Something special 
Ted Ginn Jr. is all smiles as he and high school teammate Donte Whitner head into Sunday's NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Getty Images
In Cleveland at Glenville, longtime assistant coach Anthony Oveerton said Whitner and Ginn were probably the two hardest-working players he ever coached.
Combine that with their athleticism and it's no wonder why they reached the pinnacle.
"Everyone talks about how athletic those kids were — especially Ted — but man they put in the work," Oveerton said. "You can be sure we let our players know that. To see a couple our kids playing in the NFL and doing well and playing in the NFC championship game, it's remarkable. But it's not by accident."
Whitner was a starter for Glenville as a 5-foot-9, 122-pound sophomore. He was quiet and smart (3.7 grade point average) and for his size he hit like a brick.
He put on 40 pounds of muscle by the time he graduated, but Oveerton said he knew Glenville had something special in a first-round playoff game when Whitner was a sophomore.
"No kidding, he had 18 to 20 tackles in a single game," Oveerton said. "He was literally all over the field. He sacrificed his whole body and made tackle after tackle. I knew then we had something special."
Ginn, whose dad Ted Sr. is head coach at Glenville, was a year behind Whitner and more of a natural. He was quiet but versatile, playing quarterback, receiver and defensive back while specializing as a returner, just as he does for the 49ers.
Ted Ginn of the Dolphins tackles Donte
Whitner of the Bills after an interception.
Getty Images
He was named USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year his senior season in 2003 after intercepting eight passes, returning five for touchdowns, one for a state-record 102 yards and another for 98.
After football, he was one of the nation's top hurdlers in track and field, recording a time of 13.40 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. He also had national marks in the open 200 (21.16), 300 hurdles (36.73) and 400 hurdles (46.57).
"He was just so dedicated to whatever he did," Oveerton said. "He was a great leader but not as vocal as Donte."
Whitner and Ginn joined forces in college at Ohio State and then again landed in San Francisco by 2011. Ginn, the No. 9 NFL draft pick in 2007, arrived in San Francisco from Miami. Whitner, the No. 8 pick in the 2006 draft, arrived after five seasons with the Bills.
Whitner earned a Pro Bowl spot in 2012.
Oveerton, a 1991 Glenville graduate, admits he's an avid Browns fans, but with so many former Tarblooders circulating in the NFL — five others are currently either on rosters or practice squads — his allegiance is watered down.
"My heart and favorite team goes to where they go," he said. "I want their lives to be as successful as possible."
