BUCYRUS — Former All-Ohio Lexington High School standout (Class of 1988) Mark Lovely made it to the Ohio State University Football program as a walk on by way of the United States Navy prep school in RI (originally hoping to play football for the U.S. Naval Academy), Navy destroyer based out of Guantanamo Cuba, Upper Sandusky semi-pro team the “Wyandot Chiefs” and Mansfield OSU Branch…Not exactly a direct route to say the least.

Mark Lovely will be featured speaker at interdenominational men’s prayer breakfast 7 a.m. on April 12 at the Bucyrus Community Hospital Cafeteria.

Lovely was recruited to try out as a walk in on in 1991, three years after graduating from high school, at OSU by Bill Conley who was a defensive line coach and recruiter for the Buckeyes. Lovely played fullback for the Buckeyes from 1991-1993, a time that the Buckeyes were loaded with running back talent under head coach Jim Cooper. Lovely’s college football career was over with a career ending ACL injury in 1993.

For five years, Lovely worked with faith-based Sports World Ministries which works to get professional National Football League players with at-risk high schoolers and talking about making right decisions in their lives.

Although Lovely lives in Columbus, he travels widely as a Crisis Care Chaplain including weekly visits to the ABRAXAS Residential Center for troubled 16-19-year-old youths just outside of Shelby.

This prayer breakfast is open to all men and is being hosted by Woodlawn United Methodist Church, Tom Gruver, Pastor. For additional information, call Bill Denton at 419 562-1118.