18 • The Beacon November 25 , 2021

This month ’ s Coshocton Football Alumni Association Just a Kid From Coshocton feature focuses on two former Redskins who have served the country over the last 20-plus years .

Jason McCormick served in the Army for 21 years , retiring as a sergeant major . He served six tours in Iraq and Afghanistan including the invasion of Iraq in 2003 . He also was stationed at multiple locations in the U . S . including Ft . Stewart , Bragg and Polk and in Germany . He most recently was working with the Purdue University ROTC program .

McCormick is a 1998 graduate of CHS and played on the team from 1994-97 as a guard and was a member of two playoff teams in 1994 and 1997 . He also was team captain his senior year . He used a lot of the lessons he learned while at Coshocton to help him further his career in the Army . He credited time playing “ knee football ” ( playing football on your knees on the padded floor ) in the wrestling room during his early years with helping him develop toughness and

Jason McCormick

understand the meaning of teamwork .

McCormick also took a lot from a 2-8 season in 1995 , which he credited for his ability to lead through adversity and build up from failure . Those lessons led his teams his junior and senior year to 7-3 and 8-3 records under head coach Wade Lucas .

McCormick also spoke of coach Jim Woodrum , who he said busted their behinds in the weight room

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and helped them get better during the off-season .

McCormick is currently living in West Lafayette , Indiana and working on his MBA from Purdue , which he will finish in May . He also is working on a book to help veterans reintegrate and help with the transition back into civilian life .

Mark Durben is a 1996 graduate of CHS . He is a 25-year veteran of the Navy , recently retiring this past August . He retired

Mark Durben

as a chief / master at arms , where he specialized in the security portion of antiterrorism operations while at sea and while stationed at base .

Durben served aboard CVN-74 John C . Stennis aircraft carrier and was stationed all over the world including Greece , Italy , Japan , Turkey , Alaska , Hawaii , California and Washington State .

During his playing days , 1993-96 , Durben

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played defensive end and guard under head coach Wade Lucas and represented Coshocton in the 1996 Times Reporter East-West game .

Durben has fond memories of the 1994 game against Dover . He knocked the Tornadoes quarterback out of the game and was key to the victory , the first in 50 years over a Dover team . He was a key member of that team , which took the ‘ Skins to the playoffs for the first time in seven years in the ‘ 94 campaign . During the Ridgewood game his senior year , he was excited to play against his cousin , running back Dirk Hostetler .

Durben said the Generals ran Hostetler away from him all night long , which he held over his cousin ’ s head .

Like McCormick , Durben took a lot of what he learned from his time at Stewart Field and applied it to his Navy career . Teamwork was a huge lesson he applied in his Navy career to learn to work with people he disagreed with and accomplish a common goal . He also took some of the adversity his senior year in a 2-8 campaign to learn to never quit and keep driving .

Durben was inspired by teammate Brian Baughman . He said Baughman , despite his size , did not let that dictate what he could do and said Baughman ’ s work ethic inspired him to do better .

Durben is currently living in Washington State , where he is entertaining job offers in IT and cyber security on the West Coast and back in Central Ohio .

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The book describes the area ’ s entire glorious history from the end of the last Ice Age until the end of the War of 1812 in all possible detail .

Buy it now from the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum or www . bookcentra . com .

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