ASHLAND — If he didn’t know any better, Logan Slavinski would swear he stumbled into a time machine someplace outside Ashland University’s Dwight Schar Athletic Complex.
The last three years are a blur for AU’s senior tight end.
“The time has flown by,” said Slavinski, a 2011 Clear Fork graduate. “You have no idea.
“It seems like yesterday that I was reporting for camp for the first time.”
It was the fall of 2011 and, like any college freshman, Slavinski had some reservations. Had he made the right college choice? How would he fit in with his new teammates?
“You just never know what to expect until you get there,” Slavinski said. “All I could do is show up and work as hard as I could and try to make a positive impression on the coaches.”
Slavinski’s hard work — and his versatility — caught the attention of Lee Owens and his staff. At one point or another during his collegiate career, Slavinski has lined up at fullback, tight end and H-back, a fullback/tight end hybrid. He’s also a regular on AU’s PAT team, lining up as one of the wings.
“Logan is a combination guy. We can move him around and he is smart enough to change positions,” said Owens, a Madison graduate who led Galion to a Division II state title in 1985. “He can block in our heavy sets and with his hands we use him in our spread package. We can use him as an H-back or he has even come out at fullback.
“He’s the total package tight end.”
As a freshman he appeared in eight games, making his debut in a Week 2 win over Indianapolis. He was used primarily as a blocker and caught just two passes for 20 yards.
The following year, the Eagles were unbeaten in regular season, won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the Division II playoffs. Slavinski had 18 catches for 152 yards and five touchdowns.
The 6-foot-2 Slavinski added 20 pounds of muscle between his sophomore and junior seasons and reported to camp at 234 pounds. He caught 14 passes for 85 yards last year and was an All-GLIAC honorable mention selection.
He added an additional nine pounds this year and is listed at 6-2, 243.
“He’s gotten a lot stronger,” said AU teammate Jordan McCune, who graduated from Clear Fork with Slavinski. “He got into the weight room and took it seriously. If you look at the pictures of him from when he was a freshman, he doesn’t even look like the same guy anymore.
“It’s great to see Logan succeed at this level. It’s hard to believe that we’ve played together since the seventh grade. How often do you get to play with a buddy from seventh grade all the way through college?”
As valuable as his physical attributes are, perhaps Slavinski’s greatest weapon is under his helmet. The education major is a two-time GLIAC All-Academic team selection.
“Logan is such a great kid,” Clear Fork coach Dave Carroll said. “He has a great work ethic and he’s smart. You can throw a lot of concepts at him and he will pick up on them immediately.”
AU tight ends coach Reggie Gamble likens Slavinski to an on-field coach.
“He knows our system and he understands what defenses are trying to do,” Gamble said. “He is able to point things out to the younger guys that we don’t necessarily see.
“Logan is easy to coach and he wants to be coached.”
A Mansfield Senior product and former AU All-American, Gamble is glad to see a fellow Richland County native excel for the Eagles.
“It’s always nice to see a local kid do well,” Gamble said. “I take a lot of pride in that.”
When Slavinski’s playing days have ended, he wants to stay involved in the game.
“I want to teach and coach,” he said. “Hopefully it will be somewhere in the area.”
Before then, Slavinski and his teammates have some unfinished business to tend to. After advancing to the postseason in 2012, AU slipped to 5-5 last year and finished third in the GLIAC South Division.
If last week’s opener is any indication, the Eagles could soar back to the top of the league standings. Redshirt freshman quarterback Travis Tarnowski threw for a Jack Miller Stadium record 374 yards in his first career start.
“We have a good group of upperclassmen and a group of young guys who have bought into what we are doing,” Slavinski said. “I believe in this team.”
“Logan is such a great kid,” Clear Fork coach Dave Carroll said. “He has a great work ethic and he’s smart. You can throw a lot of concepts at him and he will pick up on them immediately.”
