'5", 190-pound somewhat dual-threat quarterback that would fit absolutely seamlessly in Candle's up-tempo offense.

Quarterback, Tylin Oden, who has recently committed to
Rutgers. Photo Courtesy: Spring Hill Homepage.

"I give my visit to Toledo an A+ and I give that for reasons beyond just football too," Oden told me, "What I liked most was about it was how nice and respectful everyone was on my visit."

Despite the 'A+' visit to Northwest Ohio, Oden found himself with some offers that he couldn't pass up. In fact, Oden held interest from several Power Five programs, including interest from Oklahoma State and South Carolina plus an offer from Rutgers, where he would later commit on January 27.

"My family and I just really liked what Rutgers had to offer me," Oden continued on his commitment to new head coach, Chris Ash and the Scarlet Knights. Oden will have an opportunity to compete for playing time right off the bat in New Jersey but was called, "One of Toledo's most important visitors they've ever had on campus," by several die-hard Rocket fans, it could be a stretch, but Oden would have been a tremendous fit with Candle and Toledo, especially since the Rockets are without a true quarterback in the 2016 class as of right now.

The Blur, Calvin Jackson Jr.

Turning now to wide receiver, there has been a lot of hype around Pamprano Beach, Fla. wide receiver, Calvin Jackson Jr., or 'The Blur' as we refer to him as. Jackson tells me he will decide between Akron, Iowa State and Toledo and says the Rockets are, "Considered high on my chart." The three-star speedster fits the mold of a Bernard Reedy or current wide out, Corey Jones. Jackson has the ability to catch screen passes and take them the distance, hence the nickname, 'Blur.' Jackson also tells me he will most likely make his decision on Sunday or Monday but there's a chance it could be a National Signing Day decision. Jackson did not comment on his visits to Iowa State or Toledo.



I'll be LIVE from the Larimer Athletic Complex at The University of Toledo to cover the National Signing Day press conference. I'll be there beginning at 1:00 pm with the press conference beginning at 2:00 pm featuring a fan event at 5:30 pm. Follow me on Twitter for updates! @ToledoZach

Get to Know the Future of Toledo Rocket Football

GET TO KNOW THE CLASS OF 2016 -- TOLEDO COMMITS THUS FAR

By: Zach Harig -- @ToledoZach on Twitter

RB - SHAKIF SEYMOUR 

Cleveland, Ohio

High School: Holy Name

Committed to Toledo: May 22, 2015

Offers: Bowling Green, Miami (OH), Western Michigan, Kent State, Old Dominion, Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Toledo and more.

Caliber: Rivals -- 3-star       247Sports -- 2-star

Senior Season Stats: 1,065 yards, 16 touchdowns just over four games before being injured.

Recruited to Toledo by: Former head coach Matt Campbell and current runningbacks coach, Anthony Johnson.

Expectations: "My expectations are to come in and do whatever it takes to help the team. I really hope people look back and say this is the best recruiting class to ever come through Toledo."

Models Game After: Pittsburgh Steelers runningback, Le'Veon Bell.

Will Major In: Business.

DE - EDRICK MATHEWS II

Detroit, Mich.

High School: Cass Technical

Committed to Toledo: September 4, 2015

Offers: Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Iowa State and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star      247Sports -- 2-star

Senior Season Stats: 73 tackles, 14 sacks, 34 tackles for loss, forced fumble.

Recruited to Toledo by: Matt Campbell staff.

Expectations: "To work hard and win championships while earning my degree. My expectations are the the Class of 2016 will come in and try to fight for some starting jobs and for as much playing time as we can get. I also expect us to be one of the best recruiting classes to ever come through Toledo."

Reason for Choosing Toledo: "I felt like I belong there and the educational opportunities I could have at school."

Models Game After: Nobody.

Will Major In: Communications & Broadcasting.

DB - ALONZO MCCOY

Redford, Mich.

High School: Lee M. Thurston

Committed to Toledo: 

March 21, 2015

Offers: Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Temple, Navy, Army, Ohio, Central Michigan, Buffalo and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star     247Sports -- 3-star

Senior Season Stats -- Offense (QB/RB/WR): 23 touchdowns, over 2,000 total yards.

Defense: 83 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 5 tackles for loss.

Special Teams: 2 kick return touchdowns.

Recruited to Toledo by: Former cornerbacks coach, D.K. McDonald.

Expectations: "I expect to come in and make a big impact right away while getting my degree and creating a positive future for myself. When people look back in four years, I hope they will say that this was the best recruiting class to ever come through Toledo."

Models Game After: Darrelle Revis and Tyrann Mathieu but I like to learn from everybody.

TE - KEIDREN DAVIS

Grand Rapids, Mich.

High School: Grand Rapids Union

Committed to Toledo: June 27, 2015 

Offers: Duke, Air Force, Ball State, Davenport University, and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star     247Sports -- No Rating

Recruited to Toledo by: Wide Receivers Coach, Derek Sage along with former tight ends coach, Bryan Gasser.

Expectations: "I trust in Coach Robby Discher and Coach Sage to mold me into the player I'm meant to be, I would love to play in the NFL one day but for the next four years, I intend to contribute any way I can to win ball games. I feel like I can bring a lot of versatility to the tight end, especially in the pass game. As a team, I see a lot of success and wins in our future."

Quotes: "It was love at first sight. I met Coach Sage at the Michigan State camp and ended up coming to the Toledo camp after I was offered. I took a few visits after and loved the campus, I could actually see myself there for the up and coming years. The facilities were crazy and the coaching was phenomenal! I feel confident I will reach my full potential at Toledo. I met all the new staff and it was a rocky coaching change but I'm still 100% on board with Jason Candle and the Rockets, I really can't wait to play for him."

Will Major In: Undecided.

WR - NERU N'SHAKA 

Hallandale Beach, Florida

High School: Hallandale

Committed to Toledo:

December 19, 2015

Offers: Virginia, Marshall, Bowling Green, Florida International and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 3-star       247Sports -- 3-star

Recruited to Toledo by: Jason Candle

Expectations & Quotes: "I'm expected to come in and make a HUGE impact. Toledo is the best fit for me and we expect nothing but MAC Championships."

Models Game After: Tavon Austin.

Will Major In: Undecided.

DE - TUZAR SKIPPER 

Norwich, Conn.

High School: Norwich Free Academy

Junior College: Monroe College 

New Rochelle, NY

Committed to Toledo: December 17, 2015

Offers: Florida International, Rhode Island, Idaho, Norfolk State, Bethune-Cookman and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star       247Sports -- 2-star

Sophomore Season Stats (JUCO): 30 tackles, 7.5 sacks, blocked punt, blocked field goal.

Recruited to Toledo by: Ricky Ciconne, new Director of High School Relations.

Expectations: "My expectation is to enjoy my time here in Toledo, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it."

Quotes: "The coaches are great and the guys here are some dogs on the field. Also, this school takes academics just as serious as football, they want you to finish with a degree."

*Two years of eligibility remaining.*

TE - NATE SWART 

Washington, Penn.

High School: Washington

Committed to Toledo: March 27, 2015

Offers: Youngstown State and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star          247Sports -- 2-star

Senior Season Stats (Offense): 8 catches, 225 yards, 3 touchdowns.

(Defense): 50 tackles, 4 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss.

Recruited to Toledo by: Jason Candle

Expectations: "I'm expecting to work my ass off right out of the gate."

Will Major In: Accounting.

Models Game After: Pittsburgh Steelers Heath Miller.

DB - DEDARALLO BLUE 

Seffner, Florida

High School: Armwood

Committed to Toledo: January 8, 2015

Offers: Iowa State, North Dakota State and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 3-star        247Sports -- 3-star

Senior Season Stats: 90 tackles, 66 solo, 13 tackles for a loss, 16 sacks, 1 interception.

Recruited to Toledo by: Jason Candle.

Expectations: "The 2016 class is full of hard workers. In four years, I want to be a graduate with a college diploma and play at the next level."

Models Game After: "I feel like the way I play is one of a kind, nobody plays like me, but I like to learn from Sean Taylor."

Will Major In: Communication & Arts.

OL - LUKE DOERGER 

Cincinnati, Ohio

High School: LaSalle

Committed to Toledo:

July 23, 2015

Offers: Akron, Buffalo, Miami (OH), Ohio, Marshall, James Madison, Holy Cross, Army, Navy, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Iowa State and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star          247Sports -- 2-star

Stats: Started every game from freshman through senior year -- 50 consecutive starts at LaSalle High School.

Recruited to Toledo by: Began being recruited freshman year of high school by now-former offensive line coach, Tom Manning and head coach Matt Campbell. Since the change, Doerger's main recruiter has been new offensive line coach, Mike Hallett.

Expectations: "My hopes for myself at the University of Toledo include receiving my masters degree in Engineering and developing in all aspects of my life (academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually) to become the best version of myself I can be. As far as the team goes, I expect nothing less than to continue Toledo's tradition and progression of excellence on and off of the field."

Quotes: "What I like about my class is that they are a good group of young men. None of them have very large egos, they are all hard-working team players and we've already established somewhat of a brotherhood among ourselves which will set us up for success."

Models Game After: "One NFL player I try to model after is JJ Watt. Though there is the obvious difference between offensive line and defensive line, there are some main character attributes which are key to both sides of the ball. These of which Mr. Watt holds are humility, discipline, tenacity, and an unparalleled passion for the game."

Will Major In: Mechanical or Industrial Engineering.

LB - RON GEORGE 

Pittsburgh, Penn.

High School: Central Catholic

Committed to Toledo: December 25, 2015

Offers: Temple, Western Michigan, Old Dominion, Miami (OH), Bowling Green, Virginia, Youngstown State and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star      247Sports -- 3-star

Senior Season Stats: over 60 tackles.

Recruited to Toledo by: Former head coach, Matt Campbell, former linebackers coach, Tyson Veidt and Jason Candle. Fellow Toledo commit, Ronnie Jones also recruited George.

Expectations: "Of course I expect a MAC Championship, win all of our bowl games and make non-believers into believers."

Models Game After: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Ryan Shazier.

Will Major In: Criminal Justice or Business.

DL - WILLIE ROSS

Ravenna, Ohio

High School: Ravenna

Committed to Toledo: May 7, 2015

Offers: Akron, Kent State and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- N/A      247Sports -- 2-star

Season Season Stats (Offense): 611 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns. (Defense): 69 tackles, 37 solo, 10 sacks, 12 hurries, 12 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles.

Recruited to Toledo by: Former offensive line coach Tom Manning.

Expectations: "As a team goal, I just want to have a successful season but as an individual my goal is to first make sure I grow a relationship with each player and coach. Another goal is to be a starter and not red-shirted. I also want to push myself to my full potential on the field and in the classroom."

Models Game After: Ndamukong Suh.

Will Major In: Something in the medical field.

WR - OBI ANUNIKE 

Lewis Center, Ohio

High School: Olentangy

Committed to Toledo: June 27, 2015

Offers: Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Davidson and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 3-star         247Sports -- N/A

Senior Season Stats: 60 catches, 850 yards, 11 touchdowns.

Recruited to Toledo by: Former recruiting coordinator, Tyson Veidt.

Expectations: "I expect nothing less than four MAC titles at Toledo because of how much I believe in Coach Candle."

Models Game After: "Demarius Thomas is my favorite wide receiver but I look up to my brother, who is a defensive end with the Denver Broncos, Kenny Anunike."

Will Major In: Medicine.

ATH - BILLY KISNER 

Pittsburgh, Penn.

High School: Penn Hills

Committed to Toledo: March 28, 2015

Recruitment: "I was recruited to Toledo as an Athlete but Coach Candle said I'll be mainly offense and kick/punt return."

Offers: Pittsburgh, James Madison, Albany and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star      247Sports -- 2-star

Senior Season Stats: Over 1,000 All-Purpose yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 3 passing touchdowns, played in just five of team's ten games due to injury.

Recruited to Toledo by: Jason Candle.

Expectations: "My expectations for myself and for the team is to be a team captain and lead by example both on and off the field and in the community. I expect nothing less than First-Team All-Conference because of how hard I'll work."

Models Game After: "I probably model my game after a Charles Woodson or Deion Sanders athletically but off of the field conduct myself like Russell Wilson. On the field, I have fun like Cam Newton."

Will Major In: Criminal Justice or Education.

RB - RONNIE JONES 

Pittsburgh, Penn.

High School: Central Catholic

Committed to Toledo: March 28, 2015

Offers: Fordham, Kent State, Buffalo and Toledo.

Caliber: Rivals -- 2-star         247Sports -- 2-star

Senior Season Stats: 1,889 all-purpose yards, 21 touchdowns.

Recruited to Toledo by: Jason Candle.

Expectations: "My expectations at UT are to just have fun, play good football, and focus on my education. Ultimately, I want to lead myself to a good path of success."

Models Game After: Utah runningback, Devontae Booker.

Will Major In: Business.

P - ZACH HOOVER (PWO)

Toledo, Ohio

High School: Toledo Central Catholic

Committed to Toledo:
August 11, 2015

Offers: Preferred Walk-On to Syracuse, Preferred Walk-On to Iowa State and Preferred Walk-On to Toledo.

Caliber: Kohl's Kicking -- 4.5 Stars (of 5)

Senior Season Stats: 55 punts, 42.2 average, 28 punts inside the 20-yard line, 12 inside the 10-yard line, 2 60+ yard punts. First-team All-Ohio, First-team All-District.

Recruited to Toledo by: Former tight ends coach Bryan Gasser and former head coach, Matt Campbell.

Expectations: "I want people to say, 'That was the top recruiting class in Toledo's history' when they look back. I definitely feel we have the athletes to be that and I feel we're coming in with high expectations and I know we can meet them all."

Quotes: "I love Toledo, I love the coaching, even with the changes, and I especially like what I know about the new special teams coordinator (Robby Discher). I really like all of the guys coming into this class with me and I think Toledo is on the rise and will continue being in the Top-25. I think it will be really cool to stay home and do what every kid dreams of, which is to play college ball, and being able to do that in my hometown will be really special."

Models Game After: "I take bits and pieces from all NFL guys, but I have worked out with former Dolphins punter, Brandon Fields, he is known around Toledo and is a graduate of St. John's Jesuit."

Will Major In: General Business.





ARTICLE NOTES:

• Toledo verbal commit DB Jamal Hudson (Miami, FL) declined comment for this article.
• Toledo verbal commit ATH James Jackson (Pittsburgh, PA) did not respond for the article.
• Toledo verbal commit DB Jordan Williams (Pflugerville, TX) could not be reached for the article.
• Toledo verbal commit DB Justin Clark (Bloomfield, MI) could not be reached for the article.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NATIONAL SIGNING DAY NEWS WILL BE COMING! TALK TOLEDO FOOTBALL WITH ZACH ON TWITTER: @ToledoZach 

A Monumental Weekend Coming for Toledo Football

Toledo commit, Neru N'Shaka highlights
the visitors on official visits this weekend.

By: Zach Harig -- January 14, 2016
Now that the recruiting dead period is over, coaches are now available to meet with recruits face-to-face again, whether that be via in-home visits or official college campus visits. For Toledo, this weekend will be extremely important for the 2016 recruiting class. Nineteen recruits are slatted to visit Northwest Ohio on the January 15th weekend. Of those nineteen, at least twelve are committed to The University of Toledo. Aside from that, The Sunshine State will be well-represented in the Glass City this weekend with five recruits out of the state of Florida.


Desmond Phillips, a 3-star athlete that is an early enrollee this semester with the Rockets, could also help sway Florida-natives towards the Rockets since he is already on campus as a Miami native.

TOLEDO COMMITS VISITING:
- WR Obi Anunike (Lewis Center, Ohio / 6'4", 205 pounds) -- COMMITTED 6/27/2015
- DB Justin Clark (West Bloomfield, Mich. / 5'10", 165 pounds) -- COMMITTED 6/30/2015
- LB Ron George (Pittsburgh, Penn. / 6'2", 200 pounds) -- COMMITTED 12/25/2015
- DT David Hood (Miami, Fla. / 6'1", 265 pounds) -- COMMITTED 5/26/2015
- DB Jamal Hudson (Miami, Fla. / 6'0", 185 pounds) -- COMMITTED 12/31/2015
- RB Ronnie Jones (Pittsburgh, Penn. / 6'1", 185 pounds) -- COMMITTED 3/28/2015
- DB Alonzo McCoy (Redford, Mich. / 5'10", 180 pounds) -- COMMITTED 3/21/2015
- WR Neru N'Shaka (Hallandale, Fla. / 5'10", 180 pounds) -- COMMITTED 12/19/2015
- TE Nate Swart (Washington, Penn. / 6'5", 225 pounds) -- COMMITTED 3/27/2015
- DB Jordan Williams (Pfleugerville, Texas / 5'10", 175 pounds) -- COMMITTED 7/24/2015
- DB Dedarallo Blue (Seffner, Fla. / 5'9", 180 pounds) -- COMMITTED 1/8/2015
- RB Shakif Seymour (Cleveland, Ohio / 6'0", 205 pounds) -- COMMITTED 5/22/2015
- OG Luke Doerger (Cincinnati, Ohio / 6'3", 300 pounds) -- COMMITTED 7/23/2015
- RB/FB Willie Ross (Ravenna, Ohio / 6'2", 245 pounds) -- COMMITTED 5/7/2015
- DB Zach Ford (Cleveland, Ohio / 6'3", 180 pounds) -- COMMITTED 6/30/2015
- TE Keidren Davis (Grand Rapids, Mich. / 6'5", 215 pounds) -- COMMITTED 6/27/2015

UNCOMMITTED RECRUITS VISITING:
- ATH Marquis Smith (Ypsilanti, Mich. / 6'0", 170 pounds) -- Considering: Toledo, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Syracuse, Kansas.
- WR Calvin Jackson (Pampano Beach, Fla. / 5'9", 160 pounds) -- Considering: Toledo, Iowa State, Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, Florida International

TOLEDO COMMITS NOT VISITING THIS WEEKEND:
- WR Jalen Martin (Harper Woods, Mich. / 6'3", 200 pounds) -- Iowa State visit this weekend, will likely visit Toledo officially on 1/22 or 1/29.
- ATH Billy Kisner (Pittsburgh, Penn. / 6'0", 200 pounds) -- Appointments this weekend, will visit 1/29/2016.
- ATH James Jackson (Pittsburgh, Penn. / 6'2", 175 pounds)
- DL Edrick Mathews (Detroit, Mich. / 6'4", 270 pounds)

TOLEDO COMMITS ALREADY ON CAMPUS:
- DE Tuzar Skipper (Bronx, NY (JUCO) / 6'4", 245 pounds) -- Signed Letter of Intent with Toledo.
- ATH Desmond Phillips (Miami, Fla. / 6'1", 190 pounds) -- Enrolled Early

Dedarallo Blue (Seffner, Fla.) chose
Toledo over Iowa State.

As you can see, there's a lot to take in with official visits this upcoming weekend. The Toledo staff will be looking for a couple of more commitments, as will the current Toledo commits.

"There will be a few other guys that are uncommitted that I'll be after this weekend," outside linebacker, Ron George stated, "Tymar Sutton and Aaron Mathews are two guys I'm after specifically though."

"I'm very excited about this weekend," runningback commit, Shakif Seymour, told me, "I get to see the other boys that are committed and I get to see the coaches which is always fun."

Especially for the Florida natives and Jordan Williams, of Texas, this is the first time they really get a glimpse of Toledo. Even someone like Alonzo McCoy, who is only about an hour from the Glass City, said he's excited to get acclimated to his new home, "I'm most excited to be able to hang with my new family and to get a few for my new home at Toledo."

Jason Candle is off to an extremely
hot start on the recruiting trail.

Toledo's 2016 class has a lot of pride between the current commits, especially when it comes to the Midnight Blue & Gold. "Get ready to win this MAC Championship," defensive back, Alonzo McCoy added in my interview with him. Ron George also added, "Our class can't wait to get up there and get straight to business. Our goal is the MAC Championship and anything less than that is unacceptable. Speaking for myself, I know I've been putting in work this off-season and I can't wait to get up there and leave it all out on the field."

There will also be a few more visitors this weekend from the preferred walk-on commits. Guys like Toledo Central Catholic punter, Zach Hoover, "Since I'm a preferred walk-on, I can't really do much because they can't pay for anything but I'll probably meet up with the guys since I live here."

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, this weekend will be extremely monumental for the Rockets recruiting class. Currently, the Rockets have the second-best recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference, only behind the Broncos of Western Michigan, but that could likely change before National Signing Day with the few uncommitted recruits visiting Toledo this weekend.

What a start to Jason Candle's tenure at Toledo, huh? In just the first month, Candle has hit the ground running as far as recruiting is concerned and even managed to steal a couple of recruits from the jaws of Iowa State and former head coach, Matt Campbell. One recruit that chose Toledo over the Cyclones was cornerback, Dedarallo Blue who is a three-star by most agencies and will be on campus this weekend for his official visit. The Candle tenure is already lit.


I'll keep you posted on the latest Toledo Recruiting and Football news via Twitter: @ToledoZach

A Toledo Football Coaching Staff Update

JASON CANDLE CONTINUES TO MAKE STAFFING HIRES

BY: ZACH HARIG -- JANUARY 7, 2016

Out with the old, in with the new, right? It has been over a month since Matt Campbell was named the next head coach at Iowa State, but Campbell's departure is much bigger than just himself. To nobody's surprise, Campbell basically cleaned house in the Glass City as far as a coaching staff is concerned. In fact, the lone coaches remaining in Toledo from Campbell's prior staff would be runningbacks coach, Anthony Johnson and wide receivers coach, Derek Sage, aside from Jason Candle himself, who obviously took the head coaching job. Once Candle accepted the head coaching position, it was time to get to work creating his own staff.

Jason Candle is the next head man in Toledo, but what about
the rest of his coaching staff?

Almost immediately, Candle made the hire of Hiedelberg University head coach, Mike Hallett to coach the offensive line. With the departure of former offensive line coach, Tom Manning, to Iowa State, Hallett has major shoes to fill with the Rockets. However, the Rockets will return four out of five starters along the offensive line in 2016, all but center Ruben Carter.

"I believe in the student-athlete experience," Hallett stated after being hired at Toledo, "And I believe in the coach's role in helping those students reach their full potential - academically, athletically, and socially. My job is to take the student where they cannot take themselves and I am happy to be joining Jason Candle and assisting the program to reach even higher goals."

Hallett, a 1994 Mount Union graduate, says his relationship with Candle is one that shares that special Purple Raider connection, "I have known Jason for a long time," Hallett said, "I am very excited to be a part of his first staff here at Toledo. I feel Toledo is the preeminent university in the Mid-American Conference and I am humbled to be a part of this great institution and its people."

Former Hiedelberg head coach, Mike Hallett, who is the next
offensive line coach at Toledo.
Photo Courtesy: UT Rockets.

One trait that is irreplaceable in the Hallett hire is his past experience as a head coach, no matter the level. Despite previously only being at the Division-III level, Hallett has obtained a tremendous reputation among his peers in the coaching industry as well as recruits and high school coaches. Aside from this, Hallett coached Hiedelberg to a 55-36 record over nine seasons and spent three seasons prior to that as the head coach at Thomas More College in Kentucky as well. Hallett will bring a local mindset to Toledo and should become a tremendous recruiter, particularly in the Ohio area, given his relationship with local high school coaches.

With the completed hire of Hallett, the offensive coaching staff for Candle and the Rockets is complete, for the most part. However, there is one lingering question - who will take over as offensive coordinator and will that person also assume the role of quarterbacks coach? Candle, a quarterback mastermind himself, worked with the quarterbacks during his time as offensive coordinator with the Rockets. However, it is extremely rare to see head coaches work with one particular position on a consistent basis, which makes this an interesting area to watch.

Shugarts (bottom right, yellow) poses with the offensive line
and Boca Raton Bowl trophy.
Photo: Shugarts' Twitter

Another major aspect to Candle's coaching staff, especially along the offensive line, is graduate assistant J.B. Shugarts. The former Ohio State offensive lineman also spent time with the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL and is a major part of Candle's coaching staff. Shugarts worked with the Rockets' offensive line in 2015 under Matt Campbell and will be sticking around in Toledo under Jason Candle. Shugarts was on the sidelines in 2015 and helped signal play calls in the Rockets' no-huddle offense. Obviously, it will be tough for the offensive line to repeat what happened in 2015 after not allowing a sack until nine games into the season. However, with the Hallett and Shugarts duo along with four returning starters up front, the Rockets should find success once again.

As for departures, former Toledo offensive lineman and graduate assistant, Jeff Myers will become a new offensive line graduate assistant at Iowa State under Matt Campbell. Following his departure, Candle will likely look to add one more graduate assistant to the staff for assistance. When the hire comes, don't expect it to be big news, but since graduate assistants are typically younger and fresh out of college, players seem to relate to them quickly. Therefore, the smallest hires, such as graduate assistants, can pay off in terms of team morale and reputability.

Former Toledo defensive coordinator takes to Twitter
as he departs for Iowa State.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jason Candle somewhat suffered from the coaching carousel. Following Campbell's departure to Iowa State, Toledo athletic director, Mike O'Brien quickly jumped into action by naming defensive coordinator, Jon Heacock as his interim head coach. However, just days later, Jason Candle obviously was hired in the permanent position. At his press conference, Candle stated, "I think highly of Coach (Jon) Heacock and hope that he is the defensive coordinator at Toledo for a long time." However, after the bowl game, Heacock announced that he would take his time to decide whether or not he would join Campbell's staff at Iowa State, or if he would remain with the Rockets. On January 2, the 31-year college coaching veteran announced that he'd be heading to Ames, Iowa to accept the Iowa State defensive coordinator position. Quickly after, Heacock took to Twitter to praise Candle.

Toledo defensive coordinator,
Brian George.
Photo: Kent State Rivals

After Heacock's decision, just over a month away from National Signing Day, Candle would need to scramble to replace his former acquaintance. Just two hours after news broke on Twitter that Heacock could be leaving, there was a report that Brian George of Kent State would become Toledo's next defensive coordinator. And it's true. The former defensive coordinator of the Golden Flashes is now in the Glass City assuming the same position. So who is Brian George? George arrived to Kent, Ohio as defensive line coach in 2011 after short stints with Indiana and Miami University. In January of 2013, two years after arriving at Kent State, George was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Despite Kent State struggling in years past, George has led a decently solid Golden Flash defense. Not only that, but George has coached several NFL-caliber players in Roosevelt Nix and Demetrius Monday.

At Toledo, George will assume the same positions that he held at Kent State, meaning that he will coach the defensive line with the Rockets as well. The Rockets lost defensive line coach, Eli Rasheed in the Iowa State takeover as well. Rasheed was well respected by the players he coached including Jayrone Elliott, who is now in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. Aside from Rasheed, the Rockets also lost graduate assistant, Christian Smith to the Cyclones.

At linebackers, the Rockets will have another new coach. Tyson Veidt, the former linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator for the Rockets, was included in the Iowa State departure. Now, there are a few questions at the linebacker and safety positions in terms of coaching.

Ross Watson.

That coach may or may not be Ross Watson, who was hired without a specific position back on December 30. Watson will either assume the linebackers coaching position or will coach safeties, depending on one more hire that Candle will need to make, which is a matter of fit. However, Watson comes from Northern Illinois, where he coached linebackers last season. Prior to DeKalb, Watson had coaching stints defensively with Nebraska and Florida Atlanta before becoming the director of football operations and later, a coaches assistant to Bo Pelini at Youngstown State.

The relationship between Watson and Candle is a familiar one. Watson, also a Mount Union native, coached and played with Candle in years past. "I'm finally lucky enough to be a Rocket!" Watson told me. Look for Watson to also have an extreme impact in recruiting.

Toledo's next cornerbacks coach,
Cory Robinson.
Photo: UM Terps

In the defensive secondary, nothing new -- out with the old, in with the new. Out goes cornerbacks coach, D.K. McDonald to Iowa State, and in comes Cory Robinson. Robinson, the former director of player personnel at Maryland and cornerbacks coach at IGM Academy, where he worked with high school, college, and professional defensive backs. More importantly, IGM Academy is located in Bradenton, Florida, which is a hot-spot for Jason Candle and his recruiters. In fact, three of Toledo's last four commits are from the state of Florida, where Candle spent a lot of time recruiting during his time as offensive coordinator.

Robinson recently returned back to the Glass City from a vacation in Jamaica and has been getting acclimated to Rocket Nation and the new surroundings. However, Robinson did tell me that he is, "Doing great!" And is loving Northwest Ohio. Look for Robinson to have an intricate role in recruiting.

Another new member of Rocket Nation is Ricky Ciccone, who was hired in an off-the-field role with the Rockets. Ciccone will become the next Director of High School Relations, which was a position filled by John Kuceyeski in years past before his departure. The relationship between Candle and Ciccone goes way back to the Mount Union days, where Candle was a senior during Ciccone's freshman season. Following that year, Candle went on to work with the wide receivers for the next three seasons.

"I've known Jason for 15 years," Ciccone stated, "I went to Mount Union and played runningback there and the summer before my senior year I actually worked for Coach Candle taking care of athletics grounds and facilities. After I graduated in the spring of 2005, I became a student assistant."

Despite having an off-field role now with the Rockets, Ciccone has a background of being on the field for several different programs. Most recently, the now 32-year old Ciccone was runningbacks coach at Ohio Dominican but prior to that, spent time as co-offensive coordinator at Olentangy high school and at Bluffton University where he was wide receivers coach.

Andrew Terwilliger will also remain with the Rockets as Director of Player Personnel. Terwilliger has been with the Rockets for the past few seasons.

So yes, there are still questions lingering. Who takes over as quarterbacks coach and is that the same person that takes over as offensive coordinator? Will Ross Watson be in charge of linebackers or safeties? We will find out in the weeks to come. For now, the current staff is hitting the ground running with recruiting. In fact, there are several official visits scheduled for January 15 in Toledo.



Follow Zach on Twitter: @ToledoZach for the latest Toledo Athletics updates. A special thanks to WTOL's Jordan Strack for contributing to the research in the article.

Toledo Thunder Making Noise in Debut Season

By: Zach Harig

There are over one-thousand football teams in the United States that refer to themselves as semi-professional. For many of those teams, it takes several years to find success. However, in Northwest Ohio, there's a football team that is beginning to turn heads around the region. In their debut season, the Toledo Thunder earned the Minor League Football Alliance championship following an unbeaten 12-0 season. Not only did the Thunder go undefeated, but their stellar success on the field led to them being ranked number-one nationally. Behind the vision of two local men, the Thunder were able to find success in just one short season.

Toledo Thunder co-founder and head coach, Brad Fields,
gathers the team for a prayer prior to kickoff.

The founders of the Toledo Thunder, Brad Fields and Jamie Young, played semi-professional football together in 1995, when semi-pro football was beginning to catch on. After noticing that Northwest Ohio lacked a quality semi-pro team, the duo looked into bringing back a competitive and organized team back to the area, with the vision of also helping local charities.

After deciding to go through with the plan to form a team, Fields says they focused on finding players first. "We knew we had to get players," Fields said, "We reached out to players from knowing big names or from former guys that we've coached," he added.

Once the roster was completed, the team was nearly 90% Toledo natives, according to Fields. From there, the team began the 2015 season by routing their first two opponents, the Miami County Blitz and Motor City Jaguars, by a combined score of 99-0. The Thunder would continue their success throughout the season, including a 34-0 shutout against their local rival, the Northwest Ohio Knights. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Thunder would celebrate their undefeated season. However, perhaps the more impressive mark, would be their $5,000 total, which was raised by the team for local charities.

Toledo Thunder founders Brad Fields and Jamie Young
celebrate with the MLFA Championship trophy.

Following their success on the field, the Toledo Thunder announced they would play in DeLand, Florida in the NFE AA National Championship against the Portmouth Warriors. With a win in that game, the Thunder would become the only first-year team in semi-pro football history to go undefeated in league play and win a national title. Who could have predicted this kind of start for a semi-professional football team in Northwest Ohio? Well, look no further than Thunder co-founder, Brad Fields.

"Believe it or not, our expectations from the start were to go to this national title game that we are playing in," Fields stated, "We told the guys in our first team meeting in December 2014 that we won't settle for anything less. We told them we can achieve this goal as long as they buy into the system," he continued.

As the season began, the Thunder rested their offense on quarterback, Gary Allen. However, an early season injury to the offensive leader would lead the coaching staff, led by Fields, to turn to former Rogers high school star, DJ Tucker.

"We were extremely confident in both Gary and DJ at quarterback," Fields said, "The only thing is that DJ was our starting safety as well and we needed him more on defense at the time."

Tucker wouldn't disappoint as the starting quarterback, passing for over 1,000 yards on the season along with twelve touchdown passes. A major reason for Tucker's success throughout the season was former Toledo St. John's Jesuit wide receiver Mike White, who caught 34 passes for nearly 800 yards and six touchdowns on the year. Behind the air-raid duo, runningback Ed Toles averaged over ten yards per carry along with six touchdowns, providing nightmares for opposing defensive fronts.

Toledo native and Thunder quarterback, DJ Tucker.

On the defensive side, led by defensive coordinator Tim Ross, the Thunder were extremely solid and pitched several shutouts on the year. Former Rogers standout, Isaiah Ballard racked up 66 tackles and a blistering 12 forced fumbles, averaging one per game. Behind him, in the defensive secondary is Scott high school native, Gene Patterson as well as former Ohio State Buckeye, Derjuan Gambrell, who obviously stole the spotlight after he began his semi-professional career with the Thunder.

"We couldn't have been successful if it wasn't for the players and staff believing in what Jamie and I set as a foundation," Fields, both co-founder and head coach of the Thunder, stated. "We had expectations to be a championship football team and the great support we received from fans and local businesses throughout the season helped make that happen."

As the Thunder begin their journey to Florida to play for a National Championship, they will attempt to make semi-professional football history. It's safe to say the Thunder are quickly exceeding their expectations, especially in just their first season.


For more information regarding the Toledo Thunder, check out their website: www.ToledoThunder.org