David Lee Morgan - The Massillon Tigers: 15 for 15

The Massillon Tigers: 15 for 15

2020 David Lee Morgan, Jr.

All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the authors permission is strictly forbidden. All photos and/or copyrighted material appearing in this book remain the work of its owners.

Book designed by Scott Ryan

Cover & Chapter heading designed by Wayne Barnes

Back Cover Design/Photo by Scott Ryan

Professional photos by Rocky Dorsey

Section Sketches by Dan Studer

Story Editor: Scott Ryan

Copy Editor: David Bushman

Assistant Copy Editor: Alex Ryan

Published in the USA by Fayetteville Mafia Press

Columbus, Ohio

Contact Information

Email: fayettevillemafiapress@gmail.com

Website: fayettevillemafiapress.com

ISBN: 9781949024166

eBook ISBN: 9781949024173

Published in the USA by Fayetteville Mafia Press

Columbus, Ohio

Contact Information

Email: fayettevillemafiapress@gmail.com

Website: fayettevillemafiapress.com

Follow the Publisher at

@fmpbooks

ISBN: 9781949024081

eBook ISBN: 9781949024098

David Morgan was a student journalist during my tenure as head football coach at Youngstown State University. David was an ambitious and outgoing young man, and because he covered the football program for the school newspaper, we began to build a relationship that has turned into a thirty-plus-year friendship. David has been a difference maker to thousands of people through his skill as a writer and his enthusiastic interaction as a teacher and coach.

When David asked if I would write the foreword for this book, I didnt hesitate, not only because of my friendship with David, but also because of my close ties to, and fond memories of, the Massillon Tigers.

Throughout my life I have taken tremendous pride in the fact that I too was and am a Massillon Tiger. When I was a youngster, my dad, Lee Tressel, was the head football coach of the Massillon Tigers, and my memories of living on Seventeenth Street NE are fond. My first introduction to a true rivalry came at a very young age, as I had a front-row seat to the Massillon-versus-McKinley battles. It certainly served me well, as I would many years later find myself immersed in the Ohio State-versus-Michigan excitement. Fortunately, we had some Massillon Tigers, like Devin Jordan and Justin Zwick, so we had the advantage.

The Tressel family is especially proud of some of the great traditions that our dad started at Massillon High School, such as the Sideliners Club and the presentation of the rose at the year-end banquet. My dad was always looking for ways to make the Massillon Tiger experience special for the players, coaches, families, and entire Massillon community.

The opportunity for David to coach at Massillon Washington High School is one that I am so glad he has experienced. The impact of the teacher/coach is extraordinary. Billy Graham once said that a high school coach impacts more kids in a year than a pastor does in a lifetime. David Morgan has now had that thrill and impact.

One time I heard a boxer say that adversity is the best sparring partner. Many of my best teams at Youngstown State and Ohio State became champions due to the fact that they endured and learned from adversity and disappointment. It will be fun to watch as the players, coaches, and entire Massillon community enter this new decade and build on the accomplishments and lessons from the terrific Tigers of 2019.

It is a belief of mine that our great nation is, in part, so great due to high school football being such a mainstay in our culture. The friendships and brotherhood built, the work ethic and discipline refined, and the TEAM at the center of all activity are truly an advantage that few other nations enjoy. Nothing galvanizes the cities and towns of America like the marching band, the fans, and the passionate players and coaches on game day.

I am very proud of what David has accomplished in his professional career as an author, journalist, and especially as a high school teacher.

In my past life as a sportswriter, I wrote for many newspapers, with my tenure at the Akron Beacon Journal being the longest. Ive covered LeBron and wrote the first biography about him, titled LeBron James: The Rise of a Star. Ive covered the Indians in the World Series; spring training in Winter Haven, Florida; the Major League All-Star Game in Cleveland. I was the beat writer for the Cleveland Cavaliers, covered Michael Jordan at the United Center, the Browns first game back in 99 at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Womens NCAA Basketball Final Four and national championship game with Rutgers winning it all against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, and so many other amazing sporting events. I say all of that to explain that being a member of the Massillon Washington High School football coaching staffas the varsity running backs coach during the 2019 seasonwas one of the greatest sports experiences Ive ever had, because it went well beyond sports. As a former journalist who decided to become a teacher and coach, I was blessed to be hired by the Massillon City School District to teach English, writing workshop, and journalism at Washington High School, located in Northeast Ohio. That blessing continued when Head Coach Nate Moore gave me the opportunity to join his staff.

The entire experience was incredible, and what I loved most was that I truly became part of a family. We loved and supported each other, even when things didnt go our way. It was all about creating relationships that will last well beyond the confines of Paul Brown Tiger Stadiumor any stadium we played in. These brothers and sisters whom I met during that year will never know how much they meant to me, and how much they contributed to making this a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Throughout the season, there were so many stories of triumph and, in some unfortunate cases, tragedy. Yet this family and community continued to show why they were and always will be so special. I wanted to include every player, every play, and every moment, but that book would be seven hundred pages. Football is a true team sport. It took all of us to accomplish what we did in 2019. If I missed you in the book, it wasnt intentional. We are all Tigers. Thank you, Coach Moore, for the incredible opportunity. I love all you guys.

At the end of every game our players and cheerleaders gathered at midfield at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium to form a circle and do fifteen push-ups, together as one. In the center stood Defensive Line Coach J. P. Simon. He blew the whistle and yelled off the count. One. Two. Three. With each whistle, the Massillon football team plunged toward the Astroturf and completed another push-up.