A tank rolled through STAR Community Justice Center last Thursday.

But this tank wasn’t looking to blow up its enemies. It fired bullets of hope.

Tyler “Tank” Whaley, the former Ironton Tiger star who improbably turned himself into a prominent Ohio State Buckeye, spoke to STAR residents about goals, hope, attitude, desire and faith.

I’ve told him in person and I’ll say it again: Tyler Whaley is the most inspirational individual I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting in person. He was a great local athlete, but his internal drive led him to places far beyond where most folks thought he would go. It’s the person he is that defines his accomplishments, not the accomplishments themselves.

He believed in himself when others laughed at his dreams.

That’s why he was invited to speak at STAR. Since most of the residents at STAR are drug offenders who simply lack self-esteem and motivation, Tank was invited to speak because he personifies both attributes. They spill from his pores.

He has no experience with drugs or incarceration, which was noted to his audience. But he has one thing in common with all of the STAR residents: He’s failed. He spent his time talking about how failures, along with a positive attitude, built his success.

His life mantra, which seems to be “Prove Everyone Else Wrong,” was the bottom line of his theme. His message was this: “If you believe in your dreams, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You’ll get there if you don’t give up.”

Ninety felons sat spellbound as Tank, with a massive Big Ten Championship ring on his left hand and a pair of gold pants (sacred tokens given to each OSU player who beats Michigan) in his right, spoke about his climb from a nobody to a somebody thanks to the desire in his heart.

He spoke of his dream, and the fulfillment of it, when he became the starting fullback for The Ohio State Buckeyes. He talked about the importance of setting short-term goals and not settling for small successes by continually reaching farther.

And then he left, after signing at least 20 Ohio State T-shirts and sweatshirts, three books written about his life as a Buckeye, two pictures of him as a player and anything else the residents could grab to have him scribble his name upon.

People like Tyler Whaley are rare. But they don’t have to be. He just believes in himself when nobody else does.

That’s the exact message he was invited to give.

Billy Bruce is a freelance writer who lives in Pedro. He can be contacted at

hollandkat3@aol.com.