Renowned entrepreneur, respected football analyst Kiser wants Giants to be better than him

It didn't take Jim Tressel long to recognize the resource he had in Tom Kiser, who is fluent in football nuance and can quickly diagnose team and individual adjustments.

After a few critical observations of offensive linemen at practice, Ohio State's former coach made sure Kiser had a running tape recorder fastened around his neck. Rewinding a bit, Tressel first had to steal Kiser from Al Gore.

Kiser, who returns a second time for another season at Fremont Ross in a new iteration as offensive line coach, was slated to travel to China at Gore's request. After Kiser spoke at the White House, he was to teach China how not to be like America in its use of fossil fuel.

The SARS epidemic shut down travel, and since Kiser wasn't currently a high school coach, he was allowed to work with Ohio State's program. Kiser knew Tressel's dad, Dick Tressel, from clinics at Baldwin Wallace and had been invited to Columbus before.

Once he got there, he didn't leave for two years.

"Tell the recorder what you see," Tressel told Kiser. "The tape is private."

Tressel immediately put Kiser in the huddle. Still, Kiser was there at Tressel's request, and didn't expect to remain.

"See ya Coach, it's been a nice visit" Kiser told Tressel. "I'm back to Fremont. 'No, you're at dinner with us.' In the meantime, he listened to the tape. It just worked out."

Kiser coached the coaches as a team consultant and offensive analyst, studying future opponents. He reported to offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.

"The key to football is how to disguise the same girl in a different dress," he said. "You can run the same play out of seven formations. Alignment, assignment and finish. Those are the three elements to every play."

By the way, this was 2002, when the Buckeyes capped the season with a national championship.

Maurice Clarett scored from 5 yards out in the second overtime of the Fiesta Bowl against 24-point favorite Miami. Ohio State stuffed the Hurricanes on three plays inside the 2-yard line and Cie Grant hit Ken Dorsey to force a game-ending incomplete pass on fourth down.

Kiser mistakenly backed into Rob Chudzinski at the 50-yard line before the game. Not knowing Kiser was on Ohio State's staff, Miami's offensive coordinator asked him what he was doing on the field.

"We came to beat you," Kiser told him.

Kiser coached Chudzinski in Fremont in the eighth grade.

Kiser's company has a jet. It took Clarett on short flights to help Clarett learn to manage his fear of flying to travel to road games.

Archie Griffin is Kiser's best friend. They spend Ohio State games together in Kiser's suite.

Kiser was friends with Dick Schafrath, who worked for Kiser for 12 years. He knows Jim Brown and regularly talks to Jim Tressel.

"Jim Tressel's dad taught me offense," he said.

Former Michigan coach Gary Moeller taught him defense.

Kiser spent three weeks with Dick LeBeau learning Pittsburgh's defense each summer. He spent another three weeks with Mouse Davis and June Jones learning Atlanta's offense.

George Whitfield's training academy for young quarterbacks in California was founded by Kiser.

"He doesn't give up on kids," Ross coach Chad Long said. "He works with every kid and every kid loves him. He always sees good. He's the most humble guy. He's funny. He loves life. He loves his grandkids and his kids. He has the biggest heart in the world.

"He has a passion and love of the game. He has experience and wisdom. He's phenomenal. I'm blessed this guy fell right in my lap."

He always wants to teach.

"For you to help a kid and fulfill their needs, you have to ask questions," he said. "The more the player talks, the more you can fill in solutions. They'll accidentally describe their deficiencies and we can combo block. You can't do all the talking.

"The key is questions. Get them talking, it's candy from a baby and we adjust."

Kiser is an aeronautical engineer. He owns World Energy Innovations, run by sons, Russ and Eddie Kiser.

Kiser coached them from flag on up. Eddie was a quarterback at Michigan, in the same position room as Tom Brady and Brian Griese.

Kiser's wife, Phyllis, carpooled Brady to practice while visiting her son. Russ was a quarterback at Purdue.

Kiser witnessed his father, Herb Kiser, function as a self-made business man. He owned Kiser Brothers, a plumbing and heating company.

"I watched him as the leader of the band," he said.

WEI was founded in 1979. Kiser sold it in 2012 and bought it back five years later.

He has eight patents that house 5,600 claims and methodologies.

"My game plan won't be vetoed by a boss," he said. "Football is human engineering. What are you capable of doing. Chess pieces. You want them to grow up to be a better person and more successful than you. I want you to play better than me, be superior to me and not take yourself for granted."

Kiser was on Rex Radeloff's staff at Ross.

"I coached Charles Woodson as a junior and senior," he said. "The entire defense was at my house for game plans. He never missed dinner at Phyllis' house, and then he helped with the dishes. He was a great kid."

Kiser went to Toledo Central Catholic as an assistant to Tom Santoro, before returning to Ross as Mark Wetzel's offensive coordinator. He coached at Sandusky from 2009-2014 and was involved in numerous ways with multiple programs most years when he wasn't on a staff.

He worked with Tom Narducci at SJCC, coaching his sons. Kiser played three years varsity fullback, tight end, guard and linebacker for Narducci until 1969.

He was part of two Sandusky Bay Conference championships, and he and three teammates were recruited by Division I programs. An injury forced Kiser to dive further into engineering.

He also fell in love with studying power lifting.

Ross sophomore Dominic Brown happens to be an offensive lineman. Kiser saw Brown play for the first time at Toledo Whitmer last season.

Again, he has yet to leave.

"I was impressed watching our kids and what we've got," he said. "The execution didn't always go right, but I was blown away how superior we were inside. Dominic started at offensive tackle. I watched every play. I didn't know my little grandson was that strong.

"I played a copy of the game over the next day and was blown away by the potential at Fremont. And, the mistakes were fixable."

Kiser called Long to congratulate him for advancing to the postseason. Long remembered meeting Kiser and invited him to practice, although Kiser said he asked Long.

Either way, they both wanted him there. He was on the sideline for two postseason games.

"I'll stay out of the way and watch my grandson," Kiser said. "It put the fire back in the boiler. It's a vitamin, a nutrient. 'Phyllis, if you don't mind, it would be fun to go help.' Chad made me super welcome. 'Is there a chance you'd come aboard as offensive line coach?"

Kiser's grandson, Ty Brown, is also on Long's roster.

Kiser is a generous man, financially and with his time.

"People reached out to help Phyllis and I," he said of their special needs son. "We had to stay in Philadelphia for three weeks for physical and mental therapy. We had to recruit 16 women from the church to help. I don't know.

"You do what you can to help other people succeed."

He makes it sound like he thinks everybody does that.

"I'd bring any of the kids home and adopt them," he said. "They make me feel younger. You play back your own days. I'm 71. I don't care if I'm 71, 61 or 81. We have a job to do and we have to get going."

mhorn@gannett.com

419-307-4892

Twitter: @MatthewHornNH

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Kiser returns to sideline as Little Giants offensive line coach