Vince Koza: Former Spartans' star Cheney looks at past, present
Posted: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
By Vince Koza
Former Lima Senior and Ohio State University football standout Dave Cheney has always been a winner.
Did you know that from his eighth grade playing days at South Junior High through his high school years at Lima Senior and four years at OSU, the standout offensive lineman lost a total of eight games? Eight games total in 9 years?
?People today can?t fathom that kind of win streak with Lima Senior,? he says.
That?s what makes Cheney so frustrated, so disappointed with the current state of the Spartan football program.
?It is extremely discouraging for my Lima Senior program these days. I remember the Spartans going 2-38 in the GBC (Greater Buckeye Conference) and now they are stuck in a league (TRAC) that is far more difficult and tougher to compete in.
?With their declining enrollment, it appears that there are local leagues that may be a better fit for Senior,? he says.
So far this fall, Cheney has been to a Spartan home game, listened to others on the radio, and always follows his team in some way, week after week, season after season. And he is extremely proud of his alma mater in making the decision to retire his Lima Senior football jersey (No. 76) this Friday Night.
?Quite simply, how wonderful it is to be included in the company of many of my boyhood idols. Outside of William White, the others I grew up watching them play, wanting to play as good as them, even better. It is an honor to be included with guys I truly admired, like Joe Morrison, Tom Barrington, Gary Moeller and Mike Current. What a select group.?
Cheney was an all-state linebacker and offensive tackle at Lima Senior.
Woody Hayes gave him a full athletic scholarship to play football at Ohio State, and the Lima native didn?t disappoint. As a sophomore, Cheney was a part-time starter and the Buckeyes won a national championship. During his junior year, Ohio State was the Big Ten Co-Champs and Dave was a full-time starter and named to the All Big Ten Academic Team.
Finally as a senior, OSU was Big Ten champs again and Cheney was All-Big Ten First Team as an offensive tackle and again named to the First Team All-Big Ten Academic Squad.
Quite a career at Ohio State, and like his high school alma mater, Cheney is closely watching his college school.
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