Mount Gilead football standout Michael Mollohan signed with Urbana last week during National Signing Day.
Mollohan noted that he had a good number of schools to pick from before deciding on attending the Division II university.
“I probably had 20 offers,” he said. “It took probably three weeks to get down to five and then I whittled them down from there.”
When it came down to the final schools he was looking at, West Virginia State and Ashland were also considered, but Urbana wound up being his choice.
“I liked the coaches the most and it’s a small town like I’m used to,” he said.
While competing for Mount Gilead, Mollohan, who will play as an offensive lineman, earned a lot of accolades. As a sophomore, he was a second-team pick in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference. After his junior season, he was named first-team in both the MOAC and Central District and was an honorable mention All-Ohioan. He pulled off the hat trick this past season, being named to the first team by the league, district and state.
Mollohan noted that he started considering the possibility of college football as a sophomore, adding that he became dedicated to weight-lifting, as well. While he suffered some injuries during high school, including a knee injury suffered in wrestling his junior season, that dedication in the weight room helped him stay on track.
“It was probably two months until I got back (from the knee injury), but I still lifted,” he said. “It took two months to get back to where I am.”
Mollohan, who plans to major in criminal justice at Urbana, feels that if he continues to work hard, he’ll have a bright future with the Blue Knights.
“They’re saying I can move better than a lot of guys my size,” he said. “They say if I keep working hard and getting better, I should be able to make an impact soon.”
