Betrayed by Indiana, Corunna lineman finds better fit at MAC school
CORUNNA -- When he committed to Indiana last summer, Jalen Schlachter became the first Corunna football player to earn a Division I scholarship since 1981...but that's only the beginning of the story.
Schlachter was all smiles on Thursday afternoon, but when we last saw the talented Corunna offensive lineman, his mood was a little more, shall we say, destructive. He graced NBC25 with his presence last August to star in a commercial for "Friday Night Football," which involved him memorably pulverizing a vending machine.
Well, that vending machine may as well have had a picture of Kevin Wilson on it.
Wilson was named Indiana's new head coach in December, replacing the fired Bill Lynch, the man who Jalen committed to play for. None of this was a problem, until...
"Next thing you know, we got a call," began Schlachter. "The Monday before my official visit, he said my scholarship will no longer be available, I'm pulling it because you're not gonna fit into my system. I was just shocked, I was speechless."
But in the world of sports, one team's blunder is another team's blessing. And Jalen's mother was quickly reminded how coveted her not-so-little boy really was.
"By 11 o'clock the following morning on Tuesday, my phone did not stop ringing," said Rachel Stehlik. "And that was very humbling to think that Jalen was thought of that well as a football player in the state of Michigan, that schools were instantly contacting us and wanting to set up visits."
Among those teams was Ball State, whose first-year head coach, Pete Lembo, immediately reached out to Jalen. Of particular interest to him was the presence of offensive line coach John Strollo.
"He worked with NFL teams in the past, and he invented a new system of line play," explained Jalen. "It's awesome to watch, and I'm excited to have him as my coach."
Just four days after being cut loose by Indiana, the Cardinals became Jalen Schlachter's new college football family.
"Ball State is extremely excited to get him," said Jalen's high school head coach, Chris Curtiss. "I think he's gonna be the big fish in that small pond there, and really make a name for himself in the MAC."
Jalen's talent and years of hard work made a huge impression on the Ball State coaching staff...but did a certain NBC25 commercial also play a role?
"Coach Strollo asked me about it, 'cause he'd seen it," said a smiling Jalen. "And he thought it was pretty cool."
