The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Meyer proud of ’Topper coach, former pupil
“He’s incredible.” Urban Meyer has been leading and coaching young men for since taking an assistant coaching job at Cincinnati St. Xavier in 1985.
The Ashtabula native has won conference championships, national championships and is one of the most bright and innovative minds on the college football landscape.
He knows impressive when he sees it. So when Meyer uses the words, “He’s incredible,” to describe Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt — he means it.
“I’m a big fan of Mitch Hewitt,” Meyer told The NewsHerald in a phone interview over the weekend. “I knew he’d be a great one.”
Meyer coached Hewitt for
two years while he was the head coach at Bowling Green and Hewitt was a linebacker for the Falcons. While their career paths have taken them in different directions — Meyer won national championships at Florida and Ohio State, and is now a college football analyst for Fox, while Hewitt is a teacher and coach in Chardon — the two have remained close over the years. How close?
Meyer not only visits Hewitt when he is in Northeast Ohio, such as the summer of 2019, and went as far as to send the Chardon football team a video message wishing them good luck in the Hilltoppers’ Division III state semifinal against Tiffin Columbian on Nov. 13.
“I was very honored to do that,” Meyer said of the video message to Hewitt and the Hilltoppers.
“Some day I hope to do that in person for him.”
Said Meyer in his video message to the Hilltoppers:
“Hi Chardon High football, this is Coach Urban Meyer. And a quick message for you as you get ready for a big game this weekend.
“First of all, congratulations on all your success this year. Something Lou Holtz shared with me before national championship games or Big Ten championship games was that you always remind your players why this is such a big game, and let them focus on why this became such a big game.
“Let’s go back. There’s a reason Chardon High is one of the top teams in the state of Ohio and why you are playing in a huge game
this weekend. It is because you — the players and the coaching staff — made it a huge game. You made it a huge game because you’re great at what you do. If you weren’t great at what you do, let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be a big game. Matter of fact, you guys would be done.
“So it’s a very big game. It’s a big game for your city, it’s a big game for your school, and more importantly it’s a big game for all the players on that team.
“However, remember WHY and how it became such a big game. It’s very simple. It’s because you guys are really good at what you do. You got really good at what you do — you must have excellent coaches, you must have great work ethic and leadership on your team. So let’s keep everything in perspective here. It’s a big game. It’s a big game because you made it
a big game.
“How do you win big games? You just out-prepare. You keep doing what you’ve been doing. Don’t be overcome with emotion. Don’t become overcome with the moment. You just go about your business and do everything you have been doing to get to this point that you are in right now — and that’s taking a swing at the championship in the great state of Ohio.
“So I wish you all the very best. YOU made it a big game. Now finish strong.”
In Los Angeles for the weekend college football show on Fox, Meyer asked The News-Herald, “How’d they do last night?” in regard to the Hilltoppers.
When told of the 47-7 win over Tiffin Columbian, Meyer said, “Good.”
He chronicled the impression Hewitt made on him when he took his first head-coaching job at Bowl
ing Green.
“I didn’t recruit him. I inherited him,” Meyer said, noting Hewitt was already at BG when Meyer arrived there.
Hewitt had 168 tackles, a number of TFLs and pass breakups later in his final two years at BG, but Meyer pointed out to his first impression of Hewitt on the field as a young sophomore.
“He was our punt protector,” Meyer said of the player who is the last line of defense between the line and the punter. “The person you put there is your best player, the one you put the most trust in — tough, smart guys in that position. That was Mitch Hewitt.”
Back then, Meyer had a good feeling Hewitt would some day make a great coach. It wasn’t just because the two had talked about coaching together.
Meyer praised Hewitt’s “football acumen,” calling
him “a really smart football player.”
But there are more intangibles, Meyer said.
“The qualities that make a coach successful, he has them all,” Meyer said. “No. 1 is his competitive spirit. He’s a competitive maniac. He cares deeply for people, his players and coaches — and he’s tough as nails. Toughest human being as I’ve been around.”
After the Hilltoppers’ state semifinal victor y, which put Chardon in the state championship game, Hewitt’s postgame talk to his players lauded them for their accomplishments and for galvanizing a community.
“For two minutes, no one cared about what political side you’re on,” Hewitt said of a bus ride around Chardon square, which was lined with Hilltopper fans. “No one cared what COVID stance you took. It was
like unity. I saw little kids out there being what little kids should be — smiling and celebrating and being a community. Guys, sports is a unifier, man. It’s bringing people together. And you just bought your community one more week.”
As in the state championship game this weekend.
Meyer chimed in on Twitter after seeing Hewitt’s message.
Wrote Meyer, “A mandate for every young/old coach to watch! Well done and much respect to my former player Coach Mitch Hewitt and onward Chardon HS football.”
Meyer told The NewsHerald he’ll be keeping track of the Hilltoppers as they continue their trek for a state title.
“I’m so proud of him, his wonderful wife and kids,” Meyer said.
“I knew he’d be a great success.”