The short version was that on Dec. 1, 2007, St. X beat Mentor for the state title, but Kuechly’s version wasn’t the short one, from name-checking Mentor quarterback Bart Tanski (Ohio’s Mr. Football that year, who now coaches at Kent State), to the layout of the building.
“It was a really cool experience, but it was cool walking out there today and walking into that field because it’s a very different stadium than what Fawcett Field was,” Kuechly began. “And I was talking to somebody about it today. That evening was the most perfect night for a high school football state championship game. We’re in Northern Ohio, at the Hall of Fame, on Fawcett Field. It was cold. It was chilly, and I remember we went in after pregame warm-ups, and it was cold, and the excitement’s there, and then you get into the locker room and you kind of start looking around. The nervousness starts to set in; the anxiety sets in. Our coach came in, gave a great speech, and then I remember walking out into the stadium. You come out of the locker, and you turn right, and you can see the field.
“And I remember being so nervous because I said, hey, we have to win this game, and I have to play well for these older guys because they deserve to win, they deserve the state championship. And I remember the one thing that calmed me down when I walked out, it was snowing sideways. And for whatever reason, it calmed me down and put a smile on my face, and it was the most perfect atmosphere and energy for a high school game that I ever played in. So I remember being nervous and anxious and walking out of that locker room and turning right and seeing the lights at Fawcett Field on the home side and the snow coming down, and for whatever reason, it calmed me down.”
Of course, St. X beat Mentor 27-0 to cap a 15-0 season, one of the first of many steps that led Kuechly back to this place Friday.
“So it’s really cool,” he said. “It kind of comes full circle, and it was a super unique opportunity to play a game at an awesome place up here in Canton.”