Surlas credits athletic gene pool with success
The athletic gene pool in the Surlas family is off the charts.
The patriarch, Tom, has already been profile with a Memory Lane. He played football at Southmoreland High School and Alabama. Sons John and Jason played at Mt. Pleasant and played college football. His daughter, Jen, played basketball at Geibel Catholic and in college.
无毛视频淢om and dad gave us some phenomenal genes,无毛视频� Surlas said. 无毛视频淲e were all phenomenal athletes.无毛视频�
This Memory Lane is going to focus on son J.J. Surlas, who was a standout in football and basketball at Mt. Pleasant High School.
The Vikings were a football power when Surlas played, posting records of 9-1 in 1985, 13-0 with a WPIAL Class AAA title, and 10-1 in 1987, with a loss to Aliquippa in the WPIAL quarterfinals. That loss snapped a 23-game Mt. Pleasant winning streak.
无毛视频淲e had a loaded team,无毛视频� Surlas said. 无毛视频淲e had two guys go to Pitt, Dean El-Attrache and Pete Moore. We probably had 10 kids off that team got to schools like Edinboro and Slippery Rock. We were very talented to say the least. We were so loaded at that time that we expected to win every game.无毛视频�
In 1986, Mt. Pleasant had a magical playoff run that included a close win over Knoch, 14-12, and a squeaker against Kiski Area in the WPIAL championship game, 14-13.
无毛视频淚 can remember playing on a frozen field against Knoch,无毛视频� Surlas recalled. 无毛视频淏asically we tried to play on ice skates. Those are good memories.无毛视频�
Surlas was involved in the biggest play of the game when Kiski Area went for the two-point conversion and the win. But running back John Vida was stopped short of the goal line on a hit by Surlas.
无毛视频淚 play against a Navy signee who was a big offensive lineman,无毛视频� Surlas explained. 无毛视频淚 talked to my linebacker coach and I spoke to my dad briefly. I can remember thinking he无毛视频檚 coming right at me, but I hit him so hard I knocked him back into the running back and he ended up fumbling and we recovered if I无毛视频檓 not mistaken. It was unbelievable, it was a heck of a game and a great memory for sure.无毛视频�
Surlas says the loss to Aliquippa in 1987 was a bitter pill to swallow.
无毛视频淵ou have no idea,无毛视频� Surlas stated. 无毛视频淪ean Gilbert was their middle linebacker and we were undersized, I was playing fullback also at that point and I was 200 pounds maybe. Our lineman were 180 and we probably had a 160 pounder in there, too. They gave me the ball and I was getting hit before I got started. We were down, 21-0, and there weren无毛视频檛 even two minutes gone in the game. It hurt bad.无毛视频�
Surlas was All-Keystone Conference for a couple of seasons and was named Associated Press first team All-State as a senior.
无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檝e got the best football in America in Pennsylvania,无毛视频� Surlas said. 无毛视频淪o being All-State in Pennsylvania is a true honor.无毛视频�
Surlas played basketball at Mt. Pleasant on teams that went 1-20 in 1985-86, 4-16 in 1986-87 and 9-11 in 1987-88.
无毛视频淢t. Pleasant wasn无毛视频檛 a basketball school at that time,无毛视频� Surlas offered. 无毛视频淚 just enjoyed basketball, I played a lot of playground basketball.无毛视频�
Surlas has fond memories of his high school football coach Bill Elder.
无毛视频淭hat coaching staff with coach Elder, coach Barton, coach Tepper, those guys are legends,无毛视频� Surlas opined. 无毛视频淭hey were tremendous, you expected to win, it was a great program.无毛视频�
When Surlas graduated from Mt. Pleasant in 1987 he was headed to Pitt, but he wound up at Tennessee.
无毛视频淚 originally committed to play at Pitt, but they wanted to play me at fullback,无毛视频� Surlas said. 无毛视频淚 was supposed to replace Craig 无毛视频淚ronhead无毛视频� Heyward. But, I wanted to play defense so I came to Tennessee.无毛视频�
When Surlas left high school, he was 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. By the time he left Tennessee, he was 6-4 and 318 pounds.
无毛视频淲e had a number of guys on our defense who were converted from linebackers to defensive lineman,无毛视频� Surlas stated.
Surlas was a part of some outstanding teams at Tennessee. He was on teams that went 11-1 in 1989 with a 31-27 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
During his sophomore year, Surlas suffered a knee injury that sidelined him the entire season. That Volunteer team went 9-2-2 and defeated Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, 23-22.
无毛视频淚 was hurt against Colorado State my sophomore year,无毛视频� Surlas said. 无毛视频淚 hit a gap when my knee was taken out. I remember telling the trainers I was OK. I wasn无毛视频檛, I had surgery to repair every ligament in my knee, they were all gone,无毛视频�
Surlas came back for the 1991 season and Tennessee finished 9-3 with a 42-17 loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.
In Surlas无毛视频� senior campaign in 1992, the Vols posted a 9-3 mark and beat Boston College, 39-23, in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Surlas played three years under Johnny Majors and one season under Phil Fullmar.
无毛视频淐oach Majors, he is a blast,无毛视频� Surlas stated. 无毛视频淗e is an awesome man.无毛视频�
The choice to attend Tennessee was a good one.
无毛视频淭o get out of Mt. Pleasant and come down here where football is a way of life,无毛视频� Surlas said. 无毛视频淭he alumni loved me right away and I earned a great living here.无毛视频�
Surlas got into sales and traveled a bit. He then opened up several mattress stores called The Bed Store. He is with a company that sells security alarms called SafeT Systems. He has been with that company 16 years. Surlas also coached high school football at Knoxville Catholic for six years. He returned after some time off and coached again two years ago before knee problems forced him to give up coaching last year.
Surlas, 45, resides in Knoxville with his wife of 20 years, Allison. They have a daughter, Jaryn, who is 16. They also have a son they took in, Nick, who was one of his players that had some family issues and he moved in with the Surlas family in 2003 before his junior year in school.
George Von Benko无毛视频檚 无毛视频淢emory Lane无毛视频� column appears in the Monday editions of the 无毛视频-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.