Former NFL Linebacker Named CO Owner & Head Coach With The Penn Ohio Tigers Minor League Football Team.

Former Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Rick Razzano was a defensive force on the football field. Now, Razzano will tackle a new challenge. Razzano was recently named co-owner and head coach of the newly formed Penn-Ohio Tigers Minor League Football Team, the organization announced. The Tigers will take the field at Canfield High School this summer. "Our goal is to build the finest minor-league sports franchise in the region and we will do so by raising the standards and credibility with special emphasis on professionalism and performance. "Our primary focus is to build an organization that will benefit both the players and the community.  We will give players an opportunity to develop their skills in order to keep their dream alive, and we will provide the community with quality family value entertainment and regional economic benefits. The Tigers will also award scholarships to deserving canfield

high school seniors who will be attending a college or university.

A New Castle, Pa native, Razzano still holds both the Virginia Tech University and Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC) football record with 634 tackles in his collegiate career. Razzano said the foundation to building a successful team starts with a team's coaching staff. "The majority of players at any level of football usually develop to the level of the ability of the coaching staff. The (Penn-Ohio Tigers) have a group of highly experienced coaches who have played and coached at all levels of football, The Tiger staff also has many collegiate and pro contacts, which Razzano said will greatly assist in the marketing of their players. Among those individuals include: Buffalo Bills head coach, Dick Jauron; Cincinnati Bengals head coach, Marvin Lewis; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Jon Gruden; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive and defensive coordinators Bruce Arians and Dick Lebeau, respectively; University of Kansas head coach Mark Mangino; University of Akron head coach J.D. Brookhart; Notre Dame University assistant head coach, John Latina, and David Razzano, a long-time N.F.L. Scout currently working with The Arizona Cardinals.

Razzano said he is excited to continue the region's storied football history. "We are extremely excited about being in this area because of the great football tradition and the abundance of talented players. The Tigers player roster will be made up of players who represent over 20 area High Schools. Our players are very excited about the opportunity to play with other star players who they competed against in High School. It will be like a regional all-star team of former high school and college stars, Razzano said.

The Tigers are playing in the Grassroots Professional Football League(GPFL), which competes in the highest AAA rated minor-league classification and is made up of teams from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. The league is committed to representing professional standards that relate to appearance, attitude, behavior and level of talent..

Razzano also said this team wouldn't be possible without the support of Canfield High School administrators and school board members.  "We want to especially thank school board president Brian Kesner, superintendent Dante Zambrini, and athletic director Greg Cooper for their cooperation in this process." 

All players interested in playing should contact Rick Razzano at 513-706-7687 or via email at RRazz51@aol.com. The Penn Ohio Tigers have two regional office locations. The Ohio office mailing address and phone number is PO Box 374 MCDonald OH 44437 (330)-240-6401 and the Pennsylvania address is 1611 Carlisle St. New Castle PA 16101 (724)-730-7255.