Waller makes the MAC switch

After a Nov. 16th, official visit to Akron, Decatur (Ga.) Southwest Dekalb athlete Manley Waller knew that his verbal commitment to Ohio was in jeopardy. He knew that following an official visit to Ohio a week later he would be able to compare the two and make a final decision. The trip occurred and now Waller is a Zip.

"[The trip to Ohio] actually made my decision a lot better for Akron," Waller said. "I committed to Akron about two days after I got back. The facilities weren't as good as Akron. Their broadcasting program is there but it's not as strong. Also their need for corners wasn't as strong. I got to watch them play against Miami (Ohio) and they won but Ohio was just on one level and Akron was just on a whole other level."

Clearly several factors played into Waller's change of heart but it wasn't just the football program and the school that were factors, the city of Akron won out over Oxford, Ohio as well.

"Ohio is in the middle of nowhere," he said. "It's kind of out in the country and it's really just a college town. It's a little too quiet for me. Akron is in the middle of the city. It has malls, clubs, whatever you need. You can also have a car in Akron your freshman year. At Ohio, you can't have a car until your junior year."

Waller also likes his chances of getting on the field early with the Zips, if not at cornerback then as a specialist.

"At Akron, I have an excellent chance of playing my freshman year," he said. "They're graduating five corners and a total of six DBs. They'll only have two DBs on their roster next year and they need a return man bad. The only corners they're recruiting are just corners not return people. I actually talked to the return man for this year and he was just forced into it because nobody else can do it."

While Waller is excited about his future at Akron, he is still not ruling out a commitment to one of the bigger programs should an offer come his way and he has told the coaching staff as much.

"Actually me and coach McDaniel and coach Brookhart talked about that and they agree that it would be crazy for me to not consider another offer if it comes," he said. "Coach Martinez is still talking to me from Georgia, Indiana, Miami (Ohio), Wake Forest and North Carolina are all staying in contact with me."

The offseason kicks into full gear for Waller on Monday when he will begin training with his other college bound teammates. The group will have a training program fit for an Olympian, structured by Waller's father.

"We start training tomorrow," he said. "We have a 12 week training program that we go through. It starts with weights and steps and stuff, trying to put on bulk and weight in the winter, and then we go into speed training after that. My dad is training us. He's an Olympic trainer and he trained my mom when se was competing in the Olympics."

Waller's mother, Gwen Torrence, is a name even the casual track and field fan may remember. Torrence won gold medals at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.