Trimble’s Kittle Excited to Start Career as a Buckeye
By: Zach Paquette
Posted on:
GLOUSTER, Ohio – Competition is something Trimble senior Cameron Kittle doesn’t shy away from. Whether it’s as the star point guard on the hardwood or the quarterback on the gridiron, Kittle is used to big stages and spotlights.
Kittle will have a chance to prove himself starting this fall as he journeys up US-33 to Columbus and begins his next chapter as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. Kittle announced his decision on Twitter back on March 6 and will be a preferred walk-on as a defensive back.
As a quarterback for Trimble, Kittle combined for 1,976 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior season. However, Kittle also got a lot of reps as a starting safety for a Tomcat defense that combined to give up only 40 points in 12 games during the 2019 season.
“At that high of a level, (quarterback) is the hardest position to play,” Kittle said. “When you’re at a top 10 program in the country, it’s hard to play quarterback there, and defensive back was the position where I fit in the most I think.”
Kittle, who has a very high IQ on both the basketball court and football field, uses the knowledge he gained from starting three seasons at quarterback to better his game as a defensive back. The high IQ doesn’t stop there as he is planning to pursue a degree in aviation in hopes to become a pilot after college.
“Not many schools offer aviation. When I saw (Ohio State) had it and they were one of the best in the country, it made the decision easier,” Kittle said.
Despite Kittle coming from a small town in southeast Ohio, he isn’t going to let that define who he is, but instead let his high work ethic speak for itself.
“During my whole high school career, I lived in the weight room with a lot of my teammates,” Kittle said. “The hard work in the weight room and pushing other people to be better will surprise them a little bit.”
As a walk-on, Kittle is hoping to make a good first impression and while he may be starting near the bottom of the depth chart, he remains calm and will embrace the challenge.
“I think it’s less intimidating being at the bottom. What you can do is surprise people and get them to notice you a lot easier,” Kittle said. “I’m going to try and make the most of it, make relationships with my teammates and get on their good side.”
Kittle will have the opportunity to play in front of thousands of fans in Ohio Stadium, but the support from Glouster will always be there for him.
“I’ve already had a lot of messages from kids and parents about them looking up to me and I want to help them out in any way possible moving forward,” Kittle said.
Kittle said his journey will begin in June as summer classes and summer football camp will start for him. Like any student athlete, he is hoping to live out that lifelong dream he’s had from a young age.
“Being where I’m from, pretty much every kid that plays sports, plays football. They have that dream and I’m excited to start it,” Kittle said.