By Billy Bruce

For The Tribune

 

From 2001 through 2004, former Ironton standout Jason Harmon excelled as a free safety for the Michigan State Spartans. He was one of the best in the Big Ten Conference.

In 2002, Youngstown native Maurice Clarett, a true freshman, burst onto the national scene and carried his Ohio State Buckeyes to a national championship.

In 2006 and 2007, Chris “Beanie” Wells nearly did the same thing twice.

Ironton’s Tyler “Tank” Whaley and Marcus Williams, along with Rock Hill’s K.C. Christian, were Wells’ teammates in those back-to-back national championship game appearances.

Last year, some younger standout Ironton athletes, Antonio Murphy and Antonio Keith, were key players on a Portsmouth Warriors team that won the national championship in semi-pro football.

All of these guys, along with local participants, will play in a 7-on-7 flag football game this Friday in Tanks Memorial Stadium to benefit local police, firefighters, and school teachers.

Murphy, director of Young Brilliantaires, a group of young adults with a passion for improving the Ironton community, began organizing the event just a few weeks ago.

“The Young Brilliantaires works with Richard’s Wish Foundation in Columbus,” he said, noting that connection is how Clarett and Wells became features on Friday’s ticket.

The event is tabbed Buckeye City-Wide Service Day and begins at 6:30 p.m. However, prior to the game, Clarett, whose life crumbled following his magical rise in 2002, will speak about his much publicized rebound to all local kids in attendance beginning at 5:45 p.m.

Clarett’s rags to riches to rags drug-and-alcohol cautionary testimony, which resulted in a prison stint, is a must-hear for people of all ages and worth much more than the $10 admission fee for adults ($5 for students).

Murphy noted Young Brilliantaires have had successful fund-raising events in the recent past. The group gathered thousands of bottles of water to donate to people in Flint, Michigan last year.

On Memorial Day, its Kingz of the Kourtz basketball tournament in Ironton ended with four local students receiving $1,000 college scholarships.

Young Brilliantaires board members Murphy, Keith, Marc Davis, Leslie Malone, and Demetrius Givens and its more than 300 members hope to fill Tanks Memorial Stadium this Friday.

“Our mission is to take care of our community, especially our kids,” Murphy said.

Striking a blow against national media insinuations that black people are opposed to law enforcement, this group, created by young, black Americans, is pro police.

“With the cop situation around the country, we want to say we love our police,” Murphy said. “Without them, all we have is chaos.”

A ceremony will take place prior to the game to honor the memory of Ironton resident Tristan Yates, who was recently killed in a car wreck in Boston, Massachusetts.

Yates’ passenger, former Ironton standout athlete Trevor White, was critically injured in the accident and is presently under medical supervision. Proceeds from sales of pork sandwiches donated by Ironton businessman Jay Zornes will go to Trevor’s family to assist with his expenses.

Two nationally recognized athletes, both of whom will live forever in Buckeye lore, coupled with multiple locally known stars, one of which (Whaley) was the subject of a book due to his Rudy-like desire, will perform in Ironton to raise funds for our community and two local families dealing with an unimaginable tragedy.

Multiple black Irontonians, accustomed to the stereotypes now plaguing our nation’s police officers, are standing up in support of those who protect and serve.

Let’s pack that stadium.