INDIANAPOLIS — If you’re a Western Pennsylvania football standout, one with legitimate pro potential, there’s usually a small handful of colleges that won’t let you get away.
Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia are closest. Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame are close enough. And every now and again, a Michigan State, Virginia Tech or some other ACC program might snag a major-conference prospect from the Pittsburgh area.
But Iowa? The Hawkeyes, even with Upper St. Clair native Kirk Ferentz as their longtime head coach, don’t often show much interest in WPIAL players and vice versa. Geno Stone took a leap of faith, and now he’s trying to take a big step to become the next NFL safety from New Castle this weekend at the combine.
“My main decision was not to leave too far from home, and Iowa was like a 10-hour drive from my house,” Stone said with a smile Friday morning. “Being able to leave that far from home and go chase my dreams, it really helped me grow into a man. I got more mature. Just to be here today is a blessing.”
Stone, who left Iowa after his junior season, didn’t want to get into talk about his draft stock. He did predict that he’ll “surprise some people” Sunday when he runs the 40-yard dash and is shooting for a 4.55 time.
Last year, Stone was second-team All-Big Ten after starting every game at strong safety. He had three forced fumbles, one recovery and an interception, and also picked off four passes as a sophomore, including a touchdown return at Penn State.
Another @HawkeyeFootball non-offensive score:@GenoStone22 houses the INT to make it a three-point game. pic.twitter.com/EdW30mmt5p
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 27, 2018
“I talked to a bunch of players that left early from Iowa, I talked to some players that I’m close with that left early from other schools,” Stone said. “And I’ve had a great mentor in Will Allen.”
Yes, the former NFL safety who played two stints with the Steelers between 2010 and 2015. Allen happens to be friends with Stone’s mother’s doctor, providing another sounding board for a 5-foot-10, 207-pounder who already has a prominent one in his corner.
Malik Hooker was a senior at New Castle when Stone was a freshman. Another multi-sport star at a school where seemingly all the good athletes play everything, Hooker needed just three years and two seasons of action at Ohio State before becoming a first-round pick of the Colts in 2017, 15th overall.
“I was actually with him the night before I made my decision [to enter the draft],” Stone said. “We took a long ride, we talked about a bunch of stuff. I’ve been close to Malik ever since I was in seventh or eighth grade.”
At least in recent decades, New Castle has been known much more for boys basketball than football, but here’s Stone getting ready to join Hooker in the NFL — and at the same position, no less.
“It’s definitely surreal. This is something we always talked about when we were kids, to put on for our city,” Stone said. “There’s many guys from my city that could’ve made it out but never really had their head on their shoulders. For us to make an impact for our city and have everybody believe in us, the whole city’s behind us.”
And Stone, who hasn’t heard from the Steelers yet, wanted to point out there could be more, too. Lamont “Jake” McPhatter started his college career at Ball State but played the last three seasons at California (Pa.), where he was twice a Division II All-American. There’s also Hooker’s younger brother at Ohio State, Marcus, who played in seven games last year as a redshirt freshman.
Both are safeties, of course.
“Shoot, we’re Western Pa., tough-nosed kids there,” Stone said of being from New Castle. “The city isn’t that great, but at the same time, you’re going to get great kids out of that city. It’s a one-of-a-kind place, I’ll say that.”
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko
First Published: February 28, 2020, 8:36 p.m.
