Glenville grads playing in Super Bowl giving their all for their former coach, Ted Ginn Sr.

Ted Ginn Jr., right, and his dad, Ted Ginn Sr., are sharing a special week in New Orleans. Ted Jr. is a kick returner for the 49ers who played for his dad at Glenville. Ted Sr. is fighting cancer, which kept him off the Glenville sidelines last fall.Roadell Hickman, The Plain Dealer

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

February 1, 2013

NEW ORLEANS -- San Francisco 49ers safety and Cleveland native Donte Whitner, who will face the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl on Sunday, pointed to a tattoo on his bulging forearm during a media session Thursday that read, "Thank God for Ginn."

The indelible mark on his arm -- and on his soul -- is a tribute to his former Glenville High School coach and father figure, Ted Ginn Sr., who has been battling pancreatic cancer since August and is in New Orleans to watch Whitner and his son, 49ers receiver Ted Ginn Jr., play in the biggest game of their lives.

"Teddy and I would not be here today at the Super Bowl without Ted Ginn Sr.," said Whitner, the 49ers' starting strong safety. "Ever since we were kids, Ted pushed us to get to where we are right now -- from Glenville to Ohio State to now. And to have him here with us after everything that he's been through this year makes it all the more special."

In late August, just before the start of the high school football season, Ginn Sr., who has transformed the lives of hundreds of inner-city kids at Glenville and Ginn Academy for underprivileged boys, was rushed to University Hospitals for emergency hernia surgery. During post-operative exams, his surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Hardacre, discovered a tumor on Ginn's pancreas that was producing excess insulin.

Ginn, 57, quietly stepped away from the Glenville sideline to begin a journey of surgeries and recovery that has left him 55 pounds lighter and more grateful than ever to be alive. Hardacre removed the tumor in mid-October, but Ginn suffered a complication that required a follow-up surgery. Subsequently, he developed fluid in his lungs and had to undergo another procedure.

All told, he spent about 60 days in the hospital and was released just after Christmas.

"He's been to hell and back," Hardacre said. "It's a miracle how well he's recovered from a difficult post-operative course. But fortunately, he has a very good chance of being cured of his form of pancreatic cancer. If you're going to have one, it's the kind you want to have."

Ginn's voice is weak but his spirit is strong. He has spent the week in New Orleans, not far from where he was born and raised, relishing in the joy of Whitner and his son being in the Super Bowl.

"There's no question, I'm a walking miracle," he said. "I'm blessed to be here. The doctors called me their miracle man. If not for God's grace, I wouldn't be here. I have good days and bad days, but I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

For Ginn Jr., who mostly returns punts and kicks for the Niners, watching his dad enjoy the Super Bowl festivities has been the highlight of his week.

"I watched him [Tuesday at media day]," said Ginn Jr. "Just to watch him look around, he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. It's big. No matter what goes on, I'll be happy that I gave him this opportunity to experience this. It's a dream come true for him."

Ginn Jr. struggled to get through this season, knowing his dad was 2,200 miles away, fighting for his life.

"I was very, very afraid of losing him," Ginn Jr. said. "It was really tough knowing I couldn't get there, couldn't be there for him every day. That was the scary part."
At midseason, the 49ers gave him a couple of days off so he could fly home and be by his father's side after one of his surgeries.

"That kind of gave him the push to get back on his feet," Ginn Jr. said.

"Ted's visit was like a shot of medicine," Ginn Sr. said. "Certain people in your life are better for you than medicine, and that's what Ted is to me."

Ginn Jr. watched his dad, a father figure to so many and a rock in the community, fight hard in the hospital, even when he had no strength.

"He doesn't depend on anybody," Ginn Jr. said. "Everybody depends on him. He's so headstrong that, when they were telling [him] in [the hospital] he couldn't get up and walk, he was telling them he could. He showed us another side of himself. We had to watch him man up and toughen up. Him doing that, it made me be a better man."

Ginn Jr. knew how much it tortured his dad not being on the sidelines with his Tarblooders.

"I watched him miss his whole football season and my whole football season," he said. "I watched him miss football, period, from the high-school level to the pro level. He'll usually catch the Ohio State games, he'll usually catch my teams, so for us to be still standing -- and for him to be with us -- it's a blessing."

Ginn Jr. has watched his father endure so much this season that he wants him to quit coaching football.

"I want him to hang it up," Ginn Jr. said. "It's time. He's done everything he could possibly do. He's had 18 Division I scholarships, and he's had 22 kids go to Division 1 schools. He had at least two or three kids in the Big Ten at each school. He had at least seven, eight, nine kids in the NFL. He's done. There's nothing more for him to accomplish.

"I want him to go home and chill with my twins [2-year-olds Ted III and Kyrsten]. I want him to smell the roses, walk his dogs and kick rocks."

But for Ginn Sr,, whose Tarblooders are as much a ministry for saving lives as a football team, a return to the sidelines is one of the things that's been keeping him going.

"I just need to get a little stronger and get my endurance back," he said. "In a month or so, I'll be back at work."

Whitner, who was hit by a car at age 6 and was told he'd never walk again, will never forget how hard Ginn Sr. pushed him to get to this point.

"When I wanted to go right, he wanted me to go left," Whitner said. "He started me and Ted Ginn on the same program as young kids. We had personal trainers five days a week together, protein shakes, extra weight lifting. Ted would drive us to a hill . . . and make us run up and down. We wanted to go to the school dance, and he wouldn't allow it."

Ginn Sr. pushed them so hard that Whitner often told his mom, Deborah, that he wanted to quit.

"Then she'd call coach, and he'd come over and sit on my couch and tell me why I shouldn't quit and motivate me to go back to the gym and work out again. He's changed so many lives that you can't put a number on it. Every college coach in the country knows who Ted Ginn Sr. is and respects him."

Ginn Sr., who currently doesn't have to undergo chemotherapy or further treatment for his cancer, had a method to his madness for driving his son and Whitner.

"I kept them the whole day -- from 6 [o'clock] to 6," he said. "That was purposely done so they could play college football and have a chance to get to the NFL. This is the moment I expected for them and that they've trained for all of their lives."

But now, Ginn Sr. said, they have to close the deal and the win the game.

"If Ted and Donte win the Super Bowl, a lot of people in our community would benefit from it," he said. "It would mean everything. Think of how many more lives could be saved because so many kids look up to them. I want to make sure that the kids walking the streets of Cleveland are be inspired by Ted and Donte and know they can achieve their goals, too."

Someday, Ginn Jr. would like to return to Cleveland and coach football, although maybe not at Glenville, where the shoes to fill are enormous. He'd also like to carry on his dad's legacy and keep Ginn Academy going strong. But for now, Ginn Jr. and Whitner on are on a mission to win this game for Ginn Sr.

Ginn Jr. has vowed to play his heart out for his dad, and Whitner has dedicated the game to him.

"If we win this game," Ginn Jr. said, "I'll give my Super Bowl ring straight to him."

NC Sports clients abound on All-Ohio State team

A quarter century of Buckeyes: Bill Livingston unveils his All-Ohio State team

By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

December 26, 2009

BILL LIVINGSTON'S ALL-OHIO STATE TEAM (1984-2009).

Big-game performance was the tiebreaker in the picks. Some positions, like wide receiver, were so ridiculously crowded with great players that I decided to pick four and do away with a tight end. That also means only one tailback and no fullback.

Partly, that's because it's my team and my rules. Another part of my thinking is that I never saw tight end John Frank play in the early 1980s. But I just can't see Ricky Dudley taking up a spot that could go to one of the many wideouts who made your blood sing on Saturday afternoons.

QUARTERBACK: Glenville's Troy Smith (2003-06) over Joe Germaine (1996-98).

Smith, like Germaine, was the recipient of the last scholarship given in his recruiting class. Smith won the 2006 Heisman Trophy and Germaine was barely mentioned in 1998. But Smith was out of shape in both body and mind in the national championship game and laid an egg suitable for a giant's breakfast. His three victories over Michigan and his superb play in each game, as well as a big Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and a stunning 54/13 TDs-to-interceptions ratio, made the difference.

Germaine might have been the better pure passer. He unjustly sat behind Stan Jackson until his senior year, along the way winning the 1997 Rose Bowl out of the bullpen. The 1998 team's loss, at home, to an ordinary Michigan State team, after holding a nine-point second-half lead, is just too much to ignore.

Honorable mention: Craig Krenzel (2000-03), Bobby Hoying (1993-95), Mike Tomczak (1981-84).

TAILBACK: Keith Byars (1982-85) over Eddie George (1992-95).

Say what?

George (1,927 yards, 24 TDs) won the 1995 Heisman Trophy, but he was overshadowed by Tim Biakabutuka in the staggering season-spoiling loss to Michigan. George had critical fumbles that cost OSU the game against Illinois his freshman year. Until his sensational senior year, coaches carped that he left too many yards on the field by not seeing cutback lanes or getting to the hole in time.

Byars (1,764 yards, 22 TDs) had already lost the 1984 Heisman before Doug Flutie threw the Hail Mary pass to beat Bernie Kosar's last University of Miami team. That was simply because the diminutive Flutie represented the romance of college football. But I still remember Byars running for a TD after throwing a shoe in a shootout victory over Illinois. He did everything to win the Heisman except be the runt of the litter, like Flutie.

Honorable mention: Maurice Clarett (2002) because the national championship never happens without him, Euclid's Robert Smith (1990-92), Akron Garfield's "Beanie" Wells (2006-08), Akron Buchtel's Antonio Pittman (2004-06).

WIDE RECEIVERS: Tailback used to be the signature position at Ohio State. It just might be wide receiver now. It might be best that Woody never lived to see it.

Terry Glenn (1993-95) -- Ohio State's only Biletnikoff Award winner as college football's best receiver was a one-year wonder. But what a year, and what a wonder! He seemed to spend half the year in mid-air. Glenn had seven 100-yard games receiving in 1995 for 1,411 yards and 17 touchdowns. He had feet fit for "Dancing with the Stars," tight-roping the sideline for eye-popping catches. Along with Eddie George, Glenn, as Bobby Hoying's favorite target, gave OSU so much firepower, it was hard to believe they could lose -- until John Cooper worked his big-game magic against Michigan.

Cris Carter (1984-86) -- I'll always remember Carter's one-handed catch against Brigham Young in the 1985 Citrus Bowl. Unfortunately, by taking money from an agent, he sabotaged coach Earle Bruce's OSU career.

Joey Galloway (1991-94) -- Galloway (top four in yardage and receptions, second in TDs at OSU) was a consistent performer with speed enough to take Ohio State's passing game into the modern age.

David Boston (1996-98) -- The Texan scored 34 touchdowns and caught the pass -- after turning an Arizona State defender into a pretzel -- that won the 1997 Rose Bowl. Boston also set the school one-season record with 85 receptions in 1998.
Toughest omission: Michael Jenkins (2000-2003). Jenkins was one of the great clutch receivers in OSU history, witness his catch of the fourth-and-2, last-gasp bomb to beat Purdue in 2002 and his 17-yard reception in overtime on fourth-and-14 vs. the Miami Hurricanes in the national championship game.

Honorable mention: Santonio Holmes (2003-05), Dee Miller (1995-98).

OFFENSIVE LINE: I'm not hung up on positions here. I'm just picking five guys.

Orlando Pace overwhelmed nearly every defender he faced during his exemplary career with the Buckeyes.

Orlando Pace (1994-96) -- With two Lombardi Awards (best lineman or linebacker) and an Outland Trophy (best interior lineman), the giant tackle might be OSU's most gifted blocker since Jim Parker in the 1950s. I still see Pace, 60 yards downfield, bullying a helpless Rice safety on a long touchdown pass in 1996.

Korey Stringer (1992-94) -- The late tackle blocked for Robert Smith, who'd have won a Heisman if he had stayed for his senior year, and Eddie George. Enough said.

Jim Lachey (1981-84) -- Lachey became a Pro Bowl left tackle in the NFL with the Redskins, but he played guard at OSU and was platooned until his senior year at OSU. (Take a bow on that talent assessment, Earle.)

Nick Mangold (2002-05) is my center, over LeCharles Bentley. It has nothing to do with Bentley's star-crossed five minutes as a Browns snapper. Mangold didn't win the big centers' award (the Rimington) while Bentley did, but Mangold was on the goal-line offense as a true freshman in the championship game. He also was a bulwark on some very good teams.

St. Ignatius' LeCharles Bentley (1996-2001) -- Bentley played seven games at guard and one at tackle before moving to center for his junior and senior seasons.

Honorable mention: Jeff Uhlenhake (1985-88), Berea's Alex Stepanovich (2000-03), Rob Murphy (1996-98).

DEFENSIVE LINE: Will Smith (2000-2003) -- The leader of the ferocious front four of the 2002 national championship team, he recorded 10.5 sacks and set the tone for the upset of Miami with a bear-paw swat that floored Hurricanes quarterback Ken Dorsey for a loss on the very first play.

Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson (1992-93) -- Don't let the bust his NFL career became as the No. 1 overall pick dim what a force he was for the scarlet and gray. He had 23.5 tackles for a loss and was in the face of Louisville's Jeff Brohm, forcing a wild pass on the two-point try that would have beaten OSU in the 1992 opener.

Vernon Gholston (2004, 06-07) -- This pick is going to get me in trouble. Gholston was a late-bloomer, like Terry Glenn. In 2007, he found the can of spinach or something and turned into Popeye with a score to settle with Bluto. He exploded for 14 sacks, an OSU record, in his junior year, then turned pro. A disappointment in the NFL, Gholston tended to get his sacks at OSU in clusters, sacrificing consistency. But when he was rolling, few were ever more disruptive. He had an overwhelming game against Michigan in 2007, even victimizing the overall No. 1 pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Jake Long.

Mike Vrabel (1993-96) -- A top linebacker in the NFL, Vrabel racked up 36 sacks and 66 tackles for losses, both career OSU records, at defensive end. He had the one-season record for sacking and pillaging backfields until Gholston came along.

Honorable mention: Almost anyone who played alongside Will Smith on the 2002 front four -- Tim Anderson, Darrion Scott, Kenny Peterson (who delivered the game of his life in the championship game) -- and Quinn Pitcock (2003-06).

LINEBACKERS: Andy Katzenmoyer (1996-98) -- The 1997 Butkus Award-winner as the best college linebacker, Katzenmoyer wore Archie Griffin's No. 45 after it was un-retired and was simply a game-changer. He specialized in huge plays (18 tackles for loses, six interceptions) and huge hits. Pieces of Missouri quarterback Corby Jones' equipment and, indeed, body might still be airborne in Columbia, Mo., after Katzenmoyer teed him up in the open field.

Chris Spielman (1984-87) -- The all-time leader in solo tackles with 283, Spielman won the 1987 Lombardi Award. He was the first great Ohio State player I saw. Bruce put him in at the start of the second half in the 1984 opener "and I think he made about 26 tackles," said his assistant coach at the time, Jim Tressel. Spielman kept it up, week after week, season after season.

A.J. Hawk (2002-05) -- The 2005 Lombardi winner moved from so-so recruit to the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft. I still see him sacking Notre Dame's Brady Quinn on fourth-and-short in the red zone early in the Fiesta Bowl.

Toughest omission: James Laurinaitis (2005-08). This is another pick (actually, a non-pick) some fans will disagree with. He was a three-time All-American, but ... the Nagurski Award (best college defender) and Butkus Award winner, Laurinaitis was a coverage linebacker in a read-and-react scheme. That's an untraditional role, and it led to too many tackles too far downfield. He really only made one game-changing play, forcing a fumble against Texas near the goal-line in 2006.

Honorable mention: Bobby Carpenter (2002-05), Anthony Schlegel (2004-05), Pepper Johnson (1982-85), Elyria's Steve Tovar (1989-92), Elyria Catholic's Matt Wilhem (1999-2002).

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Another treasure trove position with lots of lockdown guys and big hitters.

Shawn Springs (1994-96) -- He never had an interception. Foes accorded him the ultimate respect by, Deion Sanders-like, seldom throwing at him. Springs reduced Arizona State's heralded Keith Poole to inconsequence in the Rose Bowl. Unfairly remembered for the slip that let Michigan's Tai Streets go all the way in the only loss of the 1996 season, Springs never pointed out that OSU still led, 9-7, at the time. But I will.

Antoine Winfield (1995-98) -- The Akron Garfield product won the 1998 Thorpe Award as the nation's top college DB. He was the most physical cornerback in the Big Ten a decade ago and now has the same distinction in the NFL.

Mike Doss (1999-2002) -- A three-time All-American, Doss gave OSU the lead against Miami with a pick and rambling return of a pass by the beleaguered Dorsey.

Chris Gamble (2001-03) -- Hard to see the 2002 national title happening without this three-way threat (he also played wide out and returned kicks) who was on the field for 107 plays against Miami. On his interception of a deep ball to an ostensibly open Purdue receiver in 2002, he covered so much ground, it is comparable to Willie Mays and the ball Vic Wertz hit in the 1954 World Series.

Honorable mention: Shaker Heights' Nate Clements (1998-2000), Glenville's Donte Whitner (2003-05), Malcolm Jenkins (2005-2008), Will Allen (200-03).

SPECIALISTS

Punter: Brecksville's Tom Tupa (1984-87) over B. J. Sander, who won the Ray Guy Award as college football's best punter in 2003. Tupa's 1984 (47.1) and 1987 (47.0) averages are the best in OSU history. At practice, it sounded like a small explosion when the ball met his foot.

Kicker: Mike Nugent (2001-04) -- All-time leader by a lot in field goals, he had a leg that could just deflate opponents.

Toughest omission: Josh Huston (2001, 2003-05). I will never forget his booming kickoffs forcing Minnesota to take the ball at its own 20 over and over again in a shootout Ohio State victory in 2005.

Kick returner: Glenville's Ted Ginn Jr. (2004-06) -- As the most dangerous return man in school history, his fingertip snag of a Michigan punt while he and Santonio Holmes played you-take-it, I-got-it and then his zig-zag return for 82 yards in 2004 could no more be plotted on a play diagram than the flight of a bumblebee. How much different might it have been if "friendly fire" didn't fell him after his kickoff return for a TD on the first play of the Florida debacle? Ginn was a huge part of the game plan that night.

Riding a Dream to the State Title Game

Ted Ginn Sr. with his team at Glenville, the first Cleveland public school to play for a state title.

By GREG BISHOP

December 5, 2009

CLEVELAND — On Thursday, the football team at Glenville High School sauntered into the gymnasium, their bodies swinging to bass beats. This was not a normal pep rally. Recruiters from major colleges lined the walls. A local radio station hosted.

When it ended, the players headed to their final practice before they become the first Cleveland public school to play for a state championship on Saturday. Swept up by euphoria, they bounded past the writing on the wall, two words that summed their season. Making history, it read.

“To take an inner-city school in Cleveland and compete like this, it’s an it-only-happens-once thing,” said Stan Parrish, the Ball State coach and Ohio native. “It’s something you read about in a book, or see in a movie.”

Glenville has produced the track icon Jesse Owens and the creators of the Superman comic book, but never a state football champion. The high school is located east of downtown, past neighborhoods pocked with boarded-up houses and men sitting on stoops, sipping tall cans of beer on a recent morning.

The majority of the players attend nearby Ginn Academy, the brainchild of Ted Ginn Sr., who doubles as Glenville’s football coach. Earlier this week, they met with a youth minister and scribbled their distractions on scraps of paper.

This is a sampling of what they wrote: “My father doesn’t want me” “I used to watch my mom get beat by my stepfather” “We worry about not having a roof over our heads” “My mom lost her job and now I have to pay for groceries and bills.”

The players come from all over, from the suburbs to the projects, from neighborhoods infested by gangs and drugs. They come for structure, for father figures, for football, but mostly, they come for Ginn, whom Parrish described as “where peaceful waters flow.”

Ginn cares little about history, dismissing the obvious narrative — inner-city team beats opponents with more students, more funding, more everything — as too simplistic.

At his academy, the focus is on mentoring, not football. But the core values — discipline, love, passion — remain the same. His is a sociological experiment, Ginn said, with football as the vehicle to disprove myths and perceptions about inner-city schools.

As Ginn built Glenville into a state power, he watched opposing coaches stalk off the field after losses, embarrassed. The same coaches who used to laud Ginn for the impact of his work, now say he cheats or that he recruits, Ginn said.

Therein lies the twist. Can his team teach others their core values through football? Can they prove they are like anybody else?

“That’s what they will confront in corporate America,” Ginn said. “This game, it ain’t the game we’re playing. We’re playing the game of life. I’m teaching everyone, my opponents, this community, you, that the scoreboard will not define us.”

More than 100 of Ginn’s players have earned athletic scholarships, including 21 in 2005. Five play in the N.F.L. This is not his most talented team, but it might be his most unlikely championship candidate.

Strange fruit, Ginn calls this group, sweet and sour and streaky all at once. Like Jayrone Elliott, a senior linebacker who earlier this season lay on the field, as if seriously injured. As Ginn sprinted to his side, Elliott winked and said, “Conserving energy, Coach.” That is strange, Ginn said.

This team always appears lost in space, not paying attention, but they seem to retain everything Ginn says. Before road games, they put on talent shows in the team hotel, providing perfect impressions of their coaches.

Ginn said that was their genius. They are goofy, but faithful. They win because they love their coach, their program and their community.

The unlikely championship contenders follow a man with unusual methods, a visionary who sees in them what others miss. Ginn rules with a heavy hand and a soft touch.

He suspended 29 players for a playoff game last season and lost by a point. He benched quarterback Cardale Jones earlier this season.

But beyond the basic rules, Ginn individualizes his teachings. He often brings a medicine bag and a stethoscope to school, and he “treats” each of his patients/players one by one, giving them Lifesavers candy as “medicine.”

“I’m the doctor,” he said. “The doctor of love. I wake up counseling. I’ve got 300 patients here. I’ve got to operate every day. My emergency room is always open.”

Ginn learned this approach here, where he played for Glenville and worked as a security guard before he opened the academy. At 19, his mother died, and his landlord raised his rent by $10. This infuriated Ginn until he realized the man had done so because his wife would wash Ginn’s clothes, cook his meals, fill his refrigerator with food.

Right then, Ginn decided he would spend his life giving back to the community that raised him. He also learned that trust builds loyalty.

Just ask Tony Overton. He grew up near the school and played football for Ginn when a city championship marked the highest expectation. When his father fell ill, Ginn stepped in, and now, Overton said, they are like Joe and Jay Paterno.

“He had bigger visions for us than we had for ourselves,” said Overton, now the offensive coordinator. “What you’re seeing now is a dream that started 30 years ago.”

This year’s team started slowly, losing their first game and falling behind by two scores in each of their next two contests. Each quarter proved its own adventure, but in each game after the first, Glenville won.

Each time, Ginn gave a more rousing pregame speech than the one before. He referenced President Barack Obama, told them this was a year for change. Before the state semifinal, he spoke about leaning forward, like a sprinter, at the finish.

They triumphed in that game, too, accomplishing something no other metro public school had done. To Elliott, the why was simple. Other schools, he said, did not have Ginn.

“You heard of the Miracle on 34th Street?” asked Ivory Albert, an assistant coach known as Ace. “Well, this is the miracle on 113th Street. And it’s real.”

For a struggling community, the football team presents a welcome reprieve, a focal point for progress. Like “you’re walking around in a fog of excitement,” said Jacqueline Bell, the principal at Glenville.

Everyone pitched in. Donte Whitner, an alumnus who plays for the Buffalo Bills, purchased cleats. Someone else donated temporary lighting for the practice field, and before that, parents parked their cars and turned their headlights on. For lifers like Bell and Overton, congratulations have poured in, dozens of letters, e-mail messages and phone calls. Overton has to remind them that the real success came long before, in the players who did not succumb to the dangers that surround them.

Parrish calls Ginn “Mr. Cleveland” and “the most visible person” in the city besides the basketball star LeBron James. But Ginn says this is not about him, even if everyone else disagrees.

He says this is about the mission, the process, the children who have each taken “a little piece” of him, until he feels like “one of those patched-up leather coats, pieces of kids all over me.”

Jones once thought people only made history when they died. But through this team and the history being created, Ginn’s lessons have been reinforced.

“They get it now,” said Michael Ruff, the executive director of the Ted Ginn Foundation. “Most of them have only seen success on television, or read about it. Now, they’re part of it, part of history.”

Whitner makes plays to lead Bills

By Bryan Sullivan

September 22, 2009

Orchard Park. N.Y. —

Donte Whitner has not shied away from attention since entering the NFL four years ago.

The Bills’ free safety guaranteed his team would make the playoffs last year. He has always talked about being among the league’s best at his position.


Games like Sunday’s will not only help establish himself among the league’s elite, but might help end Buffalo’s 10-year playoff drought.

Whitner returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, helping the Bills beat Tampa Bay 33-20 in Sunday’s home opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium. He also recorded eight tackles.

“I always have confidence in myself,” Whitner said. “Over the past three years I have played so many positions here. I bounced around from game to game. Playing the free safety position is not easy, but if you do your job you’ll make plays on the football.”

Whitner’s TD stalled the momentum of Tampa Bay’s second drive. After going three-and-out on their first possession, the Bucs drove to the Bills’ 25. With a first-and-10 right outside the red zone, quarterback Byron Leftwich overthrew running back Carnell Williams. Whitner grabbed the errant throw and went untouched to the end zone. Instead of the game possibly being tied at seven, the Bills were ahead 14-0.

“We were in a three-deep coverage, and I saw the quarterback was getting some pressure, I just wanted to make a jump on the ball,” Whitner said. “It felt good. It was just great team defense.”

Whitner’s play quickly rubbed off on his teammates.

The Bucs were on the move on the ensuing possession, getting to the Buffalo 43. Whitner’s partner at safety, Bryan Scott, intercepted Leftwich and returned it to the Tampa 32, setting up the Bills’ third score of the game, a 31-yard Rian Lindell field goal that made it 17-0.

“The ball just came out, and I don’t get too many opportunities like that so I knew I had to take advantage,” Scott said. “Turnovers are contagious. You keep attacking, and eventually all of you are getting after it.”

Whitner is part of a veteran secondary. He joins seven-year veterans Scott and Terrance McGee to give Buffalo one of the most experienced units in the league.

“Guys are really comfortable with each other,” Whitner said. “They hang out during the week. We work extra on getting our communication down. It’s been helping because more guys are comfortable and working together.”

The Bills’ defense proved up to the challenge in the second half. Tampa’s only points came late in the fourth quarter. Even after Trent Edwards threw his first interception of the season, the Bills stopped Tampa Bay on the following possession. Lindell kicked a 27-yard field goal on Buffalo’s next drive to put the Bills ahead 23-14.

The unit forced three punts, but the biggest play came in the third quarter. Whitner and linebacker Marcus Buggs stuffed Derrick Ward on a 4th-and-1 from the Bills 43 with 4:56 remaining in the third.

“(The Bills) executed their game plan — great job by their coaching staff, great job by the Buffalo Bills,” said Bucs head coach Raheem Morris.

Owens, Whitner team up as Bills beat Bucs 33-20

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer

September 20, 2009

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Donte Whitner returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown and Terrell Owens — after being negated most of the game — scored on a 43-yard catch in his home debut to cap a 33-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Whitner also made a key stop on fourth down less than a week after he was left crying in frustration after the Bills squandered an 11-point lead in a 25-24 season-opening loss at New England.

Buffalo (1-1) ended a five-game home losing streak. The Buccaneers (0-2) have lost six straight and continue to struggle on defense after allowing 438 yards.

Tampa Bay's once-respected defense has now allowed 332 yards or more in each of its past seven games. It's given up 400-plus yards in each of its two games this season following a 34-21 loss to Dallas last weekend. The defensive backfield continues to be susceptible to the deep pass.

Before Owens' touchdown, Lee Evans opened the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown reception. Tampa Bay allowed three TDs of 40 yards or more against Dallas.

So much for Bills quarterback Trent Edwards' inability to go deep. After being labeled `Captain Checkdown' for most of the preseason, and questioned by Owens this past week for overlooking a few opportunities to go long against New England, Edwards responded.

He finished 21 of 31 for 230 yards with two scores and an interception.

Edwards hit Evans in stride just inside the right pylon — and ahead of Ronde Barber — five plays into the Bills' opening drive. The TD to T.O. came on a similar play, with Owens going up to get the ball just ahead of cornerback Aqib Talib.

Owens celebrated his first touchdown with Buffalo — and the 140th of his 14-year career — by jumping into the arms of several teammates in the end zone. Some fans in the sold-out stadium celebrated by tossing up popcorn in tribute of T.O.'s famous saying: "Getcha popcorn ready."

Byron Leftwich finished 26 of 49 for 296 yards and three touchdowns, but threw two costly interceptions. Carnell Williams, Kellen Winslow and Jeramy Stevens each scored touchdowns after the Bucs fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter.

Whitner played a big role in that by stopping the Bucs on their second possession. After Leftwich marched Tampa Bay 55 yards, Leftwich dropped back to pass and his arm was in motion when he was hit on the leg by defensive tackle Kyle Williams.

The pass sailed over Williams and into the arms of Whitner, who danced up the right sideline untouched. Whitner also stopped Derrick Ward for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1 early in the third quarter after the Bucs had cut Buffalo's lead to 20-14.

With the Bills up 20-7 and threatening to score late in the first half, the game's momentum suddenly turned in Tampa Bay's favor. Fred Jackson was running inside the Bucs' 20 when he lost control of ball after taking a hard hit from Barber.

The ball flew up and directly into the hands of safety Sabby Piscitelli, who returned it 72 yards up the sideline before being caught from behind by Roscoe Parrish. Leftwich capitalized on the next play by hitting Carnell Williams for an 8-yard touchdown pass.

Whitner a "mentor, big brother" to teammates

Secondary Education

Chris Brown, Lead Journalist

August 21, 2009

From the time Reggie Corner first set foot in the defensive backs meeting room, he’s sat in the front row. He never wanted to miss a word from position coach George Catavolos or defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

He also wanted to make sure he sat next to one of the more astute teammates in class. One who knows secondary play and would be willing to share tips about how to line up and play against certain opponents. Donte Whitner was that choice.

During his rookie season Corner would pepper Whitner with questions and the safety would willingly provide answers.

“You don’t really want to force things on guys if they don’t want it,” said Whitner. “Reggie from day one has asked me questions and he always sits next to me in the meeting rooms.

“He asks me questions about certain techniques and certain coverages. How he should play it. If he doesn’t see something or understand something he’ll ask me. He’s really been there the entire time.”

When Whitner would invite his teammates over to his home on Thursdays during the season last year to study film, again Corner sat in front. Both being Ohio natives, Corner and Whitner already had a common bond. Growing up an hour away from one another the two defensive backs had a lot of similar football experiences.

By season’s end last year Corner had shown solid improvement with his four pass break up day in a win over the Broncos the highlight performance of his season. It also relieved Whitner from having to play multiple roles on defense at the nickel corner and safety.

As Corner entered his first NFL offseason he asked Whitner if they could meet up and get some training in together when they were both back home in Ohio. Whitner obliged.

“This whole offseason me and Donte had an opportunity to work together,” said Corner. “I’m from Canton and he’s from Cleveland so we got a chance to link up and work together a bit. I get the best of both worlds as far as working with Donte.”

“He always made it a priority to come up to Cleveland and get with me for workouts and ask me questions about eating habits,” Whitner said. “So that’s a guy that really wants to learn and wants to be a good player in the National Football League. He’s taking steps toward doing that.”

Whitner works with well-known Ohio trainer Tim Roberts, who also trains former Bills London Fletcher and Nate Clements as well as Giants receiver Mario Manningham.

“Not only were we lifting weights, but I was telling him why we’re doing the certain things that we’re doing,” said Whitner. “And we were also talking football at the same time. Last year he was getting a little worn down at the end of the season. To sustain what you have throughout a 17 week grind you have to take days off to yourself. It’s a balance of a lot of different things.”

“We worked on footwork, explosion work,” said Corner. “We also did a lot of mental study. We’d have some talks about concepts and we’d watch a lot of film too. We did everything. You get everything when you work with him. He’s like a big brother, definitely a mentor.”

And Whitner quickly recognized the improvement in Corner’s play this past spring and now in training camp.

“He’s really picked up his game,” said Whitner. “He’s playing a lot faster and that’s why he’s able to make the plays he makes.”

Corner’s 26-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Hall of Fame game being his biggest play in the preseason so far.

“I feel the knowledge of the game came a lot quicker to me this offseason,” said Corner. “In the film room now coach is coaching me and I sit right by (Whitner) and he’s also coaching me. So I definitely feel an improvement with him working with me.”

Donte Whitner Reaches Out to Community

Daggs knows Donte

By Andy Major, Executive Director of Marketing

August 4, 2009

Michael Daggs, Rochester, NY, is the winner of the Verizon Wireless 'So You Think You Know Donte' online game that ran through the month of June and half of July.

As part of the grand prize Daggs, along with his five-year old son, met Donte Whitner and spent some time with him after practice at training camp at St. John Fisher College. Daggs also received Marshawn Lynch's autograph and watched practice as a true VIP.

The favorite part of the day for Daggs was seeing his son meet Donte. “It was completely unreal. Plus it was one of the nicest days of summer, and I couldn't ask for anything more,” said Daggs. “My son talked about it all the way home.”

Donte, who has a three-year old son, and Michael swapped stories about their sons and shared some experiences with raising a young boy.

Daggs had fun playing the online game and even more fun being the grand prize winner. “It was a great day!” exclaimed Daggs.

“This season’s 'So You Think You Know Donte' game received a lot of positive feedback from fans,” said Marquett Smith, the president of Verizon Wireless's Upstate New York region. “Verizon Wireless wants Bills fans to have fun, test their knowledge about the Bills and win a host of cool Bills prizes. We appreciate the support of the Bills in helping give Verizon Wireless customers and Bills fans the opportunity to have some fun at the team's site several times a year.”

The Verizon Wireless online contest was a series of fun and interactive questions that fans answered about Bills safety Donte Whitner. The fans that got the majority of the questions right were entered into a random drawing. Daggs was selected among thousands of entries that participated.

Donte Whitner thinking pink this season

Bills safety Donte Whitner will be using a pink mouthpiece all season.
James P. McCoy / Buffalo News

Reported by: Chuck Wade

July 29, 2009

If you take a close look at Donte Whitner on the practice fields at St. John Fisher, you may notice something that seems a little out of place. Don't worry, everything is fine.

That pink mouthpiece that you see Whitner wearing symbolizes something quite special to the Bills safety. "It's pink. My grandmother died from cancer in March. I wear that to signify my love for her, my support to everybody that's dealing with, or has a loved one that's died from cancer, so I'll continue to wear throughout the football season."

It's also Whitner's way of saying thank you to one of the people who helped guide his path all the way to the Buffalo Bills . "She was a second mom to me. I didn't have a dad growing up, it was my mom and grandmother growing up, and I continue to wear that mouthpiece."

USA Today Names Donte Whitner an All-Pro

Midseason All-Pro team: Who's been best in NFL's first half?

By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY

October 30, 2008

Who's en route to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl? USA TODAY chooses its top performers of the first half of the year with the midseason All-Pro team:





Defense

DE — Justin Tuck, Giants: No Strahan, no Osi, no problem. Versatile playmaker sparks still-dominant front.

DT — Kris Jenkins, Jets: With impact newcomer in 3-4 scheme, Jets run D has improved from 29th to fourth.

DT — Albert Haynesworth, Titans: Anchors NFL's stingiest defense; tied with Vikings' Kevin Williams for most sacks (six) by DT.

DE — John Abraham, Falcons: Few, if any, are as fast off the snap. His seven sacks, two forced fumbles evidence of impact.

OLB — James Harrison, Steelers: As emergency long-snapper, not so good. As force on the edge (8½ sacks), carries Pitt tradition.

MLB — London Fletcher, Redskins: Inspirational heartbeat of D always all over the field, and doesn't take plays off.

OLB — Joey Porter, Dolphins: Nope, not washed up. Leads NFL with 10½ sacks, already matching career high.

CB — Charles Woodson, Packers: Playing on broken toe, tied for NFL-high four INTs (two for TDs); snuffed out Reggie Wayne.

CB — Cortland Finnegan, Titans: With his four picks and playmaking skills, former seventh-rounder getting fewer passes his way.

CB — Antoine Winfield, Vikings: At 5-9, 180, great pound-for-pound value; maybe NFL's most underrated playmaker.

SS — Donte Whitner, Bills: No questions now about whether Buffalo reached to draft him eighth overall in 2006.

FS — Michael Griffin, Titans: Has emerged as a star in his second season; range reflected with four picks.

Buffalo stampede: Bills on move with rising star at safety

October 21, 2008

By Rick Gosselin

There is a film clip on YouTube of Buffalo's selection of Ohio State safety Donte Whitner with the eighth overall pick of the 2006 NFL draft.

Whitner keeps that clip on his home computer – plus his Web site, MySpace page and blog, for that matter – to remind him of how humble his NFL beginnings were.

Whitner was perceived as a draft-day reach by media pundits and fans. The YouTube clip shows a fan screaming after the selection, "Who?" The pick also was roundly booed at NFL Draft Central in New York that day.

"I remember how I felt," Whitner said. "I remember how much it hurt. I always keep that in mind. I use that to motivate me and drive me. As hard as I worked to prepare for the combine and draft so I could get drafted that high … then to get booed really hurt."

Whitner was an All-Big Ten safety at Ohio State. The Bills drafted him because he fit a need for them in the changing nature of the NFL – he was a coverage safety. At 5-10, 208 pounds, he wasn't the prototypical thumper at the position. But the undersized Whitner could line up in the slot and cover a third receiver.

"You can't find too many strong safeties in the NFL who do that," Bills backup safety Bryan Scott said. "That's how versatile he is."

Whitner has started since Day 1 with the Bills. He posted 100 tackles each of his first two seasons, earning a spot on the NFL All-Rookie team in 2006.

"I remember Oakland was praised for taking [Texas safety] Michael Huff [with the seventh overall pick]," recalled Whitner of his draft.

Huff was finally benched by the Raiders last weekend.

"I remember the fans and the media saying the Bills should have taken [USC quarterback] Matt Leinart," Whitner said.

Leinart has started only 16 games in his three NFL seasons at Arizona and sits the bench these days as the aging arm of Kurt Warner has taken the Cardinals to the top of the NFC West.

"Fans and media should give it two or three years to see how a draft pick works out before they pass judgment," Whitner said. "Think of how disappointed the Buffalo fans and organization would be if I didn't work out.

"I bet they like that 5-1 right now."

The Bills lead the AFC East with that 5-1 record and rank 10th in the NFL in defense, eighth in pass defense. Whitner has been a big part of Buffalo's turnaround this season with his team runner-up 31 tackles.

The Bills may have reached for Whitner in April 2006 – but they were reaching for a player who has proven worthy of that eighth overall selection. That's the bottom line on draft day – pick players who can make you a better football team, regardless what round. Whitner has done that.

Whitner's shot heard 'round the room

Jerry Sullivan

September 25, 2008

George Wilson is not known for brevity. The Buffalo Bills’ backup safety could turn a simple hello into the Gettysburg Address. But when I asked how many players objected to Donte Whitner’s late hit Sunday, Wilson got right to the point.

“None,” Wilson said Wednesday afternoon. “None of them.”

From what I could gather, the players loved it. When Whitner tackled Oakland’s Johnnie Lee Higgins after Higgins showboated his way into the end zone, he had the full support of his teammates. Their only regret was that they didn’t get a shot at Higgins, too.

“Hey, I imagine there were 10 other guys who would have done the same thing if they could have caught him,” defensive tackle Kyle Williams said. “I’m a little heavy and was further down the field, or I would have done it.”

If you think Whitner’s teammates were behind him, you should see what Bills fans are telling him on Facebook and MySpace. To them, Whitner was chasing an intruder out of the house, striking a blow for the franchise. He could run for mayor right now.

Dick Jauron took the predictable stand, saying Whitner has to control his emotions. But deep down, the coach had to be giving his young safety an attaboy.

“I was talking to Thurman Thomas,” Whitner said. “He told me that when he played here, someone on the defensive side — like Darryl Talley — would have done the same thing.”

Maybe it was a coincidence that Whitner did it on the day Bruce Smith was honored, with the old Bills in town. But it was a statement of competitive resolve. It said, “This team is different. You do not show us up in our house.”

This is the same young player, remember, who guaranteed the playoffs this season. Whitner wanted everyone, including his teammates, to understand the Bills were playing to a different standard. That means playing with the healthy bravado all great teams possess.

“Yeah, I was pretty much saying the same thing Sunday,” Whitner said. “You can go back to last year, when I said we weren’t punching bags for teams coming in here. Teams need to know they can’t come in here and show you up.”

On a team of bright, competitive guys, Whitner has become an unquestioned leader. As a 21-year-old rookie, he bided his time. But once the Bills cleaned out the old guard, Whitner was ready to take over as a leader and spokesman.

Whitner relishes the leadership role. That’s one of the reasons the Bills drafted him eighth overall in 2006. He had the physical talent. But he also had a bright, inquisitive nature and a fierce competitive temperament — an ideal combination for a young team leader.

The guy gets it. Early on, he reached out to Thomas, who told him how the team had bonded at Jim Kelly’s house in the old days. Whitner began hosting his defensive teammates at his house on Thursday nights. He believes a team can’t be truly close on the field if they’re separate away from it.

Last New Year’s Eve, on locker clean-out day, Whitner said he was going to start watching film right away and get ready for the new season. He said he was determined to do everything in his power to turn things around here.

The hit on Higgins was instinctive. The playoff guarantee was not.

“I think he knew what he was doing before he even made his statement to the media,” Wilson said. “I know he did, because we spent a lot of time together this offseason and that was one thing we discussed. He told me he was going to make the prediction. My response was, ‘I’m with you 100 percent, and I know the other guys are as well.’”

They were behind him 100 percent Sunday, too. Wilson guarantees it.

Hines follows 'star' path first blazed by Whitner

September 25, 2008

Doug Lesmerises

Columbus- The screen pass that banged off Ohio State defensive back Jermale Hines after he jumped a route near the goal line Saturday - that was no coincidence.

Sure, he wished he would have grabbed the interception for a touchdown.

"I knew I had the pick," the sophomore said. "I dropped it. I faked outside and went inside and the ball was right there."

He'll have other chances, because he always seems to find himself around the ball. In his first year at a new position since moving from linebacker, Hines has blown away his coaches with rare football instincts while establishing himself as the ideal antidote to the spread offense.

"I'm not sure I've seen a guy who can go line up and play a position and probably didn't get coached," coach Jim Tressel said. "He's just got natural instincts and an understanding of the game of football."

Safeties coach Paul Haynes sees linebacker size and safety speed in the 6-2, nearly 220-pound Hines - a combination that makes recruiters drool. That's why the Glenville graduate has seized the "star" position for the Buckeyes, the role as the fifth defensive back who takes the field on passing downs. As Tressel exhorts a veteran team to play faster, Hines has stood out as a example of ferocious, yet intelligent, intensity.

"His football instincts are incredible," Haynes said. "You sit there and you're like, 'That's exactly what I wanted him to do.' He does it without you telling him."

Ted Ginn Sr. saw it at Glenville, where the head coach used Hines all over the field, including at quarterback and linebacker his senior season. Ginn is certain Hines could excel at nearly any position in college as well.

"He's a football player. Some things you can't teach," Ginn said. "Jermale Hines is a freak. You don't find 6-2, 200-pound guys that can run and have the technique and the instincts like that. He'll be one of the great ones to come through Ohio State."

It was Haynes who dropped the name of the greatest safety in recent OSU history - former Glenville star and current Buffalo Bill Donte Whitner. Hines is bigger, Whitner was faster, but both found their way to the ball. Haynes was reminded of the past by the way Hines disrupted Troy's passing game Saturday, when he tied for second on the team with seven tackles.

"Maybe since Donte Whitner that's something we've missed on those screens," Haynes said. "After a while, you could see that receiver kind of started turning those down, because Jermale was coming after him."

Haynes made it clear Hines has a long way to go to reach the level of Whitner, a film rat who knew the game like a coach. But you can see that initial spark that resides in playmakers.

"It's just something you're born with, your mentality. Some people have it, some people don't," Hines said. "That's something I look forward to, going out there and trying to take people's heads off."

That's what the Buckeyes need from their star, which is the position Whitner played in the nickel defense in 2005 before he became a first-round pick of the Bills. The player needs to be physical enough to stop the run, but quick enough to play man-to-man against a receiver. Haynes said one of Hines' greatest advantages is few receivers can block him when he rushes up to make a play.

On an OSU defense predicated on everyone doing their job, the star position provides a rare level of freedom that must be taken advantage of. Hines loves that aspect of it. And he knows what to do with it.

"He'll do exactly what you tell him to do, but he'll do that extra you don't tell him," Haynes said. "He may not be right every time, but he's going to make more plays than he screws up. The sky is the limit for him."

Donte Whitner a Draft-Day Winner

Day 1's winners and losers

By Charles Robinson

April 29, 2006

THE WINNERS

Donte Whitner – If you want the draft’s biggest winner, it has to be Whitner. When Ohio State’s season ended, the safety was considered a borderline first-round pick. By the time he had gone through the combine, pro day and personal workouts, he’d caught the eye of the Bills, jumping all the way to No. 8 overall. With his hard work in the last four months, he earned himself somewhere around an extra $6 million to $8 million in guaranteed money.