MOUNT VERNON – At Mount Vernon, he patrolled the middle of the Yellow Jackets’ defense on the football field. His dream is to perhaps one day patrol one of America’s great national parks.
Ethan Laslo has taken his first step in that direction on Wednesday, Mar. 3, announcing that he will play football at Otterbein University starting this fall. With the announcement, Laslo signed his National Collegiate Letter of Intent in a ceremony at Mount Vernon's Energy Fieldhouse, alongside coaches, school officials, family and friends.
The Cardinals’ football program left a big impression on Laslo when he visited the Westerville campus during his recruitment.
“The first visit I made there, I fell in love with the coaches,” he said. “That was one of the big things for me, was that I wanted to know that the coaches there were going to take care of me. Also, I had plenty of reassurance from (Mount Vernon coach Mike Kerr). He has worked with them in the past. He had plenty of good things to say about them.”
The step from being a middle linebacker in high school to being one in college is full of learning and hard work. Laslo got a taste of that when he got to meet his future teammates.
“There’s a lot of smart guys there,” he said. “They know football. They’re good football players, so I have my work cut out for me, but I am definitely excited.”
Laslo will major in zoo and conservation science. As an avid fisherman who loves the outdoors, he likes the opportunities this will afford.
“I can work within zoos, or I can take the conservation aspect and work for ODNR,” he said. “I could also work in the national parks. I have definitely thought about being a ranger. I want to work in national parks, whether as a park ranger or as a conservation scientist. Just being out in the middle of nowhere, working with animals and plants and all that good stuff. That’s what I want.”
Laslo capped his senior football season with an All-Ohio honorable mention. It is his leadership abilities as much as his athletic talent that made him a fulcrum point of the Yellow Jackets’ defense.
“I’m very proud to see Ethan and know that he has made the decision to go on,” Kerr said. “He is such a representative of everything that we stand for. We’re just all looking forward to it, because he has done everything the right way. To be able to sort of hand him off to the next step of his journey has made this an exciting day.”
It’s a milestone for Laslo, but also for Mount Vernon High School and their athletic program.
“Otterbein is a great fit for Ethan, and I have no doubt it will be a great time for him,” Mount Vernon athletic director Justin Sanford said. “Knowing that he is going to get a great education first and still participate in the sport that he loves is just an honor, and it’s great for us to be able to show our other student-athletes that are striving to get to the next level in their respective sports.”
For now, Laslo will spend his final semester at Mount Vernon on the baseball team. But football is his first love.
“Football means a lot to me,” he said. “I put in a lot of work to get to where I am right now. I am definitely proud and thankful for where I am.”
