By: JOHN VARGO (TribToday.com) —
YOUNGSTOWN – Dan Herron stood in front of the kneeling campers, each taking a knee and intently listening to the soft-spoken Ohio State University redshirt sophomore tailback.

The 5-foot-9, 193-pound Warren G. Harding graduate, wearing a gray Ohio State shirt and a backwards black Major League Baseball cap with an embossed, reddish New York Yankees logo above the bill, told the campers – ranging from elementary school to high school – the importance of being successful on and off the field.

Then, Herron and Ohio State offensive lineman Jim Cordle fielded some questions from the youthful campers.

He is the favorite to replace Chris “Beanie” Wells, who is now part of the Arizona Cardinals, in the OSU backfield.

“The little kids are always funny,” said Cordle at Friday’s Ursuline Football Camp. “The second graders here kept asking, ‘Who’s the quarterback?’ ”

Of course, that’s sophomore Terrelle Pryor.

“After Boom talked, the kids said, ‘Who’s going to be the running back this year?,’ ” Cordle said.

Cordle, who stands 6-4 and is listed at 297 pounds, is well aware what kind of running back Herron will be for this year’s Buckeyes.

“He’s a great running back,” Cordle said. “What I like most about him is, playing guard last year a lot, I pulled and he followed me a lot on those power plays. He knows how to follow his lineman, which is pretty cool when you’re blocking for a guy like that.

“He’s as talented as anyone else. He’s not the biggest guy, but as tough as nails, fast and quick. He’ll carry the load for us this year.”

Herron’s talents aren’t limited to the field. His speaking prowess is derived from his father and Warren community activist Rev. David Herron. “Boom” enjoys giving back to the community, just like former Harding standout Deryck Toles does so many times as well. Toles was at Thursday’s Ursuline Camp.

“I love to show young kids I went away, but at the same time, I can come back and show you guys what I’ve been through – what it takes to get to where I’m at. I feel it’s something I love to do,” Herron said.

Cordle knows what’s it’s like to be a camper.

Buckeyes’ co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Luke Fickell played for John Cooper at OSU in the mid-1990s. He spoke at a camp Cordle, a Lancaster native, attended when he was in elementary school.

“These kids, they won’t remember anything we’ve said in a couple of years,” Cordle said. “It’s still nice they’ll know a Buckeye came. They’ll remember some things like to work hard and things like that. It makes the camp for them. It’s fun to do. Coach Fickell did it when I was in grade school. Now that I’m in the position he was, I’m giving back in the same way.

“It’s something that we’re at Ohio State and people care. It’s almost like we have a responsibility to do things like this. And, I really enjoy doing it.”

Hopefully, they’ll remember something Cordle or Herron said Friday.

“I hope I got something across, something they could tell their parents – something like, ‘This is what I learned from ‘Boom’ Herron today,” Herron said.