CLEVELAND, Ohio - Finally, it's time for high school football recruits to put their pens to work. After months of recruiting rumors, nonbinding oral commitments and even a couple of decommitments, National Signing Day has arrived.

Glenville lineman Aundrey Walker is one of the local standouts expected to announce his college decision today on National Signing Day. - (Allison Carey / The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Finally, it's time for high school football recruits to put their pens to work.

After months of recruiting rumors, nonbinding oral commitments and even a couple of decommitments, National Signing Day has arrived.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com have you covered with breaking news, as well as profiles on the dozens of Northeast Ohio standouts who are signing letters of intent today with NCAA Division I programs. Check back all day for profiles as soon as they are posted.

The latest news:

Glenville QB Cardale Jones picks Ohio State over Toledo

Glenville LB Frank Clark to sign with Michigan

Here's an idea for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Win a quarter, and maybe that will spill over to a win. Ohio.com reporter Jason Lloyd writes how the Cavaliers have not had a lead in a quarter since a 25-24 against the Boston Celtics with 1:54 remaining in the first quarter — a span of more than 15 quarters and a total of...

Plain Dealer PhotoManny Harris

Here's an idea for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Win a quarter, and maybe that will spill over to a win.

Ohio.com reporter Jason Lloyd writes how the Cavaliers have not had a lead in a quarter since a 25-24 against the Boston Celtics with 1:54 remaining in the first quarter — a span of more than 15 quarters and a total of more than 180 game minutes ago.

And at least the Cavaliers have a chance to snap their losing streak by playing in the comfortable confines of The Q.

As the Cavaliers return home tonight to face the struggling Indiana Pacers, they are quickly running out of chances to dodge history. If there is anything in their favor, it's that two of the next three games are at home.

If they don't beat the Pacers or Grizzlies, the home game Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers would give them the single-season mark and the game Monday against the Mavericks in Dallas would give them the overall record.

All of that can be avoided, however, with a victory over the Indiana Pacers tonight. The Pacers aren't struggling as badly as the Cavs, but they're not far off.

Guard Anthony Parker is also optimistic about playing at home, writes Cleveland.com reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer.

"I'm a glass-half-full guy," he said after Monday's loss at Miami. "I think the way to look at it is the schedule is about to turn. We have some opportunities coming up."

Bright spot

We all know about the Cavaliers losing streak, but it's not all bad when it comes to the Cavaliers season.

There is at least one positive in guard Manny Harris. News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes how Harris, the undrafted rookie from the University of Michigan, faced long odds of even making the team when he showed up for training camp.

In his last four games, all against playoff teams, he's averaged 14 points and 2.3 assists and is shooting 50 percent from the field (19 of 38) and 41.7 percent from the 3-point arc (5 of 12).

In the just-completed two-game trip against Orlando and Miami, Harris scored 20 points in each contest.

Pacers come to town

Just in time for the Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert is out of his slump. Hibbert scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds on Monday in a victory over Toronto.

Not only did the Pacers make a coaching change, but Hibbert has been moved from facing the basket to now playing with his back to the basket under new coach Frank Vogel, writes Mike Wells of Indy.com.

"We have to get him the ball and put him in position to where he's not only going to be a low-post scorer," Vogel said. "We've got to get him some easy looks. We've got to get his jump shot going again and take advantage of his versatility."

As crucial as leading scorers Danny Granger and Darren Collison are to the Pacers, Hibbert's presence in the paint might be even more important.

Hibbert needs to make teams respect his offensive game while providing an intimidating presence on defense.

Name: Terrell Bates High School: St. Edward

St. Edward's Terrell Bates (bottom) celebrates with teammates after one of the Eagles' 15 victories last season. - (John Kuntz/The Plain Dealer)

Name: Terrell Bates

High School: St. Edward

Position: Running back

Height, weight: 5-10, 205

Stars: 2.0

College: Kent State

Other schools he considered: Notre Dame College, Mercyhurst, Edinboro, Mount Union.

Key stats: Rushed for 1,369 yards (5.7-yard average) and 19 touchdowns in 11 games. Missed four games with an injury.

Comment: St. Edward coaches considered him the strongest player "pound for pound" on the team.

Did you know: Prays every night before he goes to bed and when he gets up in the morning, and gives thanks for his opportunities.

Name: Avery Bailey High School: St. Edward

St. Edward linebacker, celebrating a tackle during a game in October, had 90 tackles, six interceptions and scored four defensive TDs. - (John Kuntz/The Plain Dealer)

Name: Avery Bailey

High School: St. Edward

 Position: Linebacker

 Height, Weight: 6-2, 200

 Stars: 1.67

College: Ball State

 Other schools he considered: Akron, Toledo, Miami (Oh.).

 Comment: LB/S played numerous positions in his career, including WR. He'll be a strongside LB at Ball State.

 Key stats: 90 tackles, six interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 2 defensive TDs.

 Did you know: South Euclid resident's goal is to become an FBI or Secret Service agent and would like to protect the President.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Aundrey Walker, Glenville's 6-5, 330-pound offensive lineman, signed a national letter of intent with Southern Cal this morning. He chose the Trojans over Ohio State.

Glenville offensive lineman Aundrey Walker decided today to sign with USC, choosing the Trojans over Ohio State. - (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Aundrey Walker, Glenville's 6-5, 330-pound offensive lineman, signed a national letter of intent with Southern Cal this morning.

He chose the Trojans over Ohio State.

"This is unbelievable," said Walker. "I visited there on January 14 and loved it. In the end, I had to go with my heart."

Walker will go in as a right offensive tackle.

"Then they might move me to left tackle my second year," said Walker, who plans on majoring in criminology/sociology.

Also this morning, all-purpose standout Shane Wynn signed with Indiana and tailback Robert Walton Jr. signed with Toledo.

"I like the school and it's close enough so my family can see me play," said Wynn, who will play slotback and return punts and kicks at the next level. "I like the idea that Indiana plays a spread offense."

Wynn chose the Hoosiers over USC.

Walton gained over 2,283 yards in three seasons.

"I feel I can contribute there early," said Walton. "I will major in business or computer science and they have a great department for both. This is just a great chance to play some football and get a degree."

Name: Collin Perchinske. High School: Padua.

Collin Perchinske can play on either side of the ball for the Rockets. - (Plain Dealer file photo)

Name: Collin Perchinske.

High School: Padua.

Position: DE/OT.

Height, weight: 6-5, 257.

Stars:2.3 (average of recruiting rankings from Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com.

College: Toledo.

Other schools he considered: Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo.

Key stats: On defense, he had 47 tackles, nine for loss, seven sacks, an interception and a recovered fumble.

Did you know: Made an early oral commitment to Ball State, then changed mind after coaching change.

There should be some opportunities for true freshmen to join Ohio State's two-deep on the offensive line in 2011.

RivalsOhio State recruit Tommy Brown

Glenville offensive lineman Aundrey Walker signing with USC over the Buckeyes this morning hit Ohio State at a position where they could have used another highly-rated recruit.

Any time the Buckeyes don't get a Glenville player they offer, it's a surprise. The only other Tarblooder in recent years to choose another school over Ohio State was receiver Cordale Scott, who picked Illinois over Ohio State in 2008 then wound up transferring to Toledo.

The Buckeyes did get quarterback Cardale Jones today, though he said he'll play at a prep school this fall, then come to Ohio State. And there's no reason to think Ohio State's success recruiting Glenville won't continue in future years. This issue for the Buckeyes is less about the school and more about the position.

The Buckeyes have four other offensive lineman in the 2011 class  - Antonio Underwood of Shaker Heights, Chris Carter of John F. Kennedy, Tommy Brown of Firestone and Brian Bobek from Illinois - but offensive linemen often take a little longer to make an impact and that probably will be the case with Underwood, Carter and Brown, at least.

But the way things stand now, the Buckeyes may need them before too long.

There are four offensive linemen who will be seniors in 2011 - starters Mike Brewster, Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts and backup Evan Blankenship. There are no scholarship juniors, and there are four sophomores - third-year players Corey Linsley, Jack Mewhort and Marcus Hall and second-year player Andrew Norwell.

That's eight scholarship linemen, and Blankenship has never seen any real action in his previous four years. So that's seven scholarship linemen in the locker room right now that the Buckeyes can have some level of confidence in.

Either way, at least two true freshmen or walkons will need to be in the two-deep, and just as the Buckeyes played Norwell as a true freshman last year when J.B. Shugarts was sidelined at times with foot issues, there is probably room for a true freshman to find a bit of early playing time in 2011. But Walker may have been the best candidate for that, though Bobek could have that potential as well.

But the real issue is the starting lineup in 2012 on the line. Right now, Norwell, Hall, Linsley and Mewhort are reasonable assumptions, but there's clearly at least one starting spot completely up in the air for someone in this class or in 2012.

Whether they got Walker or not, the Buckeyes are going to need a strong offensive line class in 2012.

They're off to a good start with St. Edward offensive tackle Kyle Kalis and guard Jacoby Boren, who will be the third Boren brother to play in Columbus.

But Walker certainly would have helped.

Seniors - Mike Brewster, Mike Adams, J.B. Shugarts, Evan Blankenship

Juniors - None

Sophomores - Corey Linsley, Marcus Hall, Jack Mewhort

Incoming Freshmen - Brian Bobek, Chris Carter, Antonio Underwood, Tommy Brown
 

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is still whining about his fines.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerThis hit on Mohamed Massaquoi -- and an earlier one on Josh Cribbs -- would seem to be the kind of dangerous helmet-to-helmet hit that the NFL wants to eliminate.

It looks like big mouth James Harrison is at it again. His team is about to play in the biggest game of the season, but he continues to moan about paying $100,000 in fines because of his helmet hits during the regular season, and Harrison, of the Pittsburgh Steelers, brought his crying act to the Super Bowl media day.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ron Cook writes how Harrison mocked commissioner Roger Goodell at every turn.

Here are a few whining quotes from Harrison:

He talked of the league looking for "a poster boy" for its crackdown on helmet hits earlier in the season and "they just chose me because I was the most visible player." He said every decision the league makes is based on "whatever makes them more money." He said his trip to Goodell's office in New York in November for a meeting of the minds was "a waste of time. Nothing was really accomplished."

And how about this gem.

"I've had concussions at the pro level," Harrison said. "It wasn't bad enough to where I needed to come out of the game. I'll put it like this: If you don't tell [the medical staff], they don't know unless you get knocked out and you're laying there with your arms stuck in the air."

Those cry baby Steelers.

Roethlisberger faces the media

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, than man who has turned his life around, faced the media on  Tuesday and he tried to make two major points, writes Michael Sanserino. The first point is that he is a different man than he was one year ago, and he believes that he is a better teammate.

Roethlisberger said all the right things, without saying much, in his highest-profile news conference since a February 2010 incident involving a sexual-assault allegation in Milledgeville, Ga., compromised his image and threatened his future.

He rarely strayed from a script he developed following the Steelers' American Football Conference championship game victory, emphasizing his desire to be a role model, highlighting his renewed commitment to his Christian faith and evading challenging questions.

Roethlisberger faced questions on his suspension, his attitude and his life post-Milledgeville.

Messages

Jim Polzin writes on Madison.com how Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy comes up with a theme and passes it on to his team.

For example, on consecutive weeks this season, the Packers were "nobody's underdog" and "nobody's favorite." And this week, they're not "preparing for Super Bowl XLV," they're "preparing to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a football game."

Go ahead, roll your eyes — just know that the people McCarthy addresses in a team meeting every Monday aren't rolling theirs.

"He probably rattles his brain every week trying to figure out what to tell us," right guard Josh Sitton said. "But he always comes up with a good message."

Who has the best 3-4 defense?

Packersnews.com has this article on good friends and two of the best defensive coordinators in Dick LeBeau of the Steelers and Dom Capers of the Green Bay Packers.

The two coordinators, who once worked together for the Steelers, will go head-to-head on Sunday in the Super Bowl. Both coordinators share the same philosophy when it comes to the 3-4 defense.

“This is probably the only Super Bowl ever that players from either team could jump in the defensive huddle and understand the terminology and probably run the defense,” LeBeau said Tuesday at Super Bowl Media Day at Cowboys Stadium.

The two highly respected and longtime coaches — Capers is 60 and in his 25th season as an NFL coach, LeBeau is 73 and in his 52nd season as either a player or coach in the league — enter the Super Bowl seemingly at the height of their powers. LeBeau’s defense with the Pittsburgh Steelers finished the regular season ranked first in scoring and second in yards allowed. Capers’ Packers were second and fifth, respectively.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Glenville senior linebacker/defensive end Andre Sturdivant said it was the biggest decision of his life, picking between Penn State and Toledo. "I couldn't go wrong with any one of those two schools but when I visited Toledo it just seemed more like family," said Sturdivant, who signed a national letter of intent this morning with the...

Glenville linebacker/defensive end Andre Sturdivant became the final Tarblooders player to decide on a college today, and he signed with Toledo. - (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Glenville senior linebacker/defensive end Andre Sturdivant said it was the biggest decision of his life, picking between Penn State and Toledo.

"I couldn't go wrong with any one of those two schools but when I visited Toledo it just seemed more like family," said Sturdivant, who signed a national letter of intent this morning with the Rockets.

"[Quarterback/former Glenville player] Terrance Owens is happy at Toledo and so are the other Glenville guys. I figured it must be good if they like it."

Sturdivant plans on majoring in communications or criminal justice.

Sturdivant is the final Tarblooder to make his college choice. Earlier today, Aundrey Walker signed with USC; Cardale Jones signed with Ohio State; Shane Wynn signed with Indiana; Frank Clark signed with Michigan; and Robert Walton Jr. signed with Toledo.

WFNY's three-part debate continues today with a supporting argument for the Cavaliers. Despite their current state, they very well may be the closest to contention.

AP Photo/Wilfredo LeeKeep your chin up Byron, the odds are in your favor

John F. Kennedy High football player and Ohio State University recruit Chris Carter was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of fondling as many eight girls while pretending to measure them for ROTC uniforms.

View full sizeLynn Ischay, PD fileLineman Chris Carter is JFK's lone blue-chip college recruit. "I'm going to Ohio State, but this means so much to me," said Carter. "I can tell all the Kennedy alumni that I was on the first playoff team. I can brag about that when I'm 60, 70 and 80 -- and no one can take that away from me."

Cleveland police said a 15-year-old girl told officers that Carter took her out of her classroom and into a room behind the JFK auditorium and told her he needed to measure her for the uniform.

"Once inside the room, [Carter] asked the victim to take off her sweat shirt and shirt so he could take her measurements," the police report said. "He cut off the lights. . . and stated 'I need you to take your bra off.' The arrested male than put his arms under her arms from behind and attempted to pull her bra up."

The girl told police she refused to cooperate and left the room.

Police said when they talked to Carter he admitted that he had fondled other girls using the same ruse. Police asked him to give them the book that he used to record the measurements and he turned it over.

"The book revealed more victims," the report said, noting there was measurement information for eight girls in the book.

Another victim told police that Carter stopped her in the hallway and asked her to come into a room where he "asked her to take her clothes off. The victim took off everything except her panties" and then he measured her, police said in the report.

Carter was taken to the police station on suspicion of sexual imposition.

Cleveland lawyer Harvey Brunner said this morning that he has been retained to represent Carter but had not met with his client or the family yet.

Carter, a 6-5, 350-pound offensive lineman, has received an athletic scholarship offer from Ohio State University and gave the school his commitment after touring the campus. Neither John F. Kennedy nor Ohio State could be reached to comment on the status of the scholarship offer.

Carter,a three-star recruit, described his commitment to Ohio State last year as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Plain Dealer OSU reporter says QB Braxton Miller, DB Doran Grant are among the rookies who could step in right away. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web morning show about what's happening in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Bill Lubinger, as Branson Wright is on assignment.

Today's guest is Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises, who is tracking the Buckeyes during today's National Signing Day for senior high school football players. Doug wrote today about which freshmen may have the biggest impact for OSU in 2011. What do you think? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Doug talks about the OSU class and how a couple of the best players have been committed for so long that they might not be drawing the attention that the late commits are. He also talks about Virginia linebacker Curtis Grant, who will announce his decision today between Ohio State and Florida. He also discusses the unbeaten OSU basketball team and its upcoming games against Michigan and Minnesota.

SBTV will return Thursday.

Bernie Kosar stands up for the Miami Dolphins' new offensive coordinator -- former Browns OC Brian Daboll.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz,
The Plain DealerBernie Kosar, left, told a Florida newspaper that former Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, pictured with Kosar last August, just didn't have the players to run his offense in Cleveland. Daboll is the new offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Eric Mangini was the head coach of two 5-11 Browns teams, and caught his fair share of flak from fans. But it's probably safe to say that the tallest lightning rod for criticism was attached to the dome of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

It sometimes got to the point where fans complained that "Mecalf up the Middle" was more imaginative than some of Daboll's play-calling. We confess here at Starting Blocks to the same frustration, especially once Colt McCoy got a chance to put his accuracy on display. So we were a little surprised that Daboll was so quickly snatched up as an offensive coordinator by another team, the Miami Dolphins.

Then again, our expertise at drawing up plays is pretty much limited to telling our sixth-grade best friend to cut left at the trash can.

Another guy who was pretty good at drawing up plays in the dirt WAS impressed. Bernie Kosar talked to Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about Daboll, whom the Browns great met while working as a consultant for team owner Randy Lerner.

"I spent a lot of time with Daboll. I didn’t know him from Adam two-and-a-half years ago. Then I saw him work and really respected him. I really like what he does.

"(Cleveland) had a real shortage of talent. It was not a systemic or play-calling thing, though he got a lot of flak for that. The issue was a lack of players. This past year, (Cleveland) was just devoid of playmakers on the team. I’m not really sure it matters if Einstein or Bill Walsh in his prime was calling plays. We had (Peyton) Hillis and that was about it.

"I really liked what Brian was trying to do. He's got good thoughts and smart ways of doing things. He just needed some players to do it."

“We had ’em beat,” Arians said, “and they knew we had ’em beat.”

Early in the third quarter of a playoff game, Dennis Northcutt raced 59 yards with a punt return. Kelly Holcomb, who would finish with 429 passing yards, promptly fired a touchdown strike to Northcutt for a 24-7 lead.

The Steelers still were hurting, even after Hines Ward scored with three minutes left in the game to cut the deficit to 33-28.

With 2:42 left, Holcomb lofted a third-down pass to Northcutt near the left sideline. It was an easy catch — and a horrible time for a drop.

Tommy Maddox then drove the Steelers 61 yards for a touchdown. Pittsburgh stole one, 36-33.

... Browns history changed at halftime of that Jan. 5, 2003, playoff game. Arians does not blame Northcutt for not making the easy catch that would have enabled Cleveland to run out the clock.

“We wouldn’t have been in the position we were in if he hadn’t done what he’d done,” Arians said. “I love Dennis.

“I thought our head coach lost the game.”

The Browns led 17-7 at halftime and led 209-163 in net yards. Arians thought Defensive Coordinator Foge Fazio was carrying out a nice plan.

Eight years after the fact, Arians still gets passionate when he talks about it, alluding to Davis when he says “he.”

“He called off the dogs on defense,” Arians said. “You just don’t let Tommy Maddox sit there and play against a prevent defense. And he basically fired Foge at halftime.

“Foge was blitzing, and we had them beat.”

Technically, Davis fired Fazio after the game.

Ohio State liked both Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller as quarterbacks and should wind up with both of them.

PD photoGlenville QB Cardale Jones

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Oversigning and grayshirting have become a hotter topic this recruiting season, with more people becoming aware of what has become a common practice at some schools: getting oral commitments from more players than a school has room for, then asking those players to delay their enrollment for a semester. Or a school may force out some current players on the roster to clear some space.

Either of those solutions is in many ways unfair to the recruits and players involved, as Florida's president wrote about grayshirting this week.

But what's happening with Glenville's Cardale Jones could work out well for Ohio State and the quarterback.

Jones said this morning that he'll be a Buckeye but he will attend a prep school in the fall first. That's an actual plan, as opposed to some players who end up treading water for a semester in the fall, waiting for a spot in the next class. Sometimes that can be an easy opportunity for a player to lose his way.

That won't happen with Jones. Running back Carlos Hyde was originally part of Ohio State's 2009 recruiting class, but after failing to qualify academically, he attended prep school, then arrived at Ohio State in January 2010 and joined the Buckeyes' 2010 recruiting class.

If Jones follows a similar path, he would be at Ohio State next January and then be part of Ohio State's 2012 recruiting class. At the very least, that would put Jones a year behind quarterback Braxton Miller, a star of this class and presumably Ohio State's quarterback of the future. If Jones then redshirted in 2012, he would then be two years behind Miller.

For Jones, if Ohio State is the school he truly wanted to play for, this gives him that chance, even though the Buckeyes have one of the best quarterback recruits in the country already in place. For Ohio State, if the Buckeyes like Jones but don't want two quarterbacks in the same class, the creates an opportunity to get in two guys they like in a year in which scholarships are tight.

When schools and players both understand the situation and are up-front about it, there's nothing wrong with a decision like this, especially since Jones received his scholarship offer so late in the process.

It's when a school originally extends a scholarship that a player accepts, and then the school late in the process attempts to put the player off for a year that it becomes a problem.

The Buckeyes obviously like Miller and Jones as quarterback. This could give them both a chance to someday play, and even start, at Ohio State. 
 

Is Danny Ferry to blame for the current Cavaliers' woes?

Marvin Fong, Plain Dealer fileFormer Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry.

Before the Cleveland Cavaliers snap their 21-game losing streak tonight against the Indiana Pacers (that's right, the streak is over tonight), the blame for the Cavaliers' woes can be spread around.

The pile of losses can be attributed to everything from LeBron James leaving, to owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant doing nothing (so far).

As GoErie.com reporter Duane Rankin writes,  if the Cavs go winless the rest of the season, it will have the worst record ever in NBA history. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers' squad went 9-73.

And Rankin also notes that the Cavaliers suffered their 40th loss this season to the Miami Heat, and earned their 40th win last season against, you guessed it, the Miami Heat.

Is that karma or a coincidence?

But back to the blame game, and Rankin spreads it thick.

• Former Cavs general manager Danny Ferry was either two or three years behind to trade for a player (Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison), didn't want to give up enough to trade for a player (Amare Stoudemire), failed to snag a star (Ray Allen) or didn't keep a young player (Shannon Brown).

• The way James made his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami left the Cavs with no chance of getting a star in there, but then again, the way owner Dan Gilbert criticized James for how he left likely turned off any star who might have considered going there.

• Injuries aside, the Cavs lack leadership among the players and almost look content with losing like this.

 

The Virginia linebacker is the No. 2 player in the country according to Rivals.com

RivalsOhio State recruit Curtis Grant

COLUMBUS, Ohio - As expected, Ohio State landed Virginia five-star linebacker Curtis Grant today. Grant made the announcement at his high school.

He becomes the highest-rated player in Ohio State's class and could immediately contribute, at least on special teams.

After seeing Glenville lineman Aundrey Walker choose USC over Ohio State, and with oral commitment Chris Carter of John F. Kennedy High School arrested, this was the good news on signing day that the Buckeyes were looking for.

Scout.com moved Ohio State's class up to No. 3 in the nation with Grant's announcement.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson will miss tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers with a bruised left quad, coach Byron Scott said after the team's shootaround at The Q. It will be the second straight game Gibson has missed after injuring the quad at New Jersey and aggravating the injury at Boston and Orlando. Scott said it...

AP PhotoDaniel Gibson will miss tonight's game against Indiana.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson will miss tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers with a bruised left quad, coach Byron Scott said after the team's shootaround at The Q.

It will be the second straight game Gibson has missed after injuring the quad at New Jersey and aggravating the injury at Boston and Orlando.

Scott said it was possible Gibson could play Friday at Memphis or Saturday against Portland at The Q.

"He wants to play,'' Scott said. "You've got to give him a lot of credit for trying for two games to go with it the way it was, but he really couldn't move out there.

"We thought it best to shut him down and get all the swelling out of there, all that black-and-blue out of there as well. We'll see if he can start running without any pain."

Ex-Texas Tech QB is among the most recent Super Bowl players with past connections to the Browns.

View full sizeEric Gay / Associated PressGraham Harrell (center, flanked by Packers A.J. Hawk, left, and Matt Wilhelm) somehow survived his time in the Browns training camp to earn a shot at a Super Bowl ring this Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Remember Graham Harrell, the prolific dink-and-dunk quarterback from Texas Tech who was invited to Browns rookie camps in 2009 and 2010 but wasn't good enough even to be brought to minicamp?

Yep, he's in the Super Bowl as the third quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. That places Harrell on the ongoing list of players, coaches and executives who have been with the Browns in my time covering the team (since 1984) only to leave and make it to the Super Bowl.

Harrell was invited to former coach Eric Mangini's 2009 rookie camp on a tryout basis, but did not earn a contract for minicamp. He spent the '09 season on an injury list with Saskatchewan of the Canadian Football League.

Harrell was released by the CFL team in April. Mangini gave him another tryout, and he left again without a contract. Then the Packers signed him in May.

Harrell stuck with the Packers and opened the season on their practice squad. He was promoted to the regular roster on Dec. 18 after Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion. He didn't play in a game, but he is on the active roster heading into the Super Bowl.

Figures, huh? Liberated from Browns. Go to Super Bowl.

Harrell is the 77th player, coach or executive in my time to leave the Browns and make it to the Super Bowl in another uniform. The others in this game are Steelers -- kicker Shaun Suisham and cornerback Anthony Madison.

Suisham was signed by the Browns in May as insurance against Phil Dawson holding out. He was released in June. Madison was signed in 2009 and appeared in four games on special teams before being waived.

This list includes only players or executive-level employees of the Browns. It does not include Cleveland natives who have appeared in the Super Bowl, of which there are many, unless they first played with the Browns.

The Ex-Files

Former Browns players, coaches and executives who have left the club since 1984 and made it to the Super Bowl:

From the Browns playoff era, 1985-89

Matt Bahr: 1990 N.Y. Giants

Frank Winters: 1996, 1997, Green Bay

Earnest Byner: 1991 Washington

* Ozzie Newsome: 2000 Baltimore

* Anthony Griggs: 1995 Pittsburgh

Michael Dean Perry: 1997 Denver

Tony Jones: 1997, 1998, Denver

* Art Modell: 2000 Baltimore

* Ernie Accorsi: 2000 NY Giants

Bernie Kosar: 1993 Dallas

* Howard Mudd: 2006, 2009, Indianapolis

* John Teerlinck: 2006, 2009, Indianapolis; 1997, 1998 Denver

* Dom Anile: 2006 Indianapolis

Bill Cowher: 1995, 2005, Pittsburgh

From the Bud Carson and Bill Belichick eras, 1990-95

Gene Williams: 1998 Atlanta

Larry Webster: 2000 Baltimore

Rob Burnett: 2000 Baltimore

Phil Savage: 2000 Baltimore

George Kokinis: 2000, Baltimore

Eric Mangini: 2001, 2003, 2004,  New England

Anthony Pleasant: 2001 New England

Rick Lyle: 2003 New England

Brian Kinchen: 2003 New England

* Vince Newsome: 2000 Baltimore

Keenan McCardell: 2002 Tampa Bay

Matt Stover: 2000 Baltimore

Randy Hilliard: 1997 Denver

Tom Tupa: 2002 Tampa Bay

Andre Rison: 1996 Green Bay

* Bill Belichick: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 New England

* Mike Lombardi: 2002 Oakland

* John Mitchell: 1995, 2005, Pittsburgh

Mike Frederick: 1999 Tennessee

* Scott Pioli: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 New England

* Chuck Bresnahan: 2002, Oakland

* Scott O'Brien: 2003, Carolina

* Jim Schwartz: 1999, Tennessee

* Jerry Simmons: 2003, Carolina

* Pepper Johnson, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 New England

From the Browns expansion era, 1999-present

Lomas Brown: 2000 NY Giants

Marc Edwards: 2001 New England

Rickey Dudley: 2002 Tampa Bay

Terry Kirby: 2002 Oakland

Chris Gardocki: 2005 Pittsburgh

Madre Hill: 2002 Oakland

Romen Oben: 2002 Tampa Bay

Quincy Morgan: 2005 Pittsburgh

* Raymond Jackson: 2005 Pittsburgh

David Patten: 2001, 2003, 2004, New England

Greg Spires: 2002 Tampa Bay

Kevin Bentley: 2005 Seattle

* Bruce Arians: 2005, 2010, Pittsburgh

* Keith Butler: 2005, 2010, Pittsburgh

* Ken Whisenhunt: 2005 Pittsburgh; 2008 Arizona

* Kevin Spencer: 2005 Pittsburgh

Jason Kyle: 2003 Carolina; 2009 New Orleans

Antonio Garay: 2006 Chicago

Israel Idonije: 2006 Chicago

* Chris Palmer: 2007 N.Y. Giants

Shuan O'Hara: 2007 N.Y. Giants

Reuben Droughns: 2007 N.Y. Giants

* Maurice Carthon: 2008 Arizona

* Bill Davis: 2008 Arizona

* John Lott: 2008 Arizona

* Clancy Pendergast: 2008 Arizona

Ralph Brown: 2008 Arizona

Terrelle Smith: 2008 Arizona

Nick Eason: 2008, 2010, Pittsburgh

Orpheus Roye: 2008 Pittsburgh

* Larry Zierlein: 2008 Pittsburgh

Darnell Dinkins: 2009 New Orleans

Lance Moore: 2009 New Orleans

* Pete Carmichael: 2009 New Orleans

Anthony Madison: 2010 Pittsburgh

Shaun Suisham: 2010 Pittsburgh

Graham Harrell: 2010 Green Bay

* - coach or other non-playing position

Note: The year next to player's name refers to the season they advanced to the Super Bowl.

Mississippi juco QB Clayton Moore adds depth to the Zips' backfield in 2011.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain DealerAkron football recruit Johnny Robinson played wide receiver and defensive back at Glenville.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron Zips needed a bit of everything after going 1-11 in 2010. They got a bit of everything in the 2011 recruiting class.

The group includes a quarterback Clayton Moore, who will be available for spring football.

Moore, who had his scholarship offer withdrawn at Ole Miss in 2009, still walked on there before leaving to play at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College in 2010. The 6-2, 220-pound Moore led MGC to a 10-2 record and a junior-college state championship. He passed for 2,395 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Moore wasn't the Zips' lone signee at quarterback, either. Akron also signed a freshman, Kyle Pohl from Germantown, on Wednesday.

With three years of eligibility left for Moore, second-year Akron coach Rob Ianello expects Moore and 2010 recruit Zach D'Orazio from Cuyahoga Heights will challenge incumbent QB Patrick Nicely going into next season.

"We like Clayton's physical skills, we like his personality, his leadership and that he's had success at junior college," Ianello said. "We talked to some of the guys at Mississippi when he was there. They liked him, and all the reports were positive. He's got three years, which is a huge plus, and he's here now. We've definitely helped ourselves in that regard, no question.

"With Zach D'Orazio being here that really gives us competition at the quarterback position this spring."

Overall Ianello signed 24 players to bolster a roster that has been hit hard by player defections since the end of the 2009 season. Akron finished the 2010 season at with just 68 scholarship players, well below the NCAA limit of 85.

"This [recruiting class] will get us into the 80s; then a year from now when we add another class, we should be at full capacity," Ianello said.

Locally, the Zips picked up receiver Johnny Robinson and defensive back Devonte Morgan from Glenville; defensive end Isaiah Williams from John Adams; offensive lineman Andrew Bohan from Avon Lake; fullback Cody Grice from Firestone; and defensive end Dylan Brumbaugh from Green.

The plum of the class appears to be Nick Rossi from Taylor, Pa. While the Zips have have him pegged as a fullback, he was ranked as a consistent three- or four-star prospect as a 6-2, 230-pound middle linebacker.

Rossi's preference, however, is offense.

"When he committed to us it was as a fullback," Ianello said. "But he is the kind of guy the coaches in our staff room are fighting over. He really has some excellent skills running the football and catching the football."

Akron recruiting class

Players listed with Ohio high schools, or hometown if out of state

Andrew Bohan OL 6-3 260 Avon Lake; Karl Bostick RB 5-9 200 Englewood, N.J.; Dylan Brumbaugh OL 6-4 270 Green; Bryce Cheek DB 6-0 176 Lewis Center Olentangy; John Clay C 6-3 340 E. St. Louis, Ill.; Bre' Ford DB 5-11 200 Bethel Park, Pa.; A.J. Fox PK 5-10 200 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney; Tyrell Goodman QB 6-2 210 Yonkers, N.Y.; Cody Grice FB 6-0 240 Firestone; John Griggs DE 6-5 260 Piscataway, N.J.; Justin March LB 6-0 207 Danville, Ill.; Clayton Moore QB 6-1 210 Louisville, Miss.; Devonte Morgan DB 5-11 180 Glenville; Dajour Morris DT 6-2 285 Johnstown, Pa.; Zach Paul P 6-4 205 Padua; Kyle Pohl QB 6-3 205 Farmersville Valley View; A.J. Price WR 6-4 190 Reston, Va.; James Price DT 6-2 285 Braddock, Pa.; Vinnie Rizzo C 6-3 275 Manhasset, N.Y.; Johnny Robinson DB 5-10 180 Glenville; Nick Rossi FB/LB 6-0 230 Moosic, Pa.; Travis Switzer OL 6-3 265 Lancaster, Pa.; Isaiah Williams DE 6-3 250 John Adams; Tyler Williams ATH 5-7 155 Cincinnati Colerain