The All-American who became the protector of thousands of athletes
WARREN, Ohio (WKRC) – Losses from decades ago still sting.
In 1990, Princeton lost a state title to unbeaten Warren G. Harding. It was Princeton's Pat Mancuso and Warren's Phil Annarella -- two coaching geniuses -- in the second playoff-era state championship. That game included an athlete who has changed the landscape of high school sports 30 years later.
To begin, though, we have to take you northeast, to the edge of Youngstown. From the east side of town to the west side, what a river divides it also brings together. It's the flow of life -- both turbulent and peaceful, for a football player's strength pushes onward like the water itself.
In Warren, Ohio, the Mahoning brought together coal and iron to industrialize America in the 1800s. And in 1990, it could no longer keep apart two powerhouse football programs: Western Reserve Academy and Warren G. Harding. That's when the east side and the west side became one winning titleholder and at the center of it was a name now famous.
Football fans around the state hear of Warren G. Harding and think about greats like: Hall-of-Famer Paul Warfield, former Bengal Ross Browner and college greats Mario Manningham and Maurice Claurett. But it is the birthplace of one of the biggest protectors of athletes across the nation: Korey Stringer.
Stringer was an Ohio State Buckeye All-American and later a first-round draft pick for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2001, he collapsed during training camp. By the time he arrived at the hospital more than 90 minutes later, his core body temperature was 109 degrees. He died of heatstroke.
But this isn't about how Korey died; it's about who he was when he was living that created his legacy.
Korey was the middle of three children.
“We grew up in a small little home on the west side of Warren,” Kevin Stringer, Korey’s brother, said. “On any given day, you could find a ton of neighborhood kids playing in our yard.”
They were raised by James and Cathy Stringer
“They were just as kind and bright, and, you know, they raised us to be that way as well,” Kim Stringer, Korey’s sister, said.
Korey was known as the same: kind and smart.
“Korey Stringer was a gentle giant. He was warm. Engaging. So funny,” James Gould, Korey’s agent, said.
“He was very giving and so smart,” Kim said. “People call him a gentle giant, and it couldn't be more true. That's exactly what he was. He would give the shirt off his back if you needed it.”
“He understood people,” Gould said. “He was quiet. He was not a big crowd person, but he loved kids. He loved kids."
Mention Korey Stringer's name around Warren's football program today, and you'll hear the story about his first and only Pro Bowl.
“I think it was the Little Raiders football team,” Kevin said. “They were falling short in operation budget.”
One of his former coaches asked Korey if he could use his connections to see if the NFL would help them.
“He had just gotten his Pro Bowl check,” Stringer said. “So, he gave it to them.”
Most of the town, including Kevin, did not hear this story until after Korey passed.
A copy of the check is still tucked away in a Warren basement, hidden so well it hasn't been found in two decades. But the story doesn't surprise his family.
"He was somebody who saw the needs of others, no matter what those needs were,” Kevin said. “He was a huge guy who never once tried to bully anybody. He protected the bullied.”
And that's his legacy.
Korey now protects the hundreds of thousands of athletes across the nation through the work done at the Korey Stringer Institute that was created from the lawsuit following his death.
“He died at the age of 27,” Gould said. “He had a lot of life left in him, and I think the legacy of him and what has been created -- it can't bring him back, but it has made a big difference.”
Since Korey's tragic death in 2001, the NFL has had no athletes die. Fifty-one college and high school athletes have died from exertional heatstroke.
“Maybe God picks certain people,” Gould said. “Our heroes seem to die very young, and maybe Korey, when you ask who Korey is, Korey’s a hero to me. We can't fail at this. We have to make a difference.”
The impact of Korey Stringer's death and the work of his institute inspired our project here at Local 12. Since November, with more than 30 stories, 'Athletes At Risk?' has covered everything from the lack of athletic trainers on sidelines
....to how they serve on the frontlines during coronavirus
...to the risks athletes face this fall.
But despite all the stories and the education, athletes stand on thousands of sidelines across the country that lack the proper tools, training and education.
So we ask, how can one Ohio football player’s death change the lives of millions more athletes in the future so no father, no wife, no child ever has to hear again that their loved one died of something experts say is 100% preventable?