Ballard looks to step in for departed Church

Replacing a star player is always difficult. Replacing a player like Barry Church is something else entirely.

Safety Isaiah Ballard will have his chance to make a name for himself this season in wake of the four-time 1st team All-MAC performer's departure to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

"It's great to be able to start this year," Ballard said. "My first two seasons I played behind a great player, Barry Church, and I learned a lot from him. I've tried to follow in his footsteps and be successful like him. I expect a lot from myself this year and also from my team. Being able to play behind Barry helped me out a lot, so I'm about to be a good player out there for my football team."

The 5-11, 210 pound junior out of Rogers High School in Toledo will do his best to replace Church at the "star" position, a hybrid of the safety and linebacker positions in the Rockets 4-2-5 scheme.

"[Barry] talked a lot and helped me out a lot," Ballard said. "He was a great player and great man. I had questions, I asked a lot of them and he answered them for me. He let me know where to be at on certain plays and it helped me out a lot to become a starter this year.

"I just hope to bring my ‘A' game every game. I hope I can become a good player and one day be looked at like Barry Church is."

Ballard already has the physical tools to step in for Church, having the highest vertical jump (35.5 in.) and second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.37 sec.) on the team.

"He's real good at the star position for us," senior cornerback Desmond Marrow said. "He has great speed and he flat out makes plays. It's hard to replace a guy like Church but Isaiah will hold it down."

Last season, Ballard excelled on special teams for Toledo, racking up 11 tackles on kickoff and punt coverage throughout the season earning Special Teams MVP honors. Ballard had a combined 23 tackles and two pass breakups in 11 games.

"Our coaches told me for our first two years that special teams were where I was going to be," Ballard said. "I took it in as a job and put my all into it to make sure I did all my techniques right and made the plays that I did."

In the final game of the 2009 season, Church suffered a concussion while hitting Bowling Green quarterback Tyler Sheehan out of bounds at the one-yard line. Church left the game, and after the Falcons ran four plays from the goal line, they settled for a field goal giving them a commanding 24-0 lead in the first quarter. Ballard came into the game for Church and finished second on the team with six tackles (four solo) and one pass breakup as the Rockets came back to tie the game at 24 before giving up two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 38-24 loss.

"Coaches always let us know you never know when your number is called, just be ready when it's called and I guess my number was called that day," Ballard said. "I was happy enough to be able to perform the way I did and become an impact player for my football team."

Ballard will get his chance to show the nation what he can do on Sept. 3 when Arizona comes to the Glass Bowl at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

"Arizona's a great team," Ballard said. "We are looking forward to Arizona. We are just getting better so we will be able to put up a game. I hope we do well and everybody's hoping for a victory."