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Cleveland Browns sign Boardman alum Steve Vallos
The Ohio Wrestling Network
 The Cleveland Browns signed offensive lineman Steve Vallos, a 2002 state runner-up from Boardman High School.
On the gridiron, Vallos followed up a standout high school career by anchoring the offensive line at Wake Forest University, where he received numerous honors including first-team All-America and first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference as a senior at left tackle. His professional career began when he entered the 2007 NFL Draft and was selected in the seventh round by the Seattle Seahawks, specifically then-coach/general manager Mike Holmgren, who is now the president of the Browns. During his three years with the Seahawks, he was converted into an interior lineman (center and guard), where he played in thirty-two games, starting eight. An imposing figure at 6'3" 312 pounds, Vallos was brought in by the Browns to play a key role on the offensive line as he is the only player on the Browns' roster with game experience at center other than starter Alex Mack. He could also compete for the starting spot at right guard.
Vallos had a dominant senior season on the mats at Boardman. A district champion and two-time state qualifier, his first three bouts at the state tournament were wins over three of the state's finest heavyweights -- future NHSCA Senior National champion Tony Johnson (5-0), future NHSCA Senior National runner-up Kirk Nail (8-6 OT) and two-time state qualifier Sean Cybulski (5:14). He entered the state championship bout with a sparkling 34-0 record before being upset by Shaker Heights' Hassan Adebesin, another NHSCA Senior All-American.
One of three former standout Ohio wrestlers in the National Football League, Vallos is joined by offensive tackle Jermail Porter of the Kansas City Chiefs (a state runner-up at Firestone High School and an NCAA Division 1 All-American at Kent State University) and free safety Haruki Nakamura of the Baltimore Ravens (via Saint Edward High School and the University of Cincinnati).
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