Ghiaciuc stays loyal to university despite NFL success

Eric Ghiaciuc’s path to the National Football League began four years ago as a senior at Central Michigan, when he first caught the eye of scouts.

Now the starting center for the Cincinnati Bengals in his fourth year, Ghiachiuc reunited with some of his former coaches, teammates and supporters on the golf course Saturday at Riverwood Resort.

“I have fun here – that’s why I keep coming back,” Ghiaciuc said.

The football golf outing is held each year as a fundraiser for the current team and is an excuse for past friendships to be rekindled.

“To see all the guys who have put so much into this program come back, it’s a neat thing,” said head coach Butch Jones. “It’s a camaraderie thing.”

In addition to Ghiaciuc, Brock Gutierrez, a Chippewa from 1993-1995, arrived with a posse foursome of knicker-clad golfers. Gutierrez played for 10 seasons as an offensive lineman in the NFL before retiring in 2005 as a Detroit Lion.

Ghiaciuc was drafted in the fourth round in 2005′s NFL Draft, and said it’s nice to have a solid role in the pros.

“There’s no such thing as security in the NFL as far as your position,” he said. “But there are less questions whether I’m going to be able to make an active contribution to the team.”

Ghiaciuc finds his way back to mid-Michigan only once or twice per season, but still feels comfortable in the area. He is building a house on Lake Isabella, about 15 miles west of Mount Pleasant.

The CMU teams Ghiaciuc played for went a combined 11-24 from 2002-2004. But Jones said he continued the tradition of dominant CMU offensive linemen and is a great role model for current players.

“He comes around a lot, and it’s great for our current players to see NFL alumni coming back,” he said. “That’s part of that tradition of excellence we talk about.”

Jones was the offensive coordinator during two of Ghiaciuc’s seasons at CMU (2002 and 2003). Ghiaciuc said although the Bengals’ system is intricate, Jones’ offense prepared him well.

“It was pretty extensive for being a college program,” he said

With the success Central has experienced the last two seasons, Ghiaciuc is optimistic other players can make an impact in the NFL.

“It’s going to give more guys an opportunity to play in the league because of their winning record,” he said. “It’s going to give more guys recognition and opportunities.”

Ghiaciuc started 12 games with the Bengals in 2007, sitting out four because of neck, thumb and foot injuries. But he said his health is adequate, and he is ready to continue snapping the ball to two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer.

“Carson’s a great guy,” he said. “He’s a great quarterback – he’s really competitive. I love the fact that I get to snap the ball to Carson every Sunday.”

The Bengals finished in third place in the AFC North with a 7-9 record in 2007 after an 8-8 season the year before and an 11-5 record in 2005, when they made the playoffs.

“I believe we’ll be able to make the playoffs, and we’re going to make some noise,” Ghiaciuc said.

Above all, Ghiaciuc is content with his career and gives a lot of the credit to his alma mater.

“On Sundays, when I put on my helmet, it seems like everything else disappears for three hours,” he said.

editor@cm-life.com