Sports

Avon Football Standout Withdraws from Penn State

Ross Douglas was expected to play cornerback.

Following sanctions against Penn State University’s football team July 23, football standout Ross Douglas has withdrawn from the program.

ESPN.com reported today that Douglas has opted out of the university, marking the first casualty since the sanctions were announced, also this morning.

Sanctions include a $60 million fine over 5 years, the loss of wins from 1998-2011 and the loss of post-season opportunities.

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Douglas recently visited Nebraska and according to ESPN, will go to Wisconsin on Friday. Douglas was wavering and made the decommitment official shortly after the sanctions were released.

AOL.Sportingnews.com quoted Ross’ father.

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“The school that we’re talking about, this is not good,” Douglas’ father, Robert Douglas, told 247Sports.com. “This is a bad day. For Ross, he’s not going to comment on Penn State anymore. There is nothing we can say that’s going to bring any comfort.”

It’s a 180 from March of this year, when Douglas committed to play at the University after Paterno had resigned.

Something clicked, he said at the time, and he made a verbal commitment to play for the Nittany Lions where he expected to play cornerback at Penn State.

"I felt at home there," he told Patch in March, adding that the atmosphere at Penn State under new coach Bill O'Brien was positive.

"I like the people there," he said at the time. "It's a family environment."

At Avon High School, Douglas was third team All-Ohio in Division II. He was deemed a key part of the .

Douglas, a junior running back and defensive back for the Eagles, was rated a four-star (out of possible five) prospect by recruiting site Rivals.com. He scored 15 touchdowns while rushing for more than 1,000 yards this past season as the Eagles went 13-2.


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