Marcus D. Green learned to cook at an early age from his grandmother Pearline Green. Now he hopes to serve up a few big plays for Youngstown State. Green signed with Youngstown last month out of Copiah-Lincoln Community College after a standout career at Natchez High.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Green led Co-Lin in tackles with 104, including 47 solo stops.

&uot;Co-Lin really helped me better my football skills and helped me as a person,&uot; Green said. &uot;It was a nice way to start, small enough that I knew a lot of people and got along with the coaches and teachers real well.&uot;

Green was discovered by Youngstown State when an assistant coach was looking at a player from an opposing school.

Last season, Youngstown appeared in its sixth NCAA Division I-AA championship game during the 1990s, losing 59-24 by Georgia Southern in the title game.

They won championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997.

&uot;I know it’s going to be cold up there, but I’ll adapt,&uot; Green said. &uot;I’m going to miss my family, especially my son.&uot;

Green’s son Marquez is 18 months old.

&uot;I’ll miss everybody, but that’s a mind thing,&uot; Green said. &uot;I’ll keep pretty occupied.&uot;

Green said the farthest north he has been so far is Washington D.C.

&uot;Basically I need to get better at moving my feet and getting to the ball quicker,&uot; Green said. &uot;I want to try and get my speed down from 4.6 to 4.5.&uot;

Green played defensive end at Co-Lin. He will play linebacker at Youngstown.

&uot;I love to hit and I love playing linebacker,&uot; he said.

Green, who is planning on majoring in natural resources, said he believe he can be in the starting lineup in the season-opener.

&uot;I feel like I can play next year,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s going to take some hard work and dedication.&uot;

Green said he plans to spend part of the summer after graduation in Atlanta, where he hopes to get a part-time job at a nice restaurant.

&uot;My whole family are traditional cooks,&uot; he said. &uot;My favorite dish to make is roast beef. (Youngstown) Coach (Jim Tressel) wants my recipe for red beans and rice. I’m just looking forward to getting started on the field.&uot;