Lamar Mady, a senior physical education major at Youngstown State University, is the football team’s 6-foot-3-inch, 315-pound offensive guard who has aspirations of being drafted into the National Football League this spring.
Mady originally started for two years at Butler Community College in Kansas, but filed transfer papers to become a Penguin in the winter of 2010. He did so because he wanted to make a name for himself.
“I came to YSU because I felt comfortable here,” he said. “A few other schools recruited me, but YSU was an obvious choice.”
Steve Zaborsky, a redshirted freshman and the team’s defensive tackle, said he’s glad to be on the same team as Mady.
“My whole redshirted year, I went against him on scout defense every day at practice, and it’s been the hardest thing I’ve had to do for football,” Zaborsky said.
Mady could become the 16th player from YSU since 1967 to be drafted into the NFL. He would be the first YSU player drafted since 1998, when Harry Deligianis was a fourth-round draft pick.
“I really believe Lamar is going to make it to the league just off his focus and drive, along with his athleticism,” Zaborsky said. “He’s a really good guy and is very humble about all of his accolades.”
On Feb. 2, Mady appeared in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game, the Football Championship Subdivision’s version of the East-West Shrine Game.
“The game went good,” Mady said, adding that it feels great to be getting recognition. “Hopefully, I did enough to raise my draft stock.”
Overall, Mady is ranked as the 36th guard and 24th center.
“Lamar is a big body and is very athletic for his size,” Zaborsky said. Not very many people know this, but Lamar broke the three total lift record in the gym, so obviously he is very strong,” Zaborsky said.
Dante Nania, a redshirted freshman, said Mady is destined for greatness. “He is one of my good friends,” Nania said. “He deserves all of the things happening to him right now. He is invited to the [NFL] Combine, which is a huge accomplishment.”
The NFL Combine will be held in Indianapolis from Feb. 20 to Feb. 26. Senior Luis Quinones, defensive end, said Mady has already earned a reputation on the team for bringing the best out of his teammates.
“It was always a competitive environment between us. The label ‘NFL prospect’ made me go hard every time we went against each other. My hardest made him try his hardest to pancake me snap after snap,” Quinones said. “In a way, playing with Lamar gave me more confidence to work just as hard as he did before and during the season.”
Mady said he owes a measure of his success to his teammates as well.
“They are great teammates and guys,” he said. “[Jamaine] Cook is a hard worker; he stayed on top of me, and I stayed on him, too. Kurt [Hess] is the same as Cook. He is a big leader and a great player.”
And if his collegiate success translates into professional success, Mady will bring glory to himself and to YSU.
“I just want YSU to know that I’m doing this for them, and I’m trying to put YSU on the map,” he said.
