Ryan Crampton, along with his family and friends, celebrate his signing day. Crampton said he will be playing close to his linebacker position at Wittenberg.
Drew Terhall | The Daily Advocate
By Drew Terhall
DailyAdvocate.com
GREENVILLE —
Greenville senior Ryan Crampton is heading to Wittenberg University to play football for them this upcoming fall. He signed his National Letter of Intent on Mar. 15 to be a part of the program.
Crampton said he took about three to four visits to Wittenberg and compared the university to the other campuses he visited. After comparing each one, he felt Wittenberg was the right place for him.
“A lot of them had pros and cons. It was a hard decision, but Wittenberg is definitely the place I wanted to be,” Crampton.
Crampton said the coaches at Wittenberg see him as a hybrid linebacker type player. He could be asked to be a strong safety or an outside linebacker. Crampton has shown he can be a productive player inside the box.
Crampton was named to the All-MVL Second Team last season as a linebacker. He finished the season with 141 tackles, the fourth most in the MVL. Crampton also had an interception and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Greenville football head coach Bart Schmitz said Crampton has great upside and is a hard worker on and off the field. He believes Crampton can be a versatile player for the Tigers.
“He can play anywhere. Him and I have talked and I think they see him potentially as a strong safety, maybe an outside linebacker. He’ll play anywhere they want him to play,” Schmitz said.
Greenville athletic director Aaron Shaffer said he believes Crampton can handle the pressures of being a student athlete at the next level. Crampton is someone who will give it his all on the field and in the classroom.
Shaffer thinks his alma mater is getting a great player.
“He’s going to be a valuable addition to their program,” Shaffer said.
Crampton said he is thankful for his teammates and coaches for helping him enjoy the game of football and for pushing him to be the best he can be. He is also thankful for his family and friends for their support during his football career.
While at Wittenberg, Crampton plans to major in education and is interested in getting a minor in exercise science.
Crampton is excited to get to work once he steps foot on campus. For him, Wittenberg is the best place for him to improve as a player and a person.
“I want to reach my full potential. Wittenberg is the right fit for that and they’ll get me to the place that I want to be. I will be able to reach my goals the best there,” Crampton said.
Contact Daily Advocate sports editor Drew Terhall at [email protected]
