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[SIZE=+2]Season-ending injury helps bring perspective to Pentello[/SIZE]
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Larry Larson
By Laurie Stevenson/ThisWeek
Season-ending injury is a phrase that can put a monstrous emotional squeeze on any athlete.
All of the work, all of the effort put into a sport is gone, and when you are a senior in high school the disappointment is multiplied. And when you are a four-year starter at quarterback and one of the premier players in the state, an early end to a high-school career is hard to swallow.
All of the above description applies to Westerville South's Rocco Pentello.
Playing for his father, Rocky, Pentello's career statistics are brilliant. He passed for 6,400 yards and 77 touchdowns and rushed for 3,100 yards and 39 scores. But Oct. 6, the Wildcats' leader suffered a broken ankle.
"It was a fourth-down play, and I was running a quarterback draw," Rocco said. "I dropped the ball, and then was trying to run and make something happen. When I got wrapped up, my leg got caught behind me, and when I got hit again I knew something bad happened. I thought it was my knee, but it was my ankle that was broken in two places, and I had to have surgery on it.
"I obviously was upset, but I really didn't break down until a few days later when I realized that my senior year in football was over. Going to the next game on crutches was really awful because I could see things and see openings that were there and I couldn't do anything about it. But I never want to have a bad attitude around my teammates and I have no regrets about football at my school."
Reflecting on his four years, Pentello said, "Playing for my dad was absolutely great, and when my injury happened I think he and my mom took it worse than I did, especially my dad because he can't coach me again. But I have learned through my dad and through football that you can't ever let something like this keep you down, and this is a good example of the way life is and will be in the future.
"This injury also proves that you can't make football everything in your life. You have to always have a backup plan. You always must have options available in case your career in your sport ends. It is easy for me to look to the future right now because physically and mentally it is hard for me just to get to school, and I know in not too long a time I will be healthy again."
There are other positives that the Westerville South honor student said he can gain from this experience.
"During these days after my injury, my mom had to do lots of things for me and I couldn't go outside with my little brother and I started to think about those people that are in wheelchairs and can't walk but live life to the fullest. I have so much respect for them, and I know that I am very lucky because things will get better quickly for me and this is a very short period in my life.
"There is a quote in the Bible that says, 'I can put you in a fire and see how you come out,' and I relate that to iron. You can put it in fire and it comes out stronger. I know through my faith that God will never give you something you can't handle, so I know I will recover 100 percent from this disappointment."
Spoken like a true champion. Spoken like a mature young man.
I'll see you at a game.
[SIZE=+2]Season-ending injury helps bring perspective to Pentello[/SIZE]
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Larry Larson
Westerville South senior quarterback Rocco Pentello watches from the sidelines as his teammates battle Pickerington Central last Friday. Pentello suffered a season-ending broken ankle Oct. 6 against Olentangy.
Season-ending injury is a phrase that can put a monstrous emotional squeeze on any athlete.
All of the work, all of the effort put into a sport is gone, and when you are a senior in high school the disappointment is multiplied. And when you are a four-year starter at quarterback and one of the premier players in the state, an early end to a high-school career is hard to swallow.
All of the above description applies to Westerville South's Rocco Pentello.
Playing for his father, Rocky, Pentello's career statistics are brilliant. He passed for 6,400 yards and 77 touchdowns and rushed for 3,100 yards and 39 scores. But Oct. 6, the Wildcats' leader suffered a broken ankle.
"It was a fourth-down play, and I was running a quarterback draw," Rocco said. "I dropped the ball, and then was trying to run and make something happen. When I got wrapped up, my leg got caught behind me, and when I got hit again I knew something bad happened. I thought it was my knee, but it was my ankle that was broken in two places, and I had to have surgery on it.
"I obviously was upset, but I really didn't break down until a few days later when I realized that my senior year in football was over. Going to the next game on crutches was really awful because I could see things and see openings that were there and I couldn't do anything about it. But I never want to have a bad attitude around my teammates and I have no regrets about football at my school."
Reflecting on his four years, Pentello said, "Playing for my dad was absolutely great, and when my injury happened I think he and my mom took it worse than I did, especially my dad because he can't coach me again. But I have learned through my dad and through football that you can't ever let something like this keep you down, and this is a good example of the way life is and will be in the future.
"This injury also proves that you can't make football everything in your life. You have to always have a backup plan. You always must have options available in case your career in your sport ends. It is easy for me to look to the future right now because physically and mentally it is hard for me just to get to school, and I know in not too long a time I will be healthy again."
There are other positives that the Westerville South honor student said he can gain from this experience.
"During these days after my injury, my mom had to do lots of things for me and I couldn't go outside with my little brother and I started to think about those people that are in wheelchairs and can't walk but live life to the fullest. I have so much respect for them, and I know that I am very lucky because things will get better quickly for me and this is a very short period in my life.
"There is a quote in the Bible that says, 'I can put you in a fire and see how you come out,' and I relate that to iron. You can put it in fire and it comes out stronger. I know through my faith that God will never give you something you can't handle, so I know I will recover 100 percent from this disappointment."
Spoken like a true champion. Spoken like a mature young man.
I'll see you at a game.
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Ok, relax guys...for one thing, he said he thinks the staff will offer based on their conversations. That does not mean anything at all. However, even if the staff does choose to offer, at what point do we stop questioninig their talent in evaluating players that fit the tOSU system? Its not about what Rivals or Scout or any other school in this country thinks...its about what JT and co. see and how they can develop this kid into a key cog in what has become an absolute machine.
How many of these reactions have we had over the past few years...Anderson Russell? Malcolm Jenkins? Yao Smith starting at corner??
If Rocco gets that offer, there is something very special that the coaches see...
How many of these reactions have we had over the past few years...Anderson Russell? Malcolm Jenkins? Yao Smith starting at corner??
If Rocco gets that offer, there is something very special that the coaches see...
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stxbuck
Woody wore Sambas
osugrad21;670605; said:
I think we all trust Tressel's judgment, that said, Yao Smith was a walkon and proved himself, and Jenkins had offers from Syracuse and V-Tech-not Air Force and Akron.
The question is-
A-does the staff not feel good about Scott, Wright, or Allen committing
OR
B-does the staff not feel good about the DBs we are recruiting fitting into the program due to attitude,etc?
OR
C-Pentello is that good
It seems to me that every year Tressel offers a couple of "fan favorite" type recruits-aka white, clean cut, hometown hero Ohio boys who might or might not be phenomenal contributors, but will play hard and get lots of atta boys from the OSU fanbase. This might be politically incorrect, but a hometown hero like Pentello plays better w/ the fanbase than a kid w/ dreadlocks and tats from down South.
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stxbuck;670631; said:
Yes and that was obvious based on the reactions of the boards when he was named as the starter. Hindsight may soften the reality, but if you are telling me for a second that 99% of these boards were comfortable with that decision, I will have to completely disagree.
stxbuck;670631; said:
Is Syracuse very far off from MAC schools? What about Russell?
You are also forgetting:
D: This is a complete overreaction based one a kid's perception and statements in a recruiting article.
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tedginn05
Legend
osugrad21;670639; said:
I think I was in that 1%
Funny thing about Antonio. He had offers from MAC schools. Most likely Toledo seeing how they have a somewhat pipeline right into the City League.
But he knew he wanted to go to OSU. My coach made a call into Coach Tressel and got him a chance for the team.
Think about that, if he wasn't so deterimined on playing football for OSU, he would probably be at Toledo.
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jimotis4heisman
Banned
i think i started all this...
roc is a very solid player
i was suprised that he never really seemed in the real picture
his injury
the first of december kicks off the annual episode of how the recruiting world turns. with this a couple of things will happen
well get a kid who will surely disappoint us only to later become a kid that we all will be so happy that came to columbus
atleast one kids will claim an offer, but in reality will not even be close to an offer
well be shocked more than once
sit back relax and wait till signing day when the fax machines light up, in reality until then its a lot of media hype in which kids words a twisted for nothing more than a capitalistic motive...
roc is a very solid player
i was suprised that he never really seemed in the real picture
his injury
the first of december kicks off the annual episode of how the recruiting world turns. with this a couple of things will happen
well get a kid who will surely disappoint us only to later become a kid that we all will be so happy that came to columbus
atleast one kids will claim an offer, but in reality will not even be close to an offer
well be shocked more than once
sit back relax and wait till signing day when the fax machines light up, in reality until then its a lot of media hype in which kids words a twisted for nothing more than a capitalistic motive...
Upvote
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DiHrdBucki45
Rookie
Pentello
Maybe he'll be accepted as a "pre-ferred Walk-on" Still if JT feels he warrants a schoolie who am I to question it? A.J. Hawk, Jenkins, Russel the list goes on and on.
Maybe he'll be accepted as a "pre-ferred Walk-on" Still if JT feels he warrants a schoolie who am I to question it? A.J. Hawk, Jenkins, Russel the list goes on and on.
Upvote
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