Attrition is part of sports.And while it was not a surprise, the Bowling Green State
University football team has lost two players from key positions who had eligibility remaining.Tailback
Anthon Samuel, a two-year starter for the Falcons, and Fahn Cooper, the starting left offensive tackle
last season, decided not to return this season.‘‘We really knew since the spring that this could happen
with both of those players, and we’ve been preparing for it,’’ BG head coach Dave Clawson said. ‘‘We
have recruited other good players and now they get a chance to step up and play.’’Samuel was the
Mid-American Conference freshman of the year in 2011. For his career Samuel rushed for 1,842 yards,
including 10 games of 100 yards or more, and 16 touchdowns.‘‘I met with Anthon and never got the feeling
he was coming back,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘At one point he indicated he wanted to come back. The only thing
that we could tell him was that the next scholarship that became available would be his.‘‘We wish him
nothing but the best,’’ Clawson added. ‘‘He gave us great effort and he was just a good student-athlete
for us for two years.’’Samuel left BGSU after the Military Bowl game in late December to be closer to
his wife and his son.‘‘It’s important that he’s with his wife. It’s important that he’s with his son …
I didn’t think it was right to value Bowling Green football over his family,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘I think
he’s happy and feels good on all fronts with what he’s doing.’’A native of Opa Locka, Fla., Samuel is
expected to continue his career at Florida International University, located in Miami.‘‘All along we
said whatever decision he made we would support,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘We would love to have him back and we
wanted to have him back, but not at the expense of his marriage and his child.’’There are numerous
players in the mix to replace Samuel.Andre Givens got the majority of work during spring drills and is
the frontrunner heading into fall camp.Travis Greene was moved from wide receiver to running back in the
spring and is No. 2 on the depth chart.Veterans Jordan Hopgood and Jamel Martin also return after
battling injuries.In addition there are three freshmen recruits in camp — Fred Coppet, Eric Harrell and
Marcus Levy — all hoping to make an impression.‘‘We were very aggressive in December and January signing
running backs,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘It was certainly a position of concern and right now our numbers are
good.’’With the departure of Cooper, the Falcons will be playing with a different left tackle for the
third time in the last three years.Kyle Bryant, now at Youngstown State, started six games for the
Falcons in 2011, but was dismissed from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules on May 1,
2012.Cooper, from Crystal Lake, Ill., won the starting job for the 2012 season as a redshirt freshman
and started all 13 games there.‘‘In terms of Fahn, it was not a discipline issue,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘He
wasn’t kicked off the team and he wasn’t told he couldn’t come back.‘‘Like a lot of young men between
the ages of 18 and 22, they have other things going on in their lives and personal situations,’’ Clawson
continued. ‘‘He and his family decided it was in his best interest to be home right now.’’With the
graduation of Jordon Roussos and the departure of Cooper, the Falcons are looking for tackles on both
ends of the line.Christian Piazza, a 6-feet-7, 281 redshirt sophomore, and Logan Dietz, a 6-5, 288
redshirt freshman, are currently the top two on the depth chart at right tackle.At left tackle, Jacob
Bennett, a 6-4, 324 redshirt freshman, and Clay Rolf, a 6-6, 287 redshirt junior, are the top two on the
depth chart to replace Cooper.There is also the possibility of moving Dominic Flewellyn, a three-year
starter at left guard, to tackle.A graduate of Eastwood High School, Rolf has moved to tackle from tight
end where he has seen limited action in his college career.‘‘He’s in his fourth year and he’s close to
300 pounds, and he’s never been stronger,’’ Clawson said.Clawson stressed that no matter who starts at
the tackle spots, they will be surrounded by veterans, including Flewellyn, David ‘Chief’ Kekuewa and
Alex Huettel on the interior of the line and tight ends Alex Bayer and Tyler Beck.‘‘You are fitting in
two guys around people who have played a lot,’’ Clawson said. ‘‘You hope that those other players help
with their development.’’GA: Aaron Mershman, a former standout at Bowling Green High School, is a
graduate assistant with the Falcons this season.Mershman played quarterback and tight end at Ball State
before concussion problems ended his career after spring drills in 2012.