Annie Apple easily recalls when her family — which includes Ohio State starting cornerback Eli Apple — made the trek from Voorhees, N.J., to Columbus for the first time. A life transition in the form of a big city laid in front of them as a result of Eli's athletic ability and prowess as a football player.
Initially they didn't know many people outside of the Buckeye football coaching staff and friends their son had made through the recruiting process. So Annie sought help in the form of the Football Parents At Ohio State (FPAOS) organization.
"When we came to Ohio State in 2013, the organization Football Parents At Ohio State did exist," Apple told Eleven Warriors Saturday. "But honestly it only existed on paper. It wasn't mobile, it wasn't active. It was just, 'Hey, parents met for happy hour Wednesdays' or whatever."
When Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State prior to the 2012 football season, he intended to establish a culture he preaches about constantly. Meyer wants his team to be nine units strong, his players to love one another so they can go to war on the football field and sacrifice whatever needed to win games on Saturdays.
With the Football Parents At Ohio State, Annie Apple saw the potential to bring the same type of culture to Buckeye football families off the field. It just needed a little work.
"When we joined, we wanted to do a little bit more," she said. "I think when we first got here we wanted to find a way to get all the kids together."
Players come in from all over the United States to play for the Buckeyes. Just look at the team's current roster: Meyer and his staff recruited the best talent everywhere from South Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio and others.
The young men come into the program with one thing on their mind: Compete and earn a starting position to help the team win championships. It's an intention that happens at every university and one that can at times formulate enemies within the team. Individuals work so hard to earn playing time, but don't always receive it. The same could be said about parents who want to see their child play and perform.
"College football is in some ways insolent," Annie Apple said. "(Parents) only care about their kids. Everything looks like competition."
She isn't wrong. FPAOS, with the help of the Ohio State Compliance Department, is out to change that.
Led by Apple, Dawn Elliott, Angel Marshall, Stephanie Webb, Candice Lee, Natalie Collier and others, the FPAOS hosted a social event dubbed "Grind to Shine: Family Unit" at the Martin Luther King Auditorium within Hale Hall on Ohio State's campus Saturday evening. It was meant to get to know the families of the incoming freshmen, and all families were invited to hear William White — a star safety at Ohio State in the late 80s — speak about the importance of a familial culture for their boys.
"The thing that I realized when I got to Ohio State was this is truly a family," White said. "There's no reason everyone in that locker room should not be successful."
White urged the parents in the room to keep their sons in check when it comes to off-field situations, particularly in the classroom. Football doesn't last forever.
"I truly believe it's the parent's job to keep that focus. You're a student first, then an athlete," White said. "We all want our kids to come to Ohio State and more importantly we want our kids to be good tax-paying citizens. So that means we want them to have a great job and an excellent career."
It's all part of the mantra FPAOS intends to be there for those men and women closest to Ohio State football players, because putting on the pads and running out on the field only lasts so long.
"I know one guy that I played with who never had to work after he got done playing and he just happens to be the best running back that ever played, Barry Sanders," White said. "They all can be successful no matter what the major is. Set the standards high for them, because they can do it."
More than 100 family members RSVP'd for the "Grind to Shine" social Saturday.
The group gets together before games for 10-minute prayer sessions, works together under a travel committee to search for blocks of hotel rooms for road trips and sells customizable T-shirts to breed that close-knit community among them. It's all about getting to know one another and enjoying the time they have while their son plays football.
"We have a travel committee headed by Natalie Collier, like for Virginia Tech we were able to book 30 rooms for all the parents to stay at the same hotel," Apple said. "That way if you're a new parent or maybe you’re a parent who came by yourself you're not alone. You need that."
The 2014 season was a turning point not only for Ohio State's football program under Meyer with the run at the national championship, but also for the FPAOS. Apple — and by extension Meyer — headed a mission to have the College Football Playoff National Championship help with travel expenses in January.
Behind Meyer's public demands it eventually happened, with the Playoff providing as much as $2,500 per family for hotel, travel and meal expenses. Recently, it was announced the same stipend would be available for the semifinal games.
Saturday, a video of Meyer and Alabama head coach Nick Saban thanking the parents at Ohio State for their support to get the funds established from the College Football Playoff was present at the event. Also included in the video was the FPAOS giving Meyer and Saban an award for using their voice to lead the push.
Ohio State made a difference, just like the FPAOS does come football season.
"I think last year was a huge turning point for us as far as what we were able to do as an organization," Apple said. "It just goes to show that you can do a lot in this world when you get over yourself."
