KALAMAZOO, MI - From the pee wee fields to high school state championship games at Ford Field, Ralph Holley was a star football player who commanded the respect of his teammates and forced opposing coaches to build their gameplans around him.
Then came his freshman year at Western Michigan, where he discovered his athleticism and 6-foot-2, 275-pound frame weren't all that unique among Division-I athletes.
The transition from prep star to college football freshman wasn't always an easy one for the Orchard Lake St. Mary's graduate, but the sophomore defensive tackle is starting to see the fruits of his labor on the field, including a six-tackle, two-sack outing in WMU's 27-24 Week 6 win over Eastern Michigan.