CANTON, Ohio — When Mike Doss learned he would be part of the inaugural class of inductees into the High School Football Hall of Fame, he needed no directions to the announcement Monday at Canton McKinley High School; he won two state championships there before graduating in 1997.
"And now 25 years, 26 years later, you're getting a call and saying your contribution to the game of high school football has brought you into this elite class of Hall of Famers," said Doss, who went on to play for Ohio State before being taken in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts.
Canton was picked as the future home of the High School Football Hall of Fame partly because of the contributions to the game made by the people who played in this part of Ohio. Fellow inductees this day included legendary Browns Coach Paul Brown, who coached nearby at Massillon Washington; Chris Spielman, also of Massillon; Coach Thom McDaniels of Canton McKinley and one of the schools and the game's greatest Browns legend Marion Motley.
"When you think of Northeast Ohio football, it's the hotbed," said J.R. Rinaldi, president of the Canton Parks Commission. "You had Paul Brown; you had Don Nehlen from West Virginia; Wayne Fontes, who coached the Detroit Lions. All of the great lineages of those guys bring that back. They paved the way years ago; we're enjoying the fruits of their labor now with this decision to bring the hall here."
Monday's announcement saw the induction of an entire family, with Archie Manning and his sons Peyton, Eli, and Cooper all inducted together. Former Browns running back Kevin Mack will be enshrined, as will quarterback Bernie Kosar, who joked about his Boardman High School photo displayed behind him.
"I'm looking at that picture up there with all of that hair. That was pre-daughters," Kosar said with a laugh.
He'll be joined by college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin, out of Eastmoor High School in Columbus and Glenville High School Coach Ted Ginn Sr. But the first inductee this day was a no-brainer, Jim Brown, who lettered in five sports in high school. To be part of the inaugural enshrinement with him is not lost on inductee Ray Freeman of Warrensville Heights.
"I'm going in with a good class," Freeman said. "Jim Brown was a legend to all of us. To go in with Jim Brown, I just look back and look at all of the greats, all who have played and all of the ones that my uncle, my Dad used to tell me about so I can reflect on that."
Other inductees include Marcus Dupree, Greg Cameron, Jerry Ball, Lomas Brown, Greg Kampe, and Don Nehlen.
This year's inaugural induction ceremony will take place in Canton on July 30. The High School Football Hall of Fame continues its search for what will become its permanent museum in the Canton area.
