Eric Rodemoyer has been the best offensive lineman that YSU has had in awhile.  He has played in seven of YSU’s eight games this season.  In those seven games, he has been named the Jim Zdelar Offensive Lineman of The Week six times.  The only time he did not win that award was last week when he was named the offensive player of the game, and you can’t win both.  Rodemoyer is dominant, and he credits his success to hard work and dedication.  The 6’2, 280 lb.,  Junior wants the 12 Seniors to go out on a good note. 

 Here are the highlights of my conversation with Eric Rodemoyer:

Paneech:  Talk about the transition of playing for small Kennedy (PA) to signing with West Virginia.

Rodemoyer:  Kennedy Catholic is a small school, Single-A, which is the smallest there is in Pennsylvania.  The biggest difference was going from playing smaller Single-A kids at Kennedy to facing Division-I athletes at West Virginia.

Paneech:  What did and didn’t work for you as a Mountaineer and how did you like playing for Rich Rodriguez?

Rodemoyer:  I loved playing for Coach Rodriguez at West Virginia.  I’m a Rodriguez guy and the thing that worked for me was that I went in there [WVU] working really hard and I was coachable, which was what worked best for me.  The hardest thing was just adjusting to Division-I football.  You had to up your game and have perfect technique at that level.  In high school, I was bigger and would just dominate guys.  Now you go against guys that are just as big and just as athletic. 

Paneech:  Do you like playing much closer to hom?

Rodemoyer:  I love being closer to home.  Me and my mom are real close and that’s one of the biggest reasons I chose Youngstown State. 

Paneech:  Explain how you can win offensive lineman of the week for six consecutive weeks and offensive player of the game last week.  Is the rest of the offensive line struggling or are you just playing that good right now?

Rodemoyer:  I think everyone is working really hard.  I just come in every day and work hard and watch films.  I come in with the attitude that I want to play my best football and whether I win lineman of the week or offensive player of the week doesn’t matter.  I am just worried about coming in, working hard, and winning football games.

Paneech:  How hard is it to stay motivated when you can’t go to the playoffs or win the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship?

Rodemoyer:  Now we are just playing for these Seniors and playing for pride.  I think if that isn’t enough to play for, then you shouldn’t be playing football.

Paneech:  Have you declared a major yet or are you still trying to figure out what you want to end up majoring in at YSU?

Rodemoyer:  I’m in the School of Business and I am going to get my degree in Management with a minor in Marketing.

Paneech:  How disappointed are you with the results on the field this year?

Rodemoyer:  I think you just have to keep working hard.  As long as everyone is working as hard as they can and studying as much film as they can, you can’t be mad, you just have to keep playing your hardest and victories will come.

Paneech:  Next season, will you be ready to take on a Senior leadership role?

Rodemoyer:  Without a doubt.  I think that is one of the things I am looking forward to in this coming off season.  There are six Junior linemen and I think we all have to step it up and be Senior leaders, but I am going to try to stand up and be the number one leader if I can.

Paneech:  Walk me through a day in the life of Eric Rodemoyer from start to finish.

Rodemoyer:  I get up around 8 and eat breakfast, walk to Kilcawley for breakfast check then I go to class at 9:30.  I come back from class at 10:45, eat a little bit, come over here to the stadium and watch about an hour-and-a-half of films.  I then go to my next class at 12:30 until 1:45, then I walk up to the stadium for practice and get out of here at about 6.  Then I go home and eat dinner and start on my homework.

Paneech:  At Monday’s press conference, Dana Balash of WFMJ was asking everyone who spoke what kind of grade they would give this team on the season.  To steal Dana’s question, what grade would you give this team?

Rodemoyer:  We’re 4 and 4, that’s about five hundred, so I think in a classroom that’s a C.

One Word Answers

Favorite Flavor Of Chicken Wings:  I don’t eat chicken wings.

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas.

Best Show on TV:  SportsCenter.

Yearly, How Many Times Do You Go See A Doctor:  Never.

Biggets Phobia:  Spiders.

Favorite Kind of Music:  Rap.

Favorite NFL Team:  Steelers.

Favorite NFL Player:  Hines Ward.

Kim Kardashian or Pamela Anderson:  Pamela Anderson.

American Idol or Survivor:  Survivor.

Worst Habit:  Biting my nails, but I quit recently.

Best Friend:  Rob Fernback.