Stark County residents share their favorite Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival memories

My selected news headline is I look forward to the Hall of Fame week every year, and for the past 42 years I have been.

I am privileged to have been appointed in the Hall’s transportation committee. This job is not easy at all you have to really be strong both physically and mentally. This week hall of fame week I’ll be working about 65-70 hours which is not a complaint because I actually love it.

I have interacted with a lot of great people like Tim Brown, Howie Long, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, and his father Archie Manning to mention but a few. However, if I must say, Jack Youngblood and Morten Andersen are the two people I am closest to, RV with no currencies are 1. They are my brothers, and we discussed over the phone almost weekly. Both have been to my house several times and I would like to babysit my brothers with them this year if I can.

I am a die hard Raiders supporter, this is something that I cant change. When a Raider gets inducted, I am normally by their side. 1984 was the year when Willie Brown was inducted into hall of fame, therefore, during the induction ceremony, he asked Al Davis to be his presenter. Al did not want to go to an actual gym; instead, he wanted to exercise at the hotel.

An approach was made with a local gym and they provided a weight bench, dumb bells and a bar for Al to exercise with. I arranged the gym equipment in one of the hotel rooms for him. He wanted to know if being at the bench pressing I could see him. Fewer still can say this was done for any Hall of Famer let alone for a player who was still a few years away from receiving his Hall of Fame call-up. Al was very nice for doing so and he sent me a great Raiders shirt and hat, I still have the items until this date.

Riding in the parade is such an out of body experience because you want to acknowledge everyone who is cheering for you but at the same time, you have to maintain your distance from the car in front of you and the float. The best was when I was driving Dave Casper. John Madden who was his presenter was also in the car with Dave and because everybody was calling out my name Madden said “Who are all these people here for – Us or you”.

I was with Morten Andersen, on our way in the car to the Hall of Fame granting to the tune of ‘Dancing Queen’ by ABBA, we are singing our heads off, we are in stitches the whole time. I reminded Morten specifically with wide gestures to make sure he took a hard copy of his speech with him to the podia in case the teleprompter went off, which it did. Morten Schjærfler If you ever have a chance to see Morten pictures right after has delivered his speech, he is celebrating with his arms up high and the speech that he gave me a copy of which hangs in my home.

Should I recount all the incidents that I could witness over the years of practice ? They are countless and can help me for a lifetime. I believes I have the Hall of Fame to thank for this and I will do everything in my power to take care of Dwight Freeney this season. Although the specific circumstances of this Hall of Fame week may not be evident, certain that some sweet memories will be created as well.

Milano; employed with Sedgwick based in North Canton’s is also the host of High School Football Playbook and High School Jam Session TV Show. He is also associated with Spartan sports Ohio, covers high school football matches in Stark County, Ohio and fishes in the portage lakes bass club.

Even though Canton was among the early locations founded for professional football and quite many skilled players attain our city from various areas, I used to have no clue for football when I was a youthful person.

I think that this is why a man who must have been a well-known football star himself to approach a total stranger and begin chatting to him; this man was a highly popular Jerry Rice, a players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, of all things, simply wanted to talk to me one day in mid 1990s at an official function.

He asked me if the Cantonese was my first language and I said yes, proudly, “BORN and RAISED!” He said it was nice to meet me and quickly shared that he used to play football professionally. That was I was still a teenager at that point and even though my family is a football family and several of my relatives were football players for the NFL I never really understood the excitement guys my age have for the game. Thus, at least, I had little patience in the conversation.

That night when I got home I told my dad that I had spoken to some football player ‘Jerry Rice’ He asked ‘What – You spoke to this three time Super Bowl champion…What did he have to say?’ I said I think I forgot , to which my dad, looking quite disgusted walked away.

Many years later I was able to understand why that was so — football is life, or at least a part of it. But I understood how it instilled work ethic in my brothers, my husband, my father – in other words, the main male figures in my life, discipline, and teamwork. I also notice this especially with my son as he goes through the gradual development of little league football.

If only I could go back in time and personally tell Jerry that my family looked up to him as a role model, then I am happy to be working for a city that was a part of Jerry’s success, and the success of many striving youths. It may take years for some things to sink in, so, the sweetness of life is all in that.

Smith is at-large councilwoman of the Canton city and the founder of Stark Youth Technology Center aimed at helping people with developmental disabilities and foster children.

This is a brief write up that gives an account of events that transpired during the Hall of Fame game in 1997; Ron Seymour relished each and every moment of the game.

I remember attending the Hall of Fame game, the Vikings against the Seahawks in the year 1997.

The Vikings managed to win that game 28 to 26. Other new the inductees included Mike Haynes, Wellington Mara, Don Shula and Mike Webster.

It was pleasant for me that I was able to give Sharon Actually, after the game one of the linemen from Minnesota Vikings gave me his gloves. I attempted to get his autograph but he did not waste time in heading back to the locker room.

That year also became my second year of playing in hall of fame game and I would not trade the experience. It was undoubtedly a good game all right!

Seymour is a co-founder of the nonprofit organization called Walking With A Purpose, to strengthen the youth’s confidence and establish healthy relationships with adults and peers. Further, the organisation intends to conduct 1,000 Youth March on October 5, in Canton, to equip and rally youth.

Sometimes, even a ‘monsoon’ cannot cease Pam Oster’s passion towards the Community Parade

I too Joined the Community Parade almost close to 20 years ago. For quite a while it was known as the Kick-Off Parade. The parade starts at Market Avenue and 11th Street N and proceeds south through the city’s commercial core towards the end at the city square. It is a shortcut for the convenience of our participants, mostly children’s organizations.

For nearly two decades I have worked in the televised segment of the Community Parade. I generate scripts for the announcers to read and then coordinate the communication of the announcers during the parade.

I enjoy observing the participants’ rise up in excitement as they see the recording area that I am assigned to. And of course we saw the proud family and friends’ glow as their dear one passes them surrounded by the flowers. Marching bands are such fun and these local ones became my favorite ones.

It has rained at times when we planning to have the parade! In the 2015 Community Parade depicted below, there was a monsoon. Thus, it rained on our parade! Fortunately it was toward the latter part of the occasion.

Praise God for we are fortunate enough to have some senior citizen types who keep a very close watch on the local weather for both the Hall of Fame parades.

I can’t wait for the Community Parade on the 21st of July.

It implies that Oster is a Realtor working for EXP Realty. She has been a REALTOR for 16 years starting 2005 while animal rescue volunteer for 19 years beginning 2002.

The last tradition that Mike Wheeler holds is regarding ‘the balloons’.

On a personal note, everyone would love to be right in front when gorgeous fireworks display is followed by that hurry bustle rush of loud and huge bangs that one can literally feel in the bones! Of course, nothing can be more unani-mously deemed as one of the most cherished and the irrefutable must-not-miss traditions for the Wheeler family – it goes to “the balloons” at the Friends and Family Celebration at one of the Kent State Stark campus locations.

Never been? Include Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic and fireworks at the events you would like to attend in 2024. Watching the beautiful rolling hills of Kent State Stark turn beautiful with food stalls, people, balloon races, spectacular ‘night glow’ and the balloon launches that take place in the morning and evening are a splendid sight and a fantastic feeling as hot air balloons adorn our skies every summer for a weekend.

You consider they are, until you unwrap the string and see just how large they are in fact. When our sons were of tender ages we were once jolted by a very loud noise outside our compound one early morning at the break of dawn. The actual site for the start of the race the next morning was the empty lot situated near to the hotel.

We took the boys out of bed and dressed them in their night clothes to make them feel the magic and credential needed to make those old fashion dinosaurs of the air flying in the special manner that will enable them to have a thrilling racing contest at Kent State Stark Campus. Five-star delicious time with dear friends - Dave and Susie Gardner.

Once again, we were left waist-deep in the waters of Lake Cable and the aeronaut that is the person who flies the hot air balloon positioned the basket ,so low that the burner almost touched the water. Of course, we got into our boat and like every other family with young boys, blared our horn, flapped our arms and shouted our hellos to the sky.

Certainly, we have all watched the balloons taking up our horizon on those balmy summer days, a sight that makes one recall, why Canton, Ohio, is such a fantastic place to live in. It is always beautiful during this time of the year for one to be in Stark County.

There are supreme pleasures during pro football hall of fame week. Yet, those floating hot air balloons are for every single person in Stark County and every guest of the county who will find the time to take a glance up like children of previous generations.

From a dad who went to ‘the balloons’ as a child, I’d tell ya time and time again to try and go – it’s so good – I wouldn’t change it for the world experiencing it with my wife and sons.

Mr. Wheeler owns almost 10% of Patriot Software and is The President/Chief Legal Officer of the company and he also sits on boards of Consumers National Bank, Stark State College, and YMCA of Central Stark County.