MEDINA, Ohio — Medina High School quarterback Danny Stoddard was a wide receiver last year, spending some reserve time as a quarterback, but now he’s first in line to replace the 2021 OHSAA Mr. Football for the Battling Bees.
Stoddard said it is an adjustment for him to be playing QB with the varsity.
“I trust these guys,” Stoddard said. “They know what they’re doing. I think we will do pretty good.”
He has big shoes to fill. He’s taking the reins after Drew Allar graduated, one of the best ranked quarterbacks in the country, who is now at Penn State.
Stoddard said playing wide receiver with Allar helped him learn where his receivers would want the ball placed.
“With Allar, he hit me like perfectly every time,” Stoddard.
Within the first few weeks of camp, he learned how treacherous the trenches can be. He hurt his ankle when a lineman stepped on his foot during a play, but he learned how to shake it off.
“As soon as that happened, I started freaking out,” he said. “I thought I would miss some of the season, but I recovered pretty quick.”
Medina Coach Larry Laire said Stoddard wanted to play quarterback since there was a void to fill. He said Stoddard has experience as a junior varsity QB, and he’s more than just a body on the field.
“Honestly, if it weren’t for Drew Allar, I think a lot of people around here would be saying, ‘oh my god, Danny Stoddard is the best quarterback we’ve ever had,’” Laire said.
Stoddard said he’s going in knowing he won’t be the next Drew Allar but can usher in the next era in the program.
“I know a lot of people are not expecting much since I didn’t play that much,” Stoddard said. “But I can go out there and show ‘em.”
