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Former NFL Linebacker To Lead Minor-League Franchise
Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rick Razzano was a defensive force on the football field. Now, Razzano will tackle a new challenge. Razzano was recently named co-owner and head coach of the newly formed Penn-Ohio Tigers minor league professional football team, the organization announced Thursday night. The Canfield, OH based Tigers will take the field at Canfield High School this summer.
"Our goal and vision is to raise the perception of standards and credibility of minor league professional football with special emphasis on professionalism and performance," Razzano said. This is not Razzano's first experience in minor league football. Over the past two years Razzano was instrumental in building a nationally ranked team in New Castle serving as its Head Coach and Director of Football Operations. Razzano states there are two principles that are necessary in order to achieve a successful organization; 1) it takes experienced football coaches to develop and market players. 2) A Business background in order to make the right decisions necessary to achieve long term stability. Our primary focus is to build an organization that will benefit both the players and the community. We will give players an opportunity to develop their skills in order to keep their dream alive." Razzano said.
A New Castle, Pa native, Razzano holds the Virginia Tech University football record with 634 tackles in his collegiate career. Razzano's mark, which was set in the 1970s, remains the highest all-time total in the NCAA's Atlantic Coast Conference. But in order for any player to achieve a high level of success, Razzano said the process starts with a team's coaching staff. "The majority of players can only be developed to the level of the ability of the coaching staff. Many coaches at this level lack the coaching training which limits the development of their players. The (Penn-Ohio Tigers) have a group of highly experienced coaches who have played and coached at all levels of football," Razzano said.
The Tiger staff also has many collegiate and pro contacts, which Razzano said will greatly assist in the marketing of their players. Among those individuals include: Buffalo Bills head coach, Dick Jauron; Cincinnati Bengals head coach, Marvin Lewis; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Jon Gruden; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive and defensive coordinators Bruce Arians and Dick Lebeau, respectively; University of Kansas head coach Mark Mangino; University of Akron head coach J.D. Brookhart; Notre Dame University assistant head coach, John Latina, and David Razzano, a long-time N.F.L. Scout currently working with The Arizona Cardinals.
Razzano said he is excited to continue the region's storied football history. "We are extremely excited about being in this area because of the great football tradition and the abundance of talented players. The Penn-Ohio Tigers are committed to providing quality value entertainment, regional economic benefits and assistance with charitable organizations. The Tigers will also award annual scholarships to deserving Canfield High School Seniors who will be attending a college or university," Razzano said.
Razzano also said this team wouldn't be possible without the support of Canfield High School administrators and school board members. "We want to especially thank School Board President Brian Kesner, Superintendent Dante Zambrini, and Athletic Director Greg Cooper for their cooperation in this process." Razzano stated he had a conversation with Mr. Kesner whereby he expressed great enthusiasm for bringing The Penn-Ohio Tigers to Canfield. Razzano also said Superintendant Dante Zambrini is a true professional and the Canfield School District is very fortunate to have a leader of his caliber.
The Tigers are playing in the Grassroots Professional Football League(GPFL) which is made up of teams from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. The league is committed to representing professional standards that relate to appearance, attitude, behavior and level of talent. Razzano said we are excited about the caliber organizations in the GPFL, and thrilled for our players and fans about the opportunity to participate in a regional league playoff format, regionally based All-Star Game, and the nations largest minor-league professional football playoff system. This national playoff format is sponsored by The Minor League Football Association which includes 24 leagues throughout the country representing 160 teams that are either league champions or runner-ups.
The Tigers' inaugural regular season home opener kicks off Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m. at Canfield High School against the perennial national powerhouse Pittsburgh Colts. All Canfield High School students and staff will be admitted FREE to all home games upon presenting a school identification card. All other tickets will be sold at the gate for $5 per person. Season Passes will be made available for only $20 each, The Penn-Ohio Tigers are committed to the goal of providing family value entertainment.
The Tigers are conducting a player Combine that is free of charge to all interested players on Saturday April 26 at 8 p.m. The location is at the Creekside Sports Golf Dome, located at 1300 North State St. Girard, Ohio 44420. All players interested in attending should contact Rick Razzano via email at RRazz51@aol.com or by phone at 513-706-7687.
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