For the majority of the Ohio football team, Saturday’s game at Rutgers is the second of six road games this season. For linebacker Jelani Woseley, this game is as close to home as it gets.
A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Woseley and the rest of the team will be playing a mere 29 miles from his hometown, compared to the 500 miles Peden Stadium sits from Staten Island.
“I’m excited,” Woseley said. “I’m going to have at least 40 or 50 family members come through. In the three years I’ve been here, this is the closest game we’ve played to New York.”
Woseley looked out of state to play college football because there are few prominent Division I programs in his home state.
“When I came on a visit, I really liked the feel of it here,” Woseley said. “I liked what the coaches were about. I felt like this was a nice home for me.”
Though Woseley’s name will be a familiar one in the stands Saturday, he is beginning to make a name for himself in Athens as well.
In just three games this season, Woseley has already recorded more tackles than he did in either of his previous two seasons.
Woseley also added an interception and a 26-yard return for a touchdown against Gardner-Webb in Week Two.
Ohio linebackers coach Ron Collins said more playing time has contributed to Woseley’s early success.
“I think the game experience has helped him out tremendously,” Collins said. “His mental maturity and knowledge of the game of football have both improved.
“I think he’s becoming a more complete player, and with each game, he’s gaining more and more confidence because he’s getting that experience.”
Though Woseley grew up only a few miles from New Jersey, he made it clear that he was never a fan of its state university.
“I wasn’t a New Jersey guy,” Woseley said. “New York and New Jersey are separate, and we kept it like that.”
Although Woseley never rooted for the Scarlet Knights, he did play a game on their field during high school.
As a quarterback at New Dorp High School, Woseley represented New York in the New York-New Jersey All-Star Classic played at Rutgers.
The Bobcats will be hoping for a better outcome than the 21-14 loss Woseley suffered on that field four years ago.
As an upperclassman on a young defense, Woseley has been pushed into a leadership role, Collins said.
“He’s definitely a leader by example. He’s not a vocal leader, and everybody will tell you that,” Collins said. “But he’s very focused on what he’s doing right now and very centered on what’s happening on the football field, and I think the other guys see that as well."
After grabbing his first career interception and touchdown two weeks ago, Woseley said he desires a similar performance this weekend.
“That would definitely be good,” Woseley said. “This is an important game, and a win would mean a lot.”
ro137807@ohiou.edu
