Athletic Accomplishments
Ken Long is a 1971 graduate of Ravenna High School. He was a three year starter on the Raven football team. Long earned three letters in football and two letters as a heavyweight for the wrestling team. Recruited by many colleges and universities, Long narrowed his choices to Purdue. Purdue helped him to achieve a dream of reaching the NFL. As a freshman, he started both as an offensive and defensive lineman and broke into the starting line-up as a sophomore. He was named player of the week on October 18, 1975 and was presented with the game ball. At Purdue he earned All-Big Ten Honors and was named to the 1975 Playboy All American Team. Long was a captain of 1975 Purdue Boilermaker Football Team. At the end of the season, Long was chosen to play in the Blue-Gray Classic and the Senior Bowl. In the 1976 NFL players draft, Long was the seventh pick in the second round by the Detroit Lions. In 1981 he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos. While playing in the NFL, Long transferred to Kent State where he finished his degree in 1981. In 1982 he joined Kent State coaching staff as a Defensive Line Coach and Strength Coach. Long left the football staff to become Kent’s first Strength and Conditioning Coach. His efforts have contributed to several Mid-American Conference Championships, and national rankings for the Baseball and Golf teams. With the completion of the Kent Field House in 1990, Long was responsibile for managing the 7.3 million dollar complex. Long was inducted in the Portage County Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and named Assistant Athletic Director of Facilities and Operations at KSU in 1994.