For Ohio tight end Ryan Antle, it is a homecoming that could have been.
When Ohio plays at Kentucky this weekend, Antle will finally arrive where he first intended to play football.
Antle verbally committed to the Wildcats last December, but things suddenly changed when then-coach Guy Morris called and told him he was taking the coaching job at Baylor.
He wanted me to go to Baylor with him
but I was going to have to wait until after the semester Antle said. I was going to have to wait until June to go out there and I was a mid-year transfer from junior college
ready to go.
Kentucky was not really an option either. Because of his commitment to Kentucky, Antle was low on options because most other schools that recruited him had found other players.
Fortunately for Antle his teammate at Pasadena City College, Andre' Bradford, was planning a visit to Ohio, where Antle had also been recruited.
It just so happened (Ohio) coach (Brian Knorr) called me
and I found out Andre' was going to be going on a trip for the weekend
so I just jumped on and went aboard
Antle said. It was all just perfect timing. It was fortunate Andre' was coming down here.
Not only was it perfect timing for Antle, but also for Ohio, which was still in search of a tight end.
We were at the right place at the right time
Knorr said.
Both Antle and Bradford made the trip to Ohio and committed that weekend. Both signed with Ohio Dec. 18, the first day players could sign.
We were talking about how it would be nice to play for the same team again
Bradford said. I really liked that idea. I wasn't sure if he was really going to go through with it
but it worked out
so I was really happy with that decision.
Bradford and Antle had become friends at Pasadena, where they competed against each other in practice everyday, with Bradford often covering Antle from his strong safety position. That relationship made the transition to Ohio easier.
It was a lot easier deciding to come here knowing he was going to be here
