Concluding Sibley's storybook high school career

It’s been nearly three years since a bowling ball of a running back from northeast Ohio named Todd Sibley first saw his name appear on Rivals.com. Three years of attention and accolades from college football coaches and fans, two verbal commitments, and a partridge in a pear tree. Sibley’s storybook high school career saw him capture two Ohio state championships at Archbishop Hoban; it witnessed him etch his name into the top five career rushers in the state of Ohio; and it was rewarded as he earned offers from college football powers like Pitt (where he intends to sign), Ohio State, and Michigan.

With that recruiting history behind him, it’s almost a bit surreal for Sibley to be this close to the finish line. 50 high school football games and countless hours in weight rooms, at training sessions, and on college campuses flew by in the blink of an eye. On New Year’s Day of 2017, Sibley participated in the second to last chapter of that high school career. For the star running back, appearing on national television and scoring a touchdown as an Under Armour All-American was a surreal experience that couldn’t be repeated.

“It was a great feeling honestly. It was one of those things you can’t really forget about – playing in the Under Armour game and scoring a touchdown is one of those things you dream about as a little kid, but to actually do it is so shocking,” Sibley said. “It doesn’t feel like real life. It was a great moment for me, my family, our friends back home, our fans and all of those supporting me. It was big for me.

“They only take 115 of the top players in the nation out of seven billion people in the world, so it’s just like ‘This will never be me.’ When it actually happens, it’s just one of those things where you can’t actually believe it. It’s like ‘Wow, I’m an Under Armour All-American. I’m playing in the same game as AJ Green, Jameis Winston, and all these greats in the NFL did.’ You’re a part of them and did something that they did. It’s really great, it’s a blessing.”

You can hardly blame the young man if he’s a bit overwhelmed by the finality of all. That star-studded game in Orlando was the final moment he would pat on the pads in a live action game until he first enters the game as a Pitt Panther in college. Sibley was trying to soak in and enjoy what he was taking part in, as well as all of the moments he’ll experience before leaving for Pitt in June, while still keeping an eye turned towards his promising future.

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“I’m just taking it in and taking it all day by day. Four years of high school really flew by and it’s almost coming to an end. So I’m just taking it day by day, but I’m going to start training and getting ready for the college level. Playing in the Under Armour game definitely got me ready because everybody there is a top player and at that next level. Playing there helped me learn a lot,” Sibley explained. “I’m just getting ready for graduation though and hanging with my friends, so I’m just taking advantage and living life to its fullest because you never get these days back.”

Sibley was able to enjoy the event and compete alongside some of his closest friends. Todd shared the week with three fellow Ohioan standouts – Clemson commit Matt Bockhorst, Penn State commit Sean Clifford, and Ohio State commit Marcus Williamson – and also had the opportunity to play alongside fellow Pitt commit Paris Ford.

In some ways, seeing players that he’ll lace up against and alongside in college brought on a bit of a nostalgia. For nearly the entire history of college football recruiting, the only time players would meet their fellow top prospects would be at high school all-star games, on official visits to campuses, or when they first enrolled in school. With each younger group of players, that narrative changes. Sibley has known some of the players at Under Armour’s event, even those from across the country, since he was a 14-year old freshman getting his first taste of football’s recruiting circuit.

“We’re the class of 2017, so we all started back together at the Rivals camps and the Nike regional camps, so we’ve all known each other for our four years of high school and checked in on each other and their stats and see how everyone is doing and all that,” Sibley said. “It was nice to bring everyone together for one final week to come together and talk and make new friends for one last time before we go off to our own directions. It was great to come together one last time because we have so many great football players in our 2017 class.”

Many of these great players are already committed, including Sibley himself. Many others are still looking around and attempting to find the right fit for the college level. A smaller group are in some undefined gray area between the two – committed, but not necessarily decided. Sibley made sure to plant a bug in the ear of quite a few of the prospects still evaluating their options, including a pair of four-stars he’d like to see suit up alongside him.

“The top two we were working on were Nathan Proctor and Jeff Thomas. Obviously Jeff Thomas, we were working on him after his performance without him being committed anywhere. Proctor recently committed to Virginia Tech, but I don't think he wanted to go to Virginia Tech that badly based off of his facial expressions after the commitment, you could tell he didn't want to go there," Sibley said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek. "But there were a lot of guys down there interested in Pitt or looking at Pitt, so [Pitt commit Paris Ford] and I made sure that they were keeping us in consideration when they're making their college decision."

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Sibley’s commitment to Pitt has been unwavering since he announced his intentions to choose the Panthers in June of 2016. However, when former Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Canada departed to take the same position at LSU, there was concern around several of Pitt’s commits. Sibley had a close bond with Canada and the former coordinator was one of the reasons he felt comfortable at Pitt after departing from Ohio State’s recruiting class, but the running back is excited to see what head coach Pat Narduzzi has in store next.

“I love the Pitt coaching staff, they’re all great guys. I talk with them several times a week, if not every day. I loved Matt Canada too and I was sad when I heard that he left, but it was what’s best for him and his family, so I can’t be mad. I recently talked to him and had a short conversation via text, just wishing each other luck at Pitt and LSU; he said I was a great kid and I said he was a great coach. It was kind of just one last farewell because everything happened so suddenly [when Canada made the move]. He’s a great guy and a great coach and he was so down to earth,” Sibley said. “He’s going to be missed, probably even more by people who were around him every day than by me. He had a real big impact on my recruiting and decision to pick Pitt, so it definitely sucks to see him go.

“I’ve been talking to [head] coach [Pat] Narduzzi and [running backs] coach [Andre] Powell, kind of equally (in terms of frequency). I’m kind of as clueless as everybody else and as excited to see who’s going to be calling the shots for us offensively. The minute I find out, I feel like everybody will. Coach Narduzzi told us that he’s going to hire the best man for the job and find somebody just as creative and explosive as coach Canada, if not more so. I know he’s going to find the right guy for the job, so I’m excited to see who he’s going to go out and get.”

For Sibley, the close of his illustrious high school career has arrived suddenly. The whirlwinds of high school football and recruiting events and making a college decision have carried him since the start of his freshman year at Archbishop Hoban, but there’s truly only one event left in Sibley’s path at this level. With a decision for Pitt set in stone, his state title defense finished and in the books, and his All-American experience completed, the only chapter left is to put pen to paper on Sibley’s National Letter of Intent on February 1st.

“I’ll probably have a ceremony. I didn’t really have a plan, but you just put it in my head, so now I’ve got to have a ceremony. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be really nice, and everybody is invited,” Sibley laughed.

It’s a fitting end for one of Ohio’s most decorated players in state history and one of its most gregarious personalities off of the field. Archbishop Hoban couldn’t possibly hope to keep Sibley all to themselves, but they’ll certainly give him a final send-off before he takes his talents to Pitt.