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"I think he’ll make a lot of big plays for us and we feel like we have to do everything we can to put the ball in his hands.” - St. Paul head coach John Livengood on senior Joe Graziani.

By Mark Hazelwood

NORWALK – Like many fans, alumni, and aspiring players-to-be at the time, St. Paul senior captain Joe Graziani, who was just an eight-year old boy at the time, was in awe of the 1997 Flyer team that advanced to the state championship game for the first time in school history.

The team chewed up and spit out 10 regular season opponents before winning three playoff games before falling to Delphos St. John 42-28 in the fog at Massillon Paul Brown Stadium. It has now been a full decade since that magical season, but what stood out to Graziani was the Flyer backfield at the time...and the years following.

"I've grown up as a kid watching the Pugh brothers (Dan and Jason), Mike Morrow, Brian Pickens, Matt Grose, and I played with Joe Stoll," Graziani said. "When you step into the backfield here, there is a great tradition to follow and uphold."

But out of all those dominant feature backs that has made, perhaps even destined Graziani to follow in their footsteps, was a gesture from perhaps the school's all-time greatest player. It was a gesture that has clearly left an impact, and footprints to follow in.

"In junior high Dan Pugh wrote me a letter," Graziani said. "And that was just a huge deal to me. He told me to keep my priorities straight, which were God, school, then football. I’ve always been working as hard as I can to maybe become a player like him some day."

There is little wonder why a small gesture as a letter had such an impact, as Pugh's background needs little introduction to the Flyer fan base...nine school records, 4,307 yards and a staggering 63 touchdowns. The most impressive part was the fact that just about all the totals came over a span of two varsity seasons, not four. He then went on to Mount Union and was named the Most Outstanding Player in all of Division III as a senior.

For the past two seasons, Graziani mixed in at running back with names like Joe Stoll and Rob Whitehurst. Last season he fit the slash/jack-of-all-trades role by leading the team in receiving with 28 catches for 448 yards and five touchdowns, he was the second leading rusher with 583 yards and eight touchdowns, the second leading scorer with 96 points and the leading return man with 439 yards and three touchdowns.

All that helped him become a first team All-Firelands Conference selection on both sides of the ball while being voted the FC defensive back of the year as well as handling the team’s place holder duties for the kicking game.

But even with the 1,470 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns from a year ago, there was always that burning desire to be the leader of that tradition-rich Flyer backfield. Those large footprints he has followed and chased for ten years are at the edge of his cleats.

And in 2007, those footprints have become as clear as ever.

He had patiently bided his time throughout his varsity career, but Graziani's time to lead...has arrived.

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It's never easy becoming a quality back, everyone knows the work must be put in...but even Graziani knows he was able to slip under the radar and catch team's napping with Stoll and Whitehurst carrying the ball with him.

“My first three years I had a lot of great teammates and a lot of talent around me,” Graziani said. “There is obviously a lot more weight on my shoulders this season and I understand that. I’m ready to be a leader and help take the team as far as we can go."

That desire and dedication to filling that role hasn't gone unnoticed by his head coach, who has seen all the above mentioned running backs come through under his watch.

“We expect a lot out of Joe and I am really excited about his attitude,” St. Paul coach John Livengood said. “He is one of the strongest kids on our team at just 175 pounds, he is the fastest kid on our team, and he is a very explosive athlete. But I think that improved strength and work ethic that he has put in is going to pay extreme dividends for us. I think he’ll make a lot of big plays for us and we feel like we have to do everything we can to put the ball in his hands.”

Graziani also knows what a lot of outsiders know...the Flyers failed to even win the Firelands Conference championship a year ago and now must replace several key players like Stoll, Whitehurst, Brad Frank, Drew Hipp, Tyler Camp and Tyler Wilde to name a few.

“This senior class after two straight titles and then losing one, we want to get back on the right track and get the title back here," he said. "But it's not something we even talk about. Everyone on the team and in the locker room knows what is expected of them when they show up here every day, and that is on the list just like it is every other year in the past."

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While being certain about what his role has to be, Graziani has also been around the program long enough to realize potential has never won a football game on the field.

"This team can be as good as we want it to be," he said. "We have the potential, but it will take hard work and dedication and I think everyone knows that. We are young at some positions, but the talent is there so we just have to play hard and see how it all plays out. We’re ready but there is definitely some improving to do.”

Graziani knows there are elementary and junior high kids, as ball boys on the sidelines and also in the stands, watching and transfixed on his every move along with the rest of his classmates. The hope in his mind is that his final season very well may change from just the thought of simply following in the footsteps...

to imprinting the phrase "follow the leader."