By Matt Florjancic

MaxPreps.com

CANTON, Ohio --- Under first-year coach Rob Johnson, the Canton McKinley Bulldogs have struggled, losing their opening game 24-10 against the Solon Comets. In the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series last weekend, McKinley fell 34-13 to the Cathedral (Ind.) Fighting Irish.

An 0-2 start after a 3-7 campaign in 2007 is almost unthinkable for the 10-time state champion.

One of the bright spots for the program and its loyal legion of fans has been the play of junior linebacker Jewone Snow. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender is the latest in his family to carry on the Canton McKinley tradition.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Snow said after the McKinley-Cathedral game. “I just want to cherish it because my career is going kind of fast. I’m just trying to play every play like it’s my last.

“My ultimate goal at first was the NFL, but really it’s to be successful,” he added. “You never know when your last snap is going to come. I just want to do the best at whatever I’m doing, whether it’s playing football or whatever my career is.”

Snow is playing under his second coach in three years at Canton McKinley. Though the team has not improved much from the 3-7 record of a year ago, the players see a big difference in the two coaching staffs.

“They work harder and they’re more positive too,” Snow said of Johnson and his assistants. “They won’t ever give up on us. It makes us want to keep going hard and never want to give up."

Snow comes from an athletic family. His father, Garland Rivers, was an All-American defensive back for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1986. Rivers returned an interception for a touchdown against the Wisconsin Badgers on Oct. 5, 1985 and later played for the Chicago Bears. He also spent time in the Arena Football League.

Snow’s uncles, Eric and Percy, also played professional sports. After playing basketball at Canton McKinley, Eric went to Michigan State University and led them to the NCAA Tournament. Last season was Eric’s 14th in the NBA. He has played for the Seattle Sonics, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Percy Snow was a linebacker for Michigan State and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was the 1989 Butkus Award winner. The Butkus Award is given annually to college football’s top linebacker. Snow also spent time with the Chicago Bears organization.

“I get noticed a lot,” Jewone said of his family’s success. “People ask me about them all the time. I just want to keep the family bloodline going.

“I ask them how college was and how they adjusted to it,” he added. “It was kind of hard at first playing varsity and going to high school. I’m sure it gets harder in college, so I’m asking for advice. They told me that you’ve got to put in work at school more than football. That’s more important.”

Right now, Snow is weighing his collegiate options. Many Big Ten schools are on his radar. He has also looked into Louisiana State, Florida and Nebraska.

“The top three now are Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State,” Snow said. “They’re in my area and plus my uncles played at Michigan State. My dad played at Michigan and Ohio State [because] I’m in Ohio. I like Ohio State.”

Snow’s college choice is still more than a year away. In the time he has left at Canton McKinley, Snow will work on his game to prepare for the next level.

“My skill is taking on blocks and reading runs,” Snow said. “What I need to improve on is my speed right now. I’ll probably try to lose 10 pounds to get a little quicker.”

That is the type of attitude recruiters like to hear. It is also the kind of mentality that will cause many sleepless nights for high school offensive coordinators across Ohio.

Matt Florjancic currently works as a freelance reporter and sports show host for WOBL and WDLW