Woody Hayes 

I never really thought about the history of the area until faced with this assignment. When walking into the historical society, I wasn’t sure what I was going to research. The information ranges from historical events to historical people, and there are books about the general history of the townships and county. There are books written by citizens during the Great Depression as a source of income. I realized, I had a tough decision on my hands. I have always lived by the Tuscora Park so I have always been interested in the Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium. When hearing that the historical society had information on individuals, I knew I was going to focus my research on Woody Hayes.

Woody Hayes grew up in Newcomerstown, Ohio and that’s where his love for the game of football began. He played center for the Newcomerstown Trojans. He later went on to play as a tackle for Dennison University. It wasn’t until 1937 did he come to New Philadelphia to coach the Quakers.

In his first two seasons with the Quakers, he won eighteen, lost one and tied one. A pretty good record, in my opinion. While coaching football, he still made time to get a master’s degree from Ohio State in educational administration. In my life, I’m currently juggling being a full-time student with a full-time job and other social group responsibilities. I can’t imagine what Mr. Hayes was going through earning a master’s degree and coaching.

 Being a coach is more than just guiding the team on the field. Speaking from experience, the members of your team count on you for more than just game advice. They come to you when they need help in a subject and sometimes they come to you asking for advice when they are in a difficult situation. You are their role model. I remember my first high school coach, we are still close to this day and I would go to her for everything; sometimes it was just to talk about life. I knew she would always be there to listen. That’s what players count on.

I never thought I would be able to connect with Woody Hayes on the level I discovered. Nor did I realize the impact he made on Quaker football. Being a Quaker will always be something I am passionate about and now I have a better understanding of the Quaker football and athletics program I got to be part of throughout high school.