Growing up in the small town of Clearfield in Central Pennsylvania, Kent State junior defensive linemen Oliver Billotte shined brightly for the Bison on both the gridirion and on the wrestling mat. While also playing quarterback in addition to defensive line, Billotte totaled 34 touchdowns between passing and rushing, with 99 tackles on defense, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. On the wrestling mat he qualified for the state tournament.
Billotte was an unknown, under recruited player, before Kent State saw him at a camp and it led to the 6-4, 254 Billotte headed back to Kent on a football scholarship.
In Pennsylvania, there is no shortage of quality high school and college football programs. As a fan, there are choices to be made on who to root for. Kent State’s 2024 non-conference schedule takes on a distinct Pennsylvania flair with Pittsburgh, St. Francis and Penn State all on the schedule. Billotte will have family ties and friendships playing a part in all three games. When asked if that will add a little flavor to the games, the KSU defensive leader didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely,” Billotte told radio voice of the Flashes Rob Polinsky at MAC Media Day July 19. “Penn State is 40 minutes away from me. We had season tickets growing up. Pitt was my dad’s favorite team growing up. My head football coach played at Penn State and then my wrestling coach and football d-line coach played at Pitt so those are two big games for me mentally just to be able to go and play in stadiums that I dreamed of playing in growing up and on top of that, coming from a small town, you don’t play extreme talent growing up but the two kids that I played that both went Division I, ended up going to St. Francis those are two friends of mine that I’ll get to play as well.”
Growing up where he grew up, without many high level athletes around him or resources, Billotte has taken on that underdog role and is definitely a player that has that “crack on his shoulder’ that Head Coach Kenni Burns talks about which will continue to serve him and his underdog Flashes well.
“Oliver Billotte is the leader of our defensive line, there’s no doubt about it,” Burns said. “We lost CJ West, and he’s stepped in. His voice has been louder than ever, and him, Stephen Daley, Matt Harmon, I could have brought any of them to this thing, but Oliver kind of stood out the most with the guy on the leadership council, and a guy that is probably going to be a captain for us.”
From small town Clearfield, Pennsylvania, Billotte is a household name for Kent State fans and is about to be in the MAC. But this non-conference schedule, Billotte will get to compete in front of a lot friends and family.