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Chagrin grad shares in Mount Union spotlight
(by Steve Novak - November 19, 2008)
Chagrin grad shares in Mount Union spotlight
By STEVE NOVAK
When athletes move from high school to college, they most often enter a new world. The playing field is the same, but the level of competition increases by leaps and bounds.
When Judd Harrold graduated from Chagrin Falls High School three years ago, he decided to continue his scholastic football career at Mount Union College in Alliance.
Anyone who is at all familiar with college sports knows about Mount Union. The Purple Raiders' football program has won nine Division III national titles since 1993, with the most recent one being in 2006.
Last Saturday, the Purple Raiders completed an undefeated regular season with a 49-0 defeat of Marietta College. Next weekend, they take their 10-0 record into the first round of playoffs that could lead to another national title.
In talking about his role on the Mount Union team this year, Harrold, a junior tight end who wears No. 25, said that getting playing time for the weekly Saturday games is often a process that requires equal parts of hard work and patience.
"It's a great football program here. It's an honor to play for a program like this," he said. "As opposed to other colleges where you might be a starter, you give up something here until you get to a point where you can start."
He said that even from the opening round of practice sessions at Mount Union when he was a freshman, he could easily notice the degree of difference from high school football.
"The tempo of practice is faster," he said. "There's a bigger playbook. And there's the speed of the game, too. Everyone is stronger and faster."
Harrold, who is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, said that the Mount Union offense has a setup of plays that involves two different tight ends. With this setup, he said he gets to be on the field for about 15 plays per game. A couple of weeks ago, he caught a touchdown pass when the Raiders were inside the 10-yard line. He considers himself lucky to have as much playing time as he does in his junior year.
"A lot of guys don't see playing time until their senior year. It's worth it to stick around," he said. "It's all about perseverance. You learn life lessons -- you know, stuff that's valuable to you later in life. You come in here, and you know you have to work for what you get."
Mount Union hosts the opening round postseason playoff game with a contest against Randolph-Macon College.
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