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'08 OH OL Elliot Mealer (Michigan Signee)

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Blade
Article published Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tragedy won't stop Wauseon's Mealer
Wants to play at Michigan, as planned


Mealer


By JOE VARDON
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
ANN ARBOR - Talking about it rips Elliott Mealer's heart out. But reliving the Christmas Eve auto accident his family was involved in that killed his father, David, and girlfriend, Hollis Richer, is something Mealer does often. Even when there's no one to talk to. Mealer, a Wauseon High graduate and freshman
offensive lineman at Michigan, fielded questions for more than 15 minutes about the tragic ordeal Sunday at the Wolverines' media day. Questions about the crash. About losing two loved ones. About his brother, Brock, who is still fighting to walk again after suffering a crushed lower vertebra in the accident. Questions about football. About moving on. Mealer didn't flinch. He barely paused. He's been conducting the same interviews in his head for almost nine months.
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Blade

Michigan goes bowling to raise money for Mealers
By JOE VARDON
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
ANN ARBOR - Shelly Mealer has made it a practice not to look at most of her son Brock's medical bills. Instead, she sends them straight to the family's attorney. "I've peeked at a couple, and they're just so horrifying," the Wauseon woman said. Her youngest son, Elliott, is a freshman offensive lineman for the Michigan Wolverines. By throwing a "Bowling for Brock" charity event here yesterday, the team raised $15,025 to help cover his brother's medical expenses. Brock, 23, suffered a crushed lower vertebra in an auto accident that killed his father, David, and Elliott's girlfriend, Hollis Richer, on Christmas Eve. He is conducting his rehabilitation at the UM Medical Center, and his family set up a fund to pay for the costs not covered by insurance. Yesterday Brock and Elliott, their brother, Blake, and their mother were among those on hand at Colonial Lanes for the bowling event. The players bowled and signed autographs for fans who were asked to pay between $25 and $50 for admission - all going toward the fund. Brock, 23, who is in a wheelchair but said he is beginning to strengthen his hip muscles in an effort to walk again, said the bowling party in his honor was "amazing."
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UM physical therapist: "He doesn't have enough strength to stand in braces"


Brocks response: " If I have to go to Ohio State to use braces, I will"


Very, very nice. Great to see him improving.
 
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Mealer is positive, optimistic
Mike Vernot

ANN ARBOR, Mich. --Elliott Mealer is no stranger to adversity on or off the football field. The 2009 season will be no different when Mealer attempts to vie for a coveted spot on the University of Michigan football depth chart.

After red-shirting his first season in Ann Arbor, Mealer is nearing the end of full rehab and is starting regular workouts with the hope of full recovery of strength and agility to his shoulder.

"Rehab is going good," explained Mealer. "For the most part, concerning my shoulder, I can play football. I can do all the things I need to in life and I consider my shoulder 100 percent."

For Mealer, the challenge is restoring lost shoulder strength which may never return.

"The team has been doing a lot of upper arm strengthening in the weight room, but I'm not allowed to start that until after spring break (Feb. 20-28)," said Mealer. "At that time, I will start out with two to three days of upper body strength training and I'm not sure how long that will last, but it could last my whole career just to stay on top of it."

Despite all of the adversity, Mealer remains positive and hopeful of the chance to make a difference for the team.

"I just want to be effective for the team and help it any way I can," explained Mealer. "I want to be a starter, that's my goal or obviously I wouldn't be here. If that doesn't happen I want to be two-deep or at least on the traveling team. Its harder to stay a starter than to initially become a starter."
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"Last year was just a bad year, but you can't pin that on the seniors. After the Ohio State loss and the seniors had been dismissed, it felt like the underclassman realized that it was time to get down to business," said Mealer. "The past was behind us and it was time to move on. Some of us freshmen were talking about how hard the offseason workouts have been. But then we realized that as bad as we were last year, we had to work that much harder to improve this year."
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"When you talk about Michigan, you think of football and the tradition," said Mealer. "Next season and the seasons after will be about bringing the winning tradition back to Michigan. Coach Rodriguez always talks about the fact Michigan used to be able to come down the tunnel with the winged-helmets and just that sight was worth seven points due to intimidation. Now teams don't fear us, they believe they have a chance to beat us so we have to get that intimidation back."
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Brock recently graduated from Ohio State. When asked if there was any tension between the brothers about their choice of schools, Elliot explained the true nature of the relationship.

"He is definitely a Wolverine at heart. At his graduation, under his gown he wore a Michigan shirt which nobody really knew. I give him a hard time about it (the rivalry), but it's more in fun than anything else."
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Crescent-News.com - Mealer is positive, optimistic
 
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Updated: October 6, 2009
Mealer brothers a lesson in courage
Merrill By Elizabeth Merrill
ESPN.com

WAUSEON, Ohio -- They know they're not normal. A light dusting of snow falls on Christmas Eve, and Dave Mealer is bouncing around the house, cooking and entertaining and plotting surprises. He has never dropped this much money on Christmas, but hey, it's time to celebrate. His youngest boy, Elliott, is going to play college football next fall at Michigan; his family, his life, is so complete.

Twenty-five years of marriage, and Mealer is still first-date gaga. He asks Shelly to walk by his chair, just so he can stare and tell her how beautiful she is. She tells him he's full of it. They have three strapping boys, two dogs and a fine statuette collection that has somehow stayed perfectly intact. Nobody in this house, it seems, ever fights. Some people are born to be doctors, or farmers, but the Mealers believe their calling is to raise Blake, Brock and Elliott.

And what men they've become. They're best-friend tight, closer than Dave and Shelly could've hoped. Blake and Brock are helping run the family concrete business; Elliott has college ahead and a loving girlfriend he wouldn't dare leave behind. She has a Christmas present to give Elliott. It's a Bible. They climb into their Mercedes that night and head to a family party, presents waiting for them back at home. Before they leave the party later that evening, before everything changes, Dave puts his hand on Shelly's leg and looks into her eyes. "It is my pleasure to be sitting with you tonight," he says.

Sometimes, when Dave hugs his boys, it's almost as if he can't let go. Shelly worries about this, that things are too perfect.

"People don't hug and love on each other like this," she tells her husband on several occasions.

"I'm just afraid something's going to happen."
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Michigan football player Elliott Mealer returns to team after family tragedy - ESPN
 
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Too bad the Michigan Scout site is boycotting the Free Press.

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez bonds with Mealers


Brock Mealer was never recruited by Rich Rodriguez and never played for him.

But he still considers Rodriguez an important figure in his life.
Mealer is the brother of Michigan offensive lineman Elliott Mealer. Both were in a tragic car accident on Christmas Eve 2007. Their father and Elliott's girlfriend were killed and Brock was severely injured, confined to the hospital and given very little hope of walking again.
Two-and-half years later, Brock has made a dramatic recovery and showed off his progress to the football team last Saturday, ditching his crutches and walking nearly 50 yards to the applause of the players and others.
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cont'd
 
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