Auroraadvocate.com - Two families with sons on Buckeyes see big bowl game

by Holly Schoenstein

Reporter

Aurora -- Two sets of local parents traveled across the country to witness a long-standing tradition and watch their sons make history at the same time.

The Cech and Bellamy families followed their sons -- 2007 Aurora High School graduate Joe Cech and 2009 graduate Adam Bellamy, who are on the Ohio State University football team -- to the Rose Bowl last month, when the Buckeyes beat the Oregon Ducks 26-17.

"It was incredible. There were so many Ohio State fans from everywhere," said Mary Jane Cech, Joe's mother. "We figured it's an opportunity of a lifetime. We went to all the Ohio State games during the fall. We're tremendous fans, and we couldn't pass it up."

Ohio State football is at the heart of the Cech Family as Joe's dad Steve and his siblings are graduates of the university. And Joe grew up being just as enthusiastic about the team.

"I was raised loving the Buckeyes, and the dream persisted to want to play football," he said.

"I remember when I was a little kid, running around while tailgating at Ohio State games with my cousin and my younger brother dressed up in Ohio State gear, pretending I was a wide receiver and all kinds of positions, throwing a football around," Joe said.

So it felt like the dream had come true when he dressed in his scarlet, gray and white uniform and cheered on his teammates.

Even as he seemed to be groomed to play for the Buckeyes, Mary Jane said it was amazing to see him dress for the game.

"I was so proud. Honest to God, it was a dream come true, not just for him but for us as well. We never imagined that would ever happen," she said.

"THERE WAS a sense that you were a part of something that was going on before you came and will continue after you stop playing football. It was wonderful being part of something of such a great tradition," Joe said.

"It was one of the most important things I've done with my life so far," he added.

Joe and Adam traveled with the team by charter plane to Pasadena, Calif., on Christmas night, and their parents arrived shortly thereafter.

Many of the players' parents stayed together at a hotel and went to the game in a caravan of charter buses.

"Being with other people who were going through the same thing, feeling the same thing, was awesome," Mary Jane said.

Buckeye fans didn't just pack the stadium, they filtered through the region.

"There were a lot of Ohio State fans everywhere we went, whether it was Hollywood or the Santa Monica Pier," said Keith Bellamy, Adam's father.

Joe said the hard work and discipline of playing college football is paying off.

"Playing for the OSU football team is a huge time commitment and takes a lot of hard work to get the grades you need to and to compete at the level you have to," he said. "But it's worth it because the experiences you gain from playing will be with you the rest of your life, and it will probably be the best couple of years of my life."

Joe is a junior studying urban and regional geography. He ran track his freshman year in college, and walked onto the football team this year as a wide receiver.

Adam, a freshman defensive lineman with full football scholarship, hasn't declared a major and is taking business classes. The pair will be roommates next year.

E-mail: hschoenstein@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3152