After acting at Allter High School in the early 1980s, he was a standout player in Ohio State, then spent 11 seasons in NFL.
But if there was any doubt about his situation in the state, it was erased when he was chosen as one of the “Ohio’s finest” honors at the annual Ohio State Football Coach Clinic in Columbus.
Graham said after addressing a gathering group of high school coaches across the state at Woody Hayes Athletic Center on 11 April, Graham said, “This is a major achievement.”
He was particularly happy to be honored in front of his mother, Grace and his daughter, Jenia.
“My daughter had never seen me playing in college, so for her to see her and to happen, ‘Yes, father, you played here!” Instead of seeing and hearing about the stories, she can actually see you physically speaking in this engagement – it means a lot, ”he said.
While Graham OSU had an alternative quarterback in Alter and Standout Receiver, and in NFL, a new generation has detected her from another title more than a decade: Coach.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
For this, he credited a lot to Maurice Douglas, the head coach of the current Springfield High School, a former NFL team, who was one of the friends and a group of family to join Graham in Columbus for the Clinic.
Graham was initially not interested in coaching when he retired from playing in 2002, but turned into his nephew, Tony and Marcus Graham, grown up.
Graham told the coach clinic, “He said,” Come out and teach us some ropes. Tell us what you have learned. ” “And I said, ‘Man, I am tired of football. I am trying to do something different in life, right?” Then one thing excluded the other in the backyard, in the front yard, seeing their practices. ,
It led Douglas, a Trotwood-Madison Grade, who went to Kentaki and played 11 seasons at NFL, inviting him to join his employees in TMHS.
“You know, this is very funny because we were team companions in Chicago,” said Douglas. “I had their first two years there for the last two years, so we went against each other in practice every day and came to know what one can do as a player. Then his nephew transferred Trotwood to make it easier.
This was something that echoed with Graham, who played for legends such as Head Coach Ed Domsitz (Douglas in Trotwood), College Football Hall of Fames Earl Bruce and John Cooper and NFL at High School.
Credit: Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images
Graham said, “I just joined it and itching came about me.”
“I only wanted to give all the knowledge that I have learned from coaches. I mean, I had some great coaches from college to professionals.”
After giving advice to the receivers for the receiver at Trotwood, Graham moved to the aggressive coordinator.
He helped guide the Douglas Guide at his first state championship in 2011, then took over as a head coach after three years when Douglas left for Springfield.
Also, initially, what Graham wanted to do, but both eventually agreed that it was in the best interest of the program.
“When I went, I was trying to bring him to Springfield with me, but another person applied for the job and I said,” If you leave, we both know that those children will leave, and the trotwood will be done. It is only understandable when you live, “Douglas missed. “So he stopped and won two more state championships, and he got a chance to win it again this year as he really got a good team.”
Graham’s tenure as a head coach in TMHS was a successful success.
Rama went to his first two sessions in the semi-finals, then the state runner-up in 2016.
In 2017, he moved 15–0 and won all this, making Douglas and Graham first and second to win the OHSA Football State Championship.
Rama claimed another state title after two years, but the program had rocker days since then.
During the 2020 season, Trotwood was 4–1, which was shortened for all due to Kovid -19 epidemic but eWayne is small for Ram as the district restored the game after about a month compared to other people of the region.,
After leaving for 4-6 in 2021 and 7–5 in ’22, Ram was 9-3 in23.
They left 5-6 in the previous season, when all their losses were eight points or less, including a 14–12 defeat to Badin in the early stages of the playoffs.
Credit: David Jablonski/Staff
Credit: David Jablonski/Staff
Graham said that the epidemic set the program back, as Trotwood and North Dhanon was killed in May, sent to some potential players who lost their homes to other districts.
The difficulties not only gave Trotwood the cost of some players, but also broke the pace of the program by looting young players of the occasion, which their old counterparts did to create and maintain a winning culture.
But Graham expressed optimism that is changing this offsen.
While talent is rarely an issue for Trotwood, Graham is happy with the leadership that he is looking at some older players, including defensive linemen cordonus Whats, receiver/defensive back Armani Rogers and Quarterback Dallas Xhehe.
“It looks great,” Graham said. “You know, this is a high school, so we have still found some pieces that we have got to keep together – the aggressive line, the defensive line, these good things. But overall, these only children are working there. It’s just the inspiring thing that is very good to see that the children are buying in the weight room that we expect.
“I am creating it to team leaders, and then you are doing some great things to some young children for our program. Not only (college) is being offered. It is a part of it, but this is not the main thing. The main thing is that the best team that you can possibly keep together so that you can go out and compete on Friday night.”