Life doesn’t always take us where we think we want to go. Just ask Carl Biddle, an affable and mature nineteen year old with an amazing aptitude for adapting to change.At a young age, Carl had a dream to be a professional football player. In order to effectively hone his emerging talent, Carl felt it was important to play for a high caliber team and investigated the best high school football programs in the country. While still a freshman in high school, Carl asked his father to move him from Atlanta, Georgia, to San Antonio, Texas, where he had been invited to join the team at Churchill High School, an icon in Texas high school football.
Carl thrived there as a defensive end, but left after a year when he and his father relocated to Cincinnati. Unable to attend Moeller High School, Cincinnati’s own icon for athletic excellence, Carl attended Harrison High School and graduated as captain of the football team and senior class president.
After graduation, such athletic programs as the Air Force Academy and Texas Christian University recruited Carl, but because he was only seventeen and still growing, he was advised to consider Division III teams, where his height would be acceptable. Carl chose Mt. Union College in Alliance, Ohio, a smaller school than what he had envisioned, but one with an outstanding football program and multiple National Championships under its belt.
At the end of his first season, Carl led the team in sacks and found himself on the way to the 2000 Division III National Championship. Carl’s dream was right on track. But a late-night call in December changed Carl’s life forever: his father had experienced a serious heart attack. Carl rushed to be with his father, and took care of him until he was satisfied that it was safe to return to school. At the end of spring quarter, Carl abandoned his dreams of football in order to be closely involved with his father’s healthcare and transferred to RWC.
After learning of the situation, Greg Zuleger, Carl’s track coach from Harrison, emailed Carl this past November that he had made an appointment on Carl’s behalf with Allison Gray, UC Men’s Thrower coach for Track and Field. Coach Zuleger was confident that Carl’s athletic ability was not limited to football, and encouraged Carl to keep the appointment. After meeting with Coach Gray, Carl was invited to be a walk-on at tryouts for throwing events such as the shot put, weight throw, and hammer. Coach Grey immediately recognized Carl’s talent and remarked, “An athlete like Carl only comes along every eight years.” Coach Zuleger knew what he was taking about.
Carl attended his first meet at Ohio State this month and is excited about the upcoming season. His newfound sport has helped to fill the void that quitting football left in him. Throwing is very different from the team sports that he is accustomed to, but it provides Carl with an exciting new perspective on competing. Carl explains, “In individual sports, you fail or succeed because of your own abilities.” Proud of his athletic ability, but humbled by its origin, Carl says, “An athlete like myself can only perfect the skills that God has blessed me with, and that’s why I’m special.”
Although Carl is an accounting major and intends to obtain a law degree as well, he feels these are merely essentials to help him realize his new dream: to own a restaurant.
Motivated by his father’s concern for Carl’s future health and independence, Carl learned to cook full-course meals at the age of eight. He remembers the little stool he used to reach the pots on the stove and the timers his father gave him to insure that each dish came to the table hot. At sixteen, his culinary instincts won him a guest spot on the Bill Cunningham Show on WLW Radio. Carl delivered to Mr. Cunningham a chocolate mousse, and a ten-minute spot stretched to forty-five minutes. Carl had a blast as his father watched proudly from a few feet away.
Although his health suffered permanently from the heart attack, Carl’s father is mobile again and doing well. Carl has permanently taken over household duties such as cooking (of course) and cleaning. Does he mind? Carl’s father has been an abiding source of love and support for Carl all of his life; his son is happy to return the favor. It’s Carl’s way of showing his appreciation.