BG running back Samuel taking time away from team

Bowling Green running back Anthon Samuel rushes against San Jose State defensive tackle David Catalano (92) during the Military Bowl last month in Washington.

BOWLING GREEN — Anthon Samuel, the top running back on the Bowling Green State University football team last season, currently is not enrolled at the school.

“Anthon has taken the semester off to attend to personal issues,” BG coach Dave Clawson said Wednesday. “He wants to be with his wife and son, and his return is uncertain.

“We support Anthon. He is not the typical student-athlete, and he has some special issues that he needs to attend to. And we support him in dealing with those issues.”

Last season Samuel ran for 998 yards and 11 touchdowns on 202 carries as a sophomore, reaching 100 yards in five of the 12 games in which he played. He ranked ninth in the Mid-American Conference with 87.8 rushing yards per game.

Samuel also caught 22 passes, fifth-most on the team, for 198 yards and a TD, and led the Falcons to an 8-5 record, a 6-2 mark in league play, and a berth in the Military Bowl.

Before the bowl game, Samuel expressed concern for being away from his wife, Jah’meela, and the couple’s year-old son, Aaiden.

“It’s pretty difficult being away from my child — I want to see him every day,” Samuel said at that time.

In 2011 Samuel finished with 844 yards and five touchdowns on 144 carries in 10 games, sixth-best in the league. The 5-11, 180-pound native of Opa Locka, Fla., was voted MAC freshman of the year.

Should Samuel maintain his eligibility and return to the Falcons in the fall, he would be eligible to play in 2013.

Clawson also said that wide receiver Je’Ron Stokes has decided to complete degree requirements in May and not return to the team.

Last season Stokes, a transfer from Michigan who was eligible for the first time this season, caught 15 passes for 114 yards and touchdown in 12 games. He also had a rushing attempt in the bowl game which gained one yard.

Three other redshirt juniors — defensive backs Austin Collier and Mark Mays along with kicker Matt Oczypok — will graduate in May and not return to the team in the fall.

Linebacker Woods to play in all-star game

BOWLING GREEN — Linebacker Dwayne Woods has been chosen to play in the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game.

Woods, who finished his senior season with the Falcons, will play on the East squad in the contest, which will be played at Kino Stadium in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday at 7 p.m.

Woods earned All-MAC honors for the third straight season in 2012, finishing with 68 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss, in 12 games.

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.