From the 1930s to present day, several annual Tiger fan gatherings are held to enhance the Massillon football experience. Foremost among these are the Spring Stagg (Spring Kickoff), the Sideliners Sportsmanship Award Banquet and the Tiger Team Banquet. In order to enrich these events, organizers over the years have engaged many nationally known key speakers, a list of which reads like a variable “who’s who” of high school, college and NFL football.
The early Spring “Stagg” / “Smokers” were held from 1938 through 1956, following the conclusion of spring practice. The event is now called the Spring Kickoff, although spring practice is no longer allowed. The original format was a social occasion, whereby notable high school, college and professional coaches from throughout Ohio and beyond attended, in addition to many Cleveland and Ohio-area sports broadcasters.
The Sportsmanship Award Banquet is held at the end of each season in order to recognize the achievements of one player from each opponent. An effort of the Massillon Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Tiger Sideliners, the players, their parents and their respective head coaches were invited for the trophy ceremony. Collectively, the group of players comprises an “All-Opponent” Team.
The Tiger Team Banquet celebrates the successes of the immediately concluded season.
The list of speakers for these events included Elmer Layden and Massillon’s own Harry Stuhldreher as members of the famed “Four Horsemen of Notre Dame. From Ohio State were Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel, Paul Brown, Glenn “Tiger” Ellison, Darrell Hazell, Glen Mason, Lee Owens, Greg Gillom, Tim Beckman, Francis Schmidt and Urban Meyer. Several national collegiate championship coaches were engaged, including Paul Brown, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Larry Keheres, Nick Saban and Don James. And former Cleveland Browns players Bill Glass, Bill Willis and Brian Brennan were also featured.
Below is the best compilation of speakers for the three Tiger Banquets noted above. The list is surely not complete, but represents the best accumulation of speakers that research would permit.
| Spring Kickoff | Tiger Team Banquet | Sportsmanship Award Banquet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Lou Little – Columbia | ||
| 1939 | Francis Schmidt – Ohio State | ||
| 1940 | Bernie Bierman – Minnesota | ||
| 1941 | Lynn Waldorf – Northwestern | ||
| 1942 | Paul Brown – Ohio State | ||
| 1943 | Elmer Layden – Notre Dame | ||
| 1944 | Clark Shaughnessy – Pittsburgh | ||
| 1945 | Carroll Widdoes – Ohio State | ||
| 1946 | “Ox” Degroca – Holy Cross | ||
| 1947 | Bert Inwersen – Illinois | ||
| 1948 | Paul Brown – Cleveland Browns | ||
| 1949 | William A. Alexander – Georgia Tech | ||
| 1950 | Sid Gillman – Cincinnati | ||
| 1951 | Paul Bear Bryant – Kentucky | ||
| 1952 | H. O. “Fritz” Crisler – Michigan | ||
| 1953 | Fay LeMeadows – Shilo Church Dayton | Ken Coleman – Cleveland TV | |
| 1954 | ? | Harry Stuhldreher – 4 Horsemen | |
| 1955 | ? | ? | |
| 1956 | Fred Smith – Business Executive – Cincinnati | ? | |
| 1957 | Ray Elliot – Illinois | Hugh Duffy Daugherty – Michigan State | |
| 1958 | Ken McFarland – General Motors | ? | |
| 1959 | Jimmy Dudley – Indians Sportscaster | ? | |
| 1960 | Harry Stuhldreher – US Steel | Harry Stuhldreher – US Steel | |
| 1961 | Jim Graner – Cleveland Sportscaster | Jim Graner – Cleveland TV | |
| 1962 | Woody Hayes – Ohio State | Woody Hayes – Ohio State | |
| 1963 | Bill Hess – Ohio U. | Hugh Duffy Daugherty – Michigan State | |
| 1964 | Ray Elliot – Illinois AD | Stewart Holcomb – Northwestern AD | |
| 1965 | Woody Hayes – Ohio State | Ken Coleman – Cleveland TV | |
| 1966 | Glenn “Tiger” Ellison – OSU Frosh. | William McClain – Air Force | |
| 1967 | Bill Willis – Cleveland Browns | ? | |
| 1968 | None | Bill Glass – Cleveland Browns | |
| 1969 | None | No Banquet | |
| 1970 | None | Gene Slaughter – Capital U. | |
| 1971 | Fritz Shurmur – Wyoming | ? | |
| 1972 | John Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| 1973 | ? | ||
| 1974 | ? | ||
| 1975 | ? | ||
| 1976 | Bob Commings – Iowa | ||
| 1977 | Earle Bruce – Iowa State | ||
| 1978 | Don James – Washington | ||
| 1979 | Darryl Rogers – Michigan State | ||
| 1980 | Jim for Lee Tressel – Baldwin Wallace | ||
| 1981 | Brian Burke – Ohio U. | ||
| 1982 | Don Nehlen – West Virginia | ||
| 1983 | Dick Scesniak – Kent State | ||
| 1984 | ? | ||
| 1985 | Brian Brennan – Cleveland Browns | George Perless – Michigan State | |
| 1986 | Tony Mason – Arizona | ? | |
| 1987 | None | Fred Akers – Purdue | |
| 1988 | Mike Gottfried – Pittsburgh | Jim Tressel – Youngstown | |
| 1989 | Mike Kelly – Dayton | Bill Mallory – Indiana | |
| 1990 | Pete Cordelli – Kent State | Gary Moeller – Michigan | |
| 1991 | Gary Blackney – Bowling Green | Bill Curry – Kentucky | |
| 1992 | Jim Tressel – Youngstown | Glen Mason – Kansas | |
| 1993 | Larry Kehres – Mount Union | None Listed | |
| 1994 | Jim Dennison – Walsh | Gary Blackney – Bowling Green | |
| 1995 | Nick Saban – Michigan State ??? | ||
| 1996 | Lloyd Carr – Michigan | ||
| 1997 | Lee Owens – Akron | ||
| 1998 | Walt Harris – Pittsburgh | ||
| 1999 | Dean Pees – Kent State | ||
| 2000 | Hal Mumme – Kentucky | ||
| 2001 | ? | ||
| 2002 | Jim Tressel – Ohio State | ||
| 2003 | Mike Stoops – Oklahoma Assistant | Rich Rodriguez – West Virginia | |
| 2004 | ? | ||
| 2005 | J. D. Brookhart | ||
| 2006 | Greg Gillum – Ohio State Assistant | ||
| 2007 | Jeff David – DREAM Project | ||
| 2008 | ? | ||
| 2009 | ? | ||
| 2010 | Tim Beckman – Toledo | ||
| 2011 | Darrell Hazell – Kent State | ||
| 2012 | Brady Hoke – Michigan | ||
| 2013 | Urban Meyer – Ohio State | ||
| 2014 | Chris Spielman | ||
| 2015 | None | ||
| 2016 | Mark Dantonio – Michigan State | ||
| 2017 | Nick Saben - Alabama | ||
| 2018 | Urban Meyer - Ohio State | ||
| 2019 | Mike Leach - Washington State | ||
| 2020 | Ryan Day - Ohio State | ||
| 2021 | None | ||
| 2022 | None | ||
| 2023 | None |