DaytonDailyNews.com

Passed over by the big schools, Alex Gross still had options coming out of Fairmont High School if he wanted to continue playing football.

Ultimately, it came down to a scholarship at Wofford, preferred walk-on status at Northwestern or no financial aid whatsoever at an Ivy League school in New York City.

"Big-city life is definitely different," Gross, a sophomore linebacker, noted this week while home on break from Columbia University. "Never a dull moment, that's for sure."

Columbia has been an education for the sociology major, and not just in the classroom. In addition to learning how to get around the city by subway, Gross has attended a handful of Broadway shows, baseball at Yankee Stadium and basketball at Madison Square Garden.

On the football field this season, he led the Ivy League with 101 tackles to rank 20th in the Football Championship Subdivision. This after being named the league's top rookie as a freshman.

"One of the reasons I chose Columbia was because I'd have the opportunity to play early," Gross said. "I was fortunate."

At Fairmont, Gross captained the football team as a junior and senior. As a senior, in addition to playing linebacker, he rushed for 1,174 yards, scored 14 touchdowns and was class valedictorian.

A bit undersized at 5-foot-11 and about 220 pounds, the all-Ivy selection is not counting on playing football beyond college but would like to stay involved.

Centerville native Kirk Herbstreit, once an Ohio State quarterback, now an ESPN analyst, is his role model. "I think he has the greatest job on earth," said Gross, who hopes to intern at ESPN before he graduates. "That's what I want to do — watch film, educate myself and give my opinion.

"Anything I can do to stay in sports and have it be part of my daily life is really what I'm looking for."

Locals and the draft

The Web site NFLdrafthog.com projects Michigan State running back Javon Ringer (Chaminade Julienne) as a second-round pick of the Denver Broncos.

Ringer is rated the fifth-best running back likely to be available, behind Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), Beanie Wells (Ohio State), C.J. Spiller (Clemson) and James Davis (Clemson).

Other locals getting second-round love on the site are Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman (Wayne) and Cincinnati defensive back Mike Mickens (Wayne). Fourth-round grades are given to Notre Dame safety David Bruton (Miamisburg), Miami linebacker Clayton Mullins (Fairborn) and Indiana defensive tackle Greg Brown (Centerville).

Purdue receiver Greg Orton (Wayne) is listed 27th among receivers.

Double shot of Shardo

In Walsh University's NAIA basketball loss to California Baptist in the final game of the Las Vegas Hoopla tournament last Saturday, guard Jeremy Shardo (Versailles) scored a game-high 26 points and went 16-for-17 from the free-throw line. The previous night, brother Joe Shardo (Versailles) scored a career-high 29 points in a win over Wentworth Institute of Technology.

If you have information about local athletes

competing in college sports, please send an e-mail to smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com or sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.