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Yappi.com writer CANTON— As a running back and strong safety, he led the astonishing Canton McKinley football program to consecutive high school Division I state football titles and one national championship. Five years after peaking at the scholastic level of his career, he ascended to the collegiate level at Ohio State and led the Buckeyes to a flawless 14-0 record and a national championship. Three years later after leading the Buckeyes to their historic upset over Miami, Mike Doss is thriving in the National Football League as a hard-hitting safety for the three-time AFC South division champion Indianapolis Colts and is coming off a season, which they finished 14-3 as conference semifinalists. The former Canton McKinley and Ohio State University has not forgotten his roots. This weekend, he along with former Canton McKinley and Ohio State teammate Kenny Peterson returned to Canton and hosted the first annual two-day Mike Doss-Kenny Peterson Canton Youth Football Camp to over 200 participants. Doss got the idea from listening to current players in the National Football League and figured that this would be the right time to execute what he was taught. “I got this idea from (former Indianapolis cornerback) David Macklin. I played with him and I got to see how he did his camp,” Doss said. Referring to the participants, Doss added, “I see a lot of potential in these kids. They have a great future and they have what it takes to play football.” Whereas Peterson is succeeding as a defensive lineman for Green Bay, Doss has shown the same potential that has made him successful in both the scholastic and college levels of the game. In three years at Indianapolis under the guidance of head coach Tony Dungy, he has a record of 41-13 with the Colts and is coming off a breakout year, which saw the Colts win their first 13 games of the 2005 season on their way to their third straight division crown. Spending time with kids from his hometown allows the 25-year-old product to get away from the rigors of trying to unseat the last two conference and Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. And what better way to do it in the legendary venue of Fawcett Stadium, close to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the center of the football universe. “The kids are excited and fired up about that. They want to come to this camp and have fun,” Doss said. “They come in here and work hard and they learn not just the aspects of football but the importance of education as well.” Doss has reaped the benefits of a strong education. A strong turning point in his life came after the 2001 season as he was staring down the possibility of departing Ohio State for the NFL after three-years at OSU. He returned for his senior season and under the impeccable watch of second-year Buckeyes head coach James Patrick Tressel, Doss attained his goal along with Peterson of being a national champion. But graduating from Ohio State was the greatest moment in the life of Doss. Now his goal is to see these kids be just as successful as he was on the gridiron and in the classroom. “I want them to take something from this experience. The first day was about fun. I want these kids to understand that when they work hard, they can be whatever they want to be,” Doss said. “If they want it badly, they will work hard to get it.” Doss concluded later, “I had to come back here for the kids in my hometown. This is where I was raised.” A two-time state champion at Canton McKinley High School and a national champion along with All-American status at Ohio State is a great reason for youths to look up to Canton native and standout football athlete Michael Allen Doss. |
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