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Chris Spielman – Wall of Champions

Chris Spielman – Wall of Champions

It took just one game for Massillon fans to realize that Chris Spielman was heading for something special.  On a warm September evening, in front of a season-opening crowd of 15,653, the Tigers were enroute to a 33-0 shellacking of the visiting Perry Panthers.  On the team was a lone sophomore, who managed to work his way onto special teams during the preseason.  Massillon kicked off to start the game and the play ended with the announcer stating that Chris Spielman made the tackle.  Not a big deal.  But then, he repeated that remark again on each of the next three kickoffs.  Plus, all of the tackles were made inside the 20 yard line.  Finally, on the fifth kickoff, the announcer said, “This time the tackle was NOT made by Chris Spielman.”  Suddenly, the young sophomore was high on the radar of the avid Tigers fan base.  And it pretty much set the tone, as the stalwart inside linebacker / running back held sway for the next three years, leading his team to a 28-5 record and a trip to the elusive playoff state finals.  He continued that success as an All-American at Ohio State and then as an All-Pro performer in the NFL.  Although he was not the biggest or the fastest defender on the field, he had an uncanny ability to (1) anticipate the play based on the formation and (2) respond quicker to his reads than any other player.  He also performed with extreme physicality.

The Early Years

Charles Christopher Spielman, known to everyone as “Chris,” was born in Plain Township on October 11, 1965, to “Sonny” and Nancy Spielman as the second born son, the first being Rick, also a future Tiger.  The Spielmans were a football family, with Sonny serving at the time as the head coach of Timken, so it was natural that Chris would be engrossed in football during his early years.  He was on the practice field with his father every day and when old enough played midget ball.

Just prior to entering junior high, the family moved to Canton and Chris set his sights on playing for the best team in the city: Canton McKinley.  But as fate would have it, a potential athletic director position for Sonny at McKinley did not materialize.  So in 1980 the family moved again, this time to Massillon, where Sonny was hired as an assistant coach under Mike Currence.

At Longfellow Junior High as a freshman, Chris played both linebacker and running back and his team won every game.  He also impressed the varsity coaching staff with his play in a post-season match against the sophomore team.  So, the stage was set for that fateful game against Perry.

High School

Sophomore year (1981) – He was assigned No. 33 and he kept that number throughout his time at Massillon.  At that time life as a Tiger would begin on the sophomore squad, as only juniors and seniors were permitted to suit up for varsity.  But his size (6’-1”, 195 lbs.), strength and athletic ability were immediately evident.  And it didn’t take long for him to become a starter at inside linebacker, joining his senior quarterback brother Rick in the lineup.  Massillon finished with a 7-3 record that year, nearly upsetting state champion McKinley in the final game.  Meanwhile, Chris recorded three pass interceptions, one coming in a 14-7 victory over Warren Harding and another against Niles that he returned for 27 yards.

“To start as a sophomore you had to be good and you had to be lucky,” said assistant coach Dale Walterhouse.  “And you had to be lucky in that you better not have an All-Ohio player ahead of you in that position.” – Massillon Memories, by Scott Shook.

“People said that I couldn’t start as a sophomore at Massillon,” said Spielman.  “I just felt like that didn’t have anything to do with me.  I just thought that I’d be starting.  It turned out things worked out for me.” – Massillon Memories, by Scott Shook.

Junior year (1982) – The junior year was a breakout season for this young player.  Now up to 206 lbs, he was also assigned the position of starting running back, along with Jim Busche, and rushed for a team-high 844 yards and 15 touchdowns.  He also caught 15 passes for 154 yards and a TD.  On special teams, he returned 16 punts for 83 yards and blocked a field goal against Sandusky that turned the playoff game in the Tigers’ favor.  He scored in every outing except one and tallied 96 points.  On defense he recorded 156 tackles, intercepted four passes and recovered two fumbles.  For his outstanding performance, Chris was named First Team All-Ohio Linebacker.

The team finished with a record of 12-1, while coming up short in the playoff state finals to Cincinnati Moeller.  “We were a great football team in 1982,” Spielman said.  “We were 12-1, got beat by Cincinnati Moeller.  We were outmatched, when they were getting kids from three different states and all over Cincinnati.  Like they were, it was very tough to compete against them.  Any other school in the state or the nation, I believe, we would have beaten them handily.  I think that was one of Massillon’s finest teams.”  – Massillon Memories, by Scott Shook.

Season highlights:

• Perry – Rushed 10 times for 130 yards (13.0 ave.) and one TD in a 29-8 victory.
• Canton McKinley – Rushed 19 times for 101 yards (5.3) and scored the only touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Caught 5 passes for 50 yards.
• Sandusky – Rushed 23 times for 113 yards (4.9) in a playoff 29-7 victory.
• Moeller – Caught 5 passes for 60 yards in a 35-14 loss.

Senior year (1983) – It was another outstanding season of running back and linebacker play.  But this time, in addition to earning First-Team All-Ohio honors, he was named All-County running back (the offense was voted on first), Northeast District Lineman of the Year, Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year, Ohio National Guard Player of the Year, Parade Magazine All-American, Armour-Dial Male High School Athlete of the Year and Street and Smith Magazine National Top 15.  He was Parade Marshall of the Massillon Downtown Merchants Christmas Parade.  Plus, he was featured on the cover of the Wheaties Box, with the award made in New York City.  However, as a shy young man, he just didn’t want to embrace all the fuss and the obligations that went with it.

“Being on the Wheaties box was great – but it was also very difficult for a 17-year-old kid,” said Spielman.  “Over night I became a role model for a lot of kids.  It was the first time I had people start staring at me, recognizing me.  It made me feel funny.  I became very self-conscious.  You feel like you have to live up to their standard.  I was just trying to hang out with my buddies.  I was visiting sick kids in the hospital.  And that was great.  If I could make a kid who was sick feel better, or get better, I certainly didn’t mind doing that.  But at 17, I wasn’t prepared for it.  Every time I was in public I felt like I had to live up to ‘the boy that was on the Wheaties box.’  I was afraid to be myself.” – Massillon Memories, by Scott Shook.

For the season, Spielman rushed for 459 yards and scored 8 touchdowns, while teaming with All-Ohio running back and state champion track speedster Craig Johnson (No. 34 in photo above).  He also caught 10 passes for 151 yards and 3 TDs.  On defense, he recorded 112 tackles, 6 pass interceptions that he returned for 126 yards and recovered two fumbles.  Again, he returned punts, this time 17 of them for 245 yards.

Unfortunately, playoff hopes were squashed when Massillon (9-1) suffered an early-season loss to Akron Garfield, 14-10.  The Golden Rams were led by Charles Gladman (U. Pittsburgh), who was named Ohio Back of the Year.  Garfield advanced in the playoffs that year to the state finals, but lost to Cincinnati Princeton.

Chris finished his football career at Massillon with single season records for tackle points and unassisted tackles.  The following summer he participated in the Ohio High School All-Star Football Game.  But his time on the field was cut short with a sprained ankle, which would hamper him at the next level.

Spielman credits Steve Studer and his tortuous workouts for giving him a great start to his football career, preparing him to play with great physicality.  “I’m 15, I’m not even driving yet,” he recalled.  “I’m walking by his house every Saturday night, trying to get up the nerve to go in there and ask him if he would teach me.  Finally, I did.  He took me in.  He taught me.  If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” – Massillon Memories, by Scott Shook.

A 3-sport athlete, Spielman played basketball and earned All-County honors in that sport.  He also participated on the track team, where he placed in the shot put at the state meet.

Chris relished his time playing for the Tigers.  “Every time I tell someone I played at Massillon a feeling of pride comes over me.” – Massillon Memories, by Scott Shook.

Recruiting – High on Spielman’s list of colleges were, in order, Michigan, Ohio State and Miami of Florida.  The Buckeyes, under head coach Earle Bruce, recruited him hard, with Bruce even bringing his squad to Massillon for a preseason scrimmage and Ohio Governor Richard Celeste getting in on the action.  Dozens of OSU boosters would flock to any airport Chris flew into to add their support.  But he still leaned toward Michigan.  Until, that is, his father intervened and pushed him the other way.  So, it was Ohio State.

College

Freshman year (1984) – Spielman was slated to be the starting inside linebacker for the opening game against Oregon State.  Only, just prior to the game, he reinjured the bad ankle and was forced to the bench.  But that didn’t stop him from pacing the sidelines and nagging Bruce to put him in.  So, he got the call in the fourth quarter and on his first play he broke through the line and sacked the quarterback.  He ended up playing just shy of ten minutes in that game, but recorded ten tackles and was named Defensive Player of the Game.  For the remainder of the season he would play on and off as the ankle would permit.  The Buckeyes finished with a record of 9-3, losing to USC 20-17 in the Rose Bowl.  But they did win the Big Ten championship.

Sophomore year (1985) – As a starting linebacker, he recorded 140 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and three pass interceptions.  He was also named All-Big Ten.  His team posted a 10-2 record and repeated as Big Ten champions.  Then they defeated BYU 10-7 in the Florida Citris Bowl.

Junior year (1986) – Chris had another good year, with a team-high 205 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 6 pass interceptions.  He also tied a school record with 29 tackles against Michigan.  After the season, he was named All-Big Ten and First Team All-American by Associated Press, Kodak, Football Writers Association, Sporting News and Football News.  He was also a finalist for the Lombardi Award and the Butkus Award.  Earle Bruce called him, “the most intense player I have ever seen.”  The Buckeyes finished with a record of 10-3, losing to Michigan 26-24, while tying the Wolverines in the standings for conference first.  In the Cotton Bowl, they defeated Texas A&M 28-12, with Spielman returning a pass interception 29 yards for a touchdown and being named Top Defensive Player of the Game.

Senior year (1987) – Chris wrapped up his career at Ohio State as expected, with a team-high 234 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 4 pass interceptions.  He was a team captain.  He was named the team’s Most Valuable Performer.  He was named All-Big Ten.  He was named All-American.  He won the Lombardi Award.  And he left with a school record of 283 career solo tackles.  However, the Buckeyes finished 6-4-1 and did not receive a bowl bid.  Thus, Spielman’s sensational career at Ohio State had come to an end.  As had Earle Bruce’s.

In 2000 Spielman was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame and in 2009 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional

The Detroit Lions selected Chris Spielman in the second round as the 19^th pick overall of the 1988 NFL draft.  Spielman would spend the next eight years in Detroit as the starting linebacker, under had coach Wayne Fontes.  In his first year, he was named NFC Rookie of the Year.  Four times during his time at Detroit he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl and twice he was named the team’s defensive MVP.  And he was All-Pro twice.

Detroit had four playoff appearances during his 8-year span, with best one in 1991, when they finished 13-5 and advanced to the NFC championship game against the Washington Redskins.  Spielman finished with the Lions as the all-time leading tackler with 1,138 stops.  He also led the NFL with 195 total tackles in 1994.  The Lions later recognized his achievements by adding him to the stadium’s Ring of Honor

In 1996 Spielman signed with Buffalo and played for two seasons.  But he heroically walked away from the game when his wife, Stephanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Two years later, with the disease under control, Chris connected with the Cleveland Browns.  Only, a neck injury in an exhibition game led to a permanent retirement.

For his NFL career, Spielman finished with the following statistics:

• 148 games
• 148 starts
• 985 solos, 378 assists
• 11 sacks
• 12 forced fumbles
• 19 fumble recoveries (1 TD)
• 6 pass interceptions

Post-Football

Tragedy struck in 1998 when his wife Stephanie died at the young age of 42, leaving behind four children.  Prior to that, the pair managed to raise millions of dollars for Ohio State’s James Cancer Hospital.  Their story is documented in a book he co-authored, titled, “That’s Why I’m Here.”

The  following year Spielman began a career as a TV color commentor for college and professional games, working alternately for Fox, ESPN and Lions Preseason TV and spending nearly twenty years in that capacity.

In 2009 Chris tried his hand at coaching, assuming the head position with the Arena Football League’s Columbus Destroyers.  However, a 2-15 record made that stint short-lived.

Finally,  in 2020, he landed his current position, special assistant to Detroit Lions chairman and president and CEO.

In 1994 Spielman was inducted into the Wall of Champions.  In 2016 he was inducted into the Massillon Football Hall of Fame.

The Changing Landscape of Massillon Football – Part 7:…

The Changing Landscape of Massillon Football – Part 7: Game Attendance

 This is the last entry of a 7-part series, which includes the following installments:

• Part 1: Offensive Formations
• Part 2: Defensive Formations
• Part 3: Passing Frequency
• Part 4: Scheduling
• Part 5: Roster Size
• Part 6: Stadiums
• Part 7: Game Attendance

Introduction

“With an overflow crowd of 15,000 spectators looking on, the Washington high school Tigers … opened their fine new football plant with a 40-13 triumph over a plucky Cathedral Latin high school team of Cleveland.”  Those were the words of legendary sportswriter Luther Emery as he opened his story that covered the first game of the 1939 football season.  It ever in the new Tiger Stadium and a capacity crowd was on hand to witness the event.  Glowingly, it was far cry from the paltry crowds of just a few decades before.

Tiger Stadium would grow in size a few years later in order to accommodate crowds of nearly 20,000 each and every week.  But the circus-like spectacle would not last.  For various reasons, the average season attendance at Massillon games would slowly but steadily decline from then on to the present day.

Throughout its long history Massillon has played home games at eight different fields and the capacity limits of these venues have certainly had an influence on the number of fans that could attend.  While most of the early fields had a small number of portable bleachers, the capacity increased exponentially when Massillon Field with 6,500 seats and then Tiger Stadium were built.  A complimentary influence on crowd size was the instant success that the team achieved when Paul Brown became the coach.  Suddenly, patrons were flocking to the games in droves.  Thus, the need for a larger stadium.

Part 7 of the series takes a look back at the attendance at some of Massillon’s early games and then the seasonal averages from 1940 and on.  It also presents the trends associated with the attendance at Massillon-McKinley games after Tiger Stadium and Canton’s Fawcett Stadium were opened.

The Early Years (1891-1923)

The first time the local media recorded the attendance for a Massillon home game was in 1894 when 200 fans attended a match against Canton Central, later to be named Canton McKinley.  The contest was most likely played either on a Saturday or Friday afternoon, since there were no stadium lights at that time.  And perhaps most of the attendees were high school students.

By 1908, 1,000 fans were in the North Street Field stadium to watch the Tigers defeat Alliance, 64-0.  The following year, when Massillon captured its first state title, it was a throng of 2,000 patrons that witnessed a 9-0 win over Oberlin Academy, with everyone returning the following week to enjoy a 21-5 victory over New Philadelphia.

Home attendance continued to increase thereafter, particularly when the team played at Jones Field on Pearl Street.  A crowd of 3,000 attended the 1920 Toledo Scott game, 6,000 were at the 1922 Cleveland Shaw game and 8,000 showed up for the 1924 game against McKinley.  Suddenly, it was time for a bigger stadium.

Meanwhile, Tiger road games also saw an explosion in attendance numbers: 9,500 at the 1925 Canton McKinley game, 10,000 at the 1932 Alliance game, 10,000 at the 1933 McKinley game and 12,000 at the 1935 McKinley game.

Massillon Field (1924-38)

In 1924 Massillon opened a new stadium, one with permanent seating and a capacity of 6,500.  It also had lights to accommodate night games.  On occasion, additional portable seating would be brought in for a major opponent that boosted the capacity to 8,000 or more.  But by 1935, when Brown was coach, the average home attendance swelled well above the 6,500 seat capacity.  And in 1938, the last year of Massillon Field, the average home attendance was a whopping 11,500, with 18,000 squeezing in for the game against McKinley.  Fortunately, by then, construction a new stadium was well underway.

The Tigers would leave Massillon Field with a home record of 71-16-4.  Brown’s mark there was 41-4-2.

Paul Brown Tiger Stadium (1939 to present)

Tiger Stadium, later named after Paul Brown, opened in 1939 with a seating capacity of 14,000.  It would soon be increased, including temporary sideline and end zone seats, to 22,500.  Now Massillon had a stadium large enough to accommodate any football crowd.  After some eighty years of use, Massillon’s current record there sits at 526-90-6.

Home attendance was immediately impacted in that 1939 season with an average attendance of 13,200.  The following year, owing to a home game against McKinley, the average was 17,450, a number that has stood since as an all-time record.  Below is a chart of the average home attendance by decade from 1940 to the present.

In the decade of the 1940s, the average home attendance was 14,476.  But that number has steadily declined over time  and now stands at 5,901, although perhaps still higher than any other school in the state.  There are perhaps several reasons for this trend:

• Advent of television – TV was not prevalent throughout households in the 1940s, so high school football was akin to the circus coming to town and most city residents flocked to local stadiums for an evening’s entertainment.  Massillon was no different.  This was especially true with the tremendous program left in place by Coach Paul Brown, who departed in 1941 for Ohio State.  Although Massillon’s high level of success has continued into the present day, the attendance has not kept pace.  In the 1950s televisions found their way into American homes, and even in Massillon the phenomenon created competition for high school football on Friday nights.  The impact was felt again in the mid-1960s when Massillon Cable TV was introduced and it began airing delayed broadcasts of the games.
• Opening of schools adjacent to Massillon – In the 1940s Massillon students resided not only in Massillon proper, but also in areas surrounding the city.  However, in 1956 Perry High School was opened, followed shortly thereafter by Jackson and Tuslaw.  Over time, all served to shrink the total area from which Massillon High School drew both students and sports fans.
• Dissolution of the All-American Conference – In 1963 a league consisting of some of the top teams in Ohio (Massillon, Canton McKinley, Warren Harding and Niles) was formed.  The addition of Steubenville in 1966 and Alliance in 1969 only made the league more prominent.  Games against these rivals created tremendous fan interest and provided some of the most competitive and highly-attended games in the state.  Because of this, attendance at Massillon games remained fairly steady during the 1960s and 1970s.  But by the late 1970s, Niles, Steubenville and Alliance could not maintain competitiveness due to declining enrollment as a result of the steel mills closing and the All-American Conference played its final games in 1979.  This consequence brought an immediate drop in fan attendance as league games one by one vacated the schedule.
• Declining enrollment – The 1980s also saw Massillon’s enrollment begin a steady decline, now leveling off at about 30% less.  Although having modest impact on attendance, there are now somewhat less students and associated parents attending the games.
• Recession – The early 2000s brought the onset of an economic recession, which impacted the job prospects and incomes of many workers in Massillon.  There was an obvious need for families to trim their household budgets and football tickets may have been one of the first items to go.  The result was the largest decline in attendance, from 11,229 in the 1990s to 9,125 in the 2000s, or a reduction of 19%.
• Aging Fans – Many fans in the 1940s, 50s and 60s were captivated by the success of the football team and continued to remain loyal to the program for many years thereafter, always hopeful of yet another state championship.  However, there comes a time when a person is just too old to attend the games.  Fans that were in their 20s during the 1940s are now aging out.  To maintain the attendance level their losses needed to be recouped by younger fans.  Unfortunately, young fans in the 1970s and beyond did not get to experience those championship years and are not as prone to embrace the football program and purchase tickets after graduation.

Games Against Canton McKinley

The attendance for the McKinley games has also seen a reduction, although of a different sort.  Rather than a constant decline, there was a step change for home games beginning in 1982.  From 1940 to 1980, the average attendance was 20,752.  Afterwards, it has been 17,146 (not including the Covid year of 2020), or a decline of 17%.  In addition, last year’s attendance of 14,474 was the lowest home attendance for this game since 1926 (not counting the Covid year).

In case you were wondering about games in Canton, there was a similar step change, but theirs did not occur until 2007.  From 1939 to 2005, the average was 20,883.  Since then, it has been 14,610, or a decline of a whopping 30%.  Also, the attendance of 2023 was 42% below the prior number.

Best Attended Home Games

It’s no secret that the best attended games are those against McKinley.  Over the past thirty years these contests have drawn on average over 16,000 fans.  Next up are the games against the large parochial schools, followed by the season openers.  For the openers, it’s the anticipation of a new season and the weather is warm.  And of late the competition has been high-caliber.  Below are the 30-year averages for various categories:

• 17,200 – Canton McKinley
• 12,351 – Large Parochial Schools
• 10,075 – Season Opener
• 9,388 – Rival Public Schools
• 8,432 – Mid-size Parochial Schools
• 8,231 – Non-rival Public Schools
• 8,777 – Out-of-state
• 8,352 – Playoffs

 Attendance Records

The home record for attendance was set in 1964 when 22,685 fans attended the game against McKinley.  The Tigers won that one 20-14.  Just behind  are the 1972 game, which drew 22,371, and the 1968 game, which drew 22,305, followed by four games in which the estimated crowd was 22,000.

On the road, the Number One attended game was against Cleveland Cathedral Latin in 1945, which was held at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.  The final score was 6-6.  Here are the Top 5:

• 51,409 – 1945 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – Cleveland Cathedral Latin
• 33,000 – 1940 – Akron Rubber Bowl – Alliance
• 31,409 – 1982 – Ohio State Stadium – Cincinnati Moeller (playoffs)
• 30,129 – 1964 – Akron Rubber Bowl – Niles McKinley
• 29,871 – 2001 – Akron Rubber Bowl – Cleveland St. Ignatius (playoffs)

Summary

The average seasonal attendance at Massillon home games has declined steadily over the past eighty years for a number of reasons.  But that does not deter a sizeable number of Tiger fans from still attending the games.  For Massillon continues to outdraw every other school in Ohio.  Nevertheless, there still seems to be a measurable decline as of late in attendance for the McKinley game.  But this may have been influenced more by Canton’s declining support of the game than by Massillon’s, as evidenced by the 2023 game in Canton in which the Tigers outdrew the Bulldogs in their own stadium.

At times the attendance, and particularly season ticket sales, has seen a bump the following year when the Tigers win a championship or even when they advance in the playoffs to the state finals.  It will be interesting this year to see how it plays out with Massillon fresh off of a Division II state championship.