Bobcats land in-state defensive tackle

North Olmsted (Ohio) head coach Mike Ptacek said last spring of his star defensive tackle John Taylor that his best days are ahead of him. On Tuesday, the 6-5, 275-pound Taylor made a decision that the place he would realize that potential would be Ohio University.

"I actually just committed to Ohio U.," Taylor reported. "I was thinking about it a lot and I just went and saw the school about a month ago. I really liked it and got a good feeling. I think it's the right place for me."

Taylor was recruited to Ohio by assistant coach Pete Germano and when Taylor knew he wanted to make the commitment it was Germano he called to break the news.

"I called Coach Germano and he had a pretty good reaction to it," Taylor said. "He was really excited and stayed on the phone with me for awhile, then he went upstairs and handed the phone to the other coaches. I was talking to everybody and they were all pretty excited."

According to Taylor, the unofficial visit he took to Ohio's campus last month played a significant factor in his decision. He detailed what he found out about the school and football program on that trip.

"I just love the way the stadium looked and when I went there I got a really good feel for the coaches. I like the coaches a lot and they really helped my decision," Taylor said. "I really like the facilities. They are getting a new locker room in the next year or so that is going to look really nice."

Taylor is a three-sport star at North Olmsted and also participates in basketball and track. He served notice early in his high school career, however, that he was a Division 1 football recruit by registering 184 tackles and nine sacks over the last two seasons. He also added all-state honors to his resume last fall and is looking to pick up this season where he left off as a junior.

"We've played two games and our record is 1-1," Taylor reported. "The season is going pretty good, but we just had a rough game two. I just had a few tackles here and there and a couple sacks."

With the decision behind him, Taylor has alleviated a major burden from his busy schedule and looks forward to being able to put more focus on his final year at North Olmsted.

"It feels pretty good," he said. "Now I can just worry about my season and finish up my senior year."