By Marty Trese, KnoxPages.com Editor
MOUNT VERNON – The annual Buckeye Spirit Event presented by the OSU Alumni Club of Knox County was a huge success thanks in part to keynote speaker Cornelius Greene. The event is held annually at the Glenn A. Gallagher Center to raise scholarship dollars to be awarded to OSU students from Knox County.
Greene was the first African-American quarterback to start for the Buckeyes in the early 1970’s during the era of head coach Woody Hayes. He shared some impressive statistics about his career as a Buckeye. Greene was 24-0 at home. He never lost to that school up north (Michigan). He played in four consecutive Rose Bowls. Greene played at OSU the same time as two-time Heisman trophy winner Archie Griffin.
Greene shared that he knew few whites and his OSU roommate Brian Baschnagel knew few blacks when they started rooming together. In fact, the first night they were roomates Greene joked that they both slept with one eye open. He and Baschnagel came to become good friends.
Greene is from Washington, D.C. and he remembers, at age 10, watching Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his famous “I have a Dream” speech in 1963. Greene shared his motto, “If it is to be, it is up to me.”
Members of the Ohio State Marching Band made the trip from Columbus to perform at the event. Attendees enjoyed familiar OSU songs such as “Hang on Sloopy,” “Buckeye Battle Cry,” and Swag.
It was a sea of scarlet and grey at the Buckeye Spirit Event Tuesday at the Gallagher Centre – KP Photo by Marty Trese
Rich York was given the Alumni Club Award for his many years of service, particularly providing candy to local OSU students during exam weeks.
The 2017 1st year scholarship recipients were recognized. They include:
Gabriel Coffing – William Gillogly Memorial Award
Rebecca McCarty – Dean Spearan Memorial Award
Michael Collins, Joelle Cassetto, Denasan Spalla and Jarred Fink.
Upper Class awardees were Keith Altman – Cyndy McManaway Bonsignore Award and Makenzie Thorpe.
See more pictures of the event at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/KnoxPagesOhio/videos/1634815113230276/
