Football
The Second and Seven Makes a Difference
By Kevin Schlosser(Columbus, Ohio) Most Buckeye fans know Mike Vrabel, Ryan Miller, and Luke Fickell for their success on the football field; they want you to know about what they are doing in the community. As the founding fathers of the Second and Seven Foundation they are still making a difference in lives of thousands of students across Columbus more than a decade after graduation.
“The goal of the foundation is to promote childhood literacy in Columbus,” stated Fickell.
“We try to get out to as many city schools as we can where we read and work with kids.”
Second and Seven co-founder Mike Vrabel
Photo by Kevin Schlosser“We got into a lot of programs like this with Right to Read to Week when we were at Ohio State,” explained Vrabel. “It was something that got us out into the schools and got us started so the Second and Seven is an evolution of that.”
Over the years both the reach and success of the reading program have grown. At the start it involved less-than ten schools, only the football team, and relied heavily on book donations. Almost a decade later the program has expanded to cover the majority of the second grade classrooms in the city. This year the Second and Seven is able to buy and publish their own books and the “Tackle Illiteracy” program is now open to every student athlete at Ohio State.
“We started the Second and Seven to give back to the community that has given us so much support over the years,” said Miller.
“Two years ago we had to call on Gene Smith and the Department of Athletics to ask if we could expand the program. We wanted to reach out beyond just the football team because we were in so many schools.
“With their support we now are out in the schools every Thursday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. working with the kids. The student athletes have really embraced the program and the cause, and at the same time the students and community they are helping have responded.”
After reading with each class, the student athlete conducts a discussion with the students. When they are done the Foundation provides them with books that they can take home and continue reading on their own.
“This year we are coming out with out own book for the first time called The Hog Mollies and the Pickle Pie Party,” said Vrabel. “It is kind of cute; it is a fun book about team work that the kids can get a lot out of.”
There are two main fundraisers for the Second & Seven; a football camp and an 8-Ball Pool Tournament which were both held this week. The 8-Ball tournament features one of the best silent and live auctions around. That helped the foundation exceed their goal of raising $50,000.00 to publish and distribute their first book.
“This is our ninth year and the foundation has really grown in that time. The football camp was the vision of Ryan Miller; it started with 45 kids and has grown to over 500. Vrabel is founder of the 8-Ball and it is helping the entire foundation,” said Fickell.
“We had our first 8-Ball tournament five years ago,” said Miller. “We have actually had to move locations because of the size of the event. That has kind of been kind of how it started and it has grown ever since. We went from seven second grade classes to 50,000 books going out in the fall next year.”
Former OSU football players (L to R) Ryan Miller, Tom Hoying, Mike Vrabel, Luke Fickell, Kirk Herbstreit and Bob Hoying surprised their head coach, John Cooper, with a cake on his 75th birthday.
Photo by Kevin SchlosserFormer OSU head football coach John Cooper took the time to spend his 75th birthday at the function with his former players. His players thanked him for his presence with a surprise birthday cake.
“Mike Vrabel, Luke Fickell, and Ryan Miller are three of the best people I have coached in my twenty-nine year career. To see these guys out in the community and giving back doesn’t surprise me at all,” commented Cooper. “These guys don’t have to do this, but they have taken it upon themselves to make a difference; it goes with the territory of being an Ohio State Buckeye.”
The 8-Ball tournament was well attended by former Buckeyes. They included Craig Krenzel, Anthony Gonzales, Bobby Carpenter, Mike Nugent, Tom and Bobby Hoying, Joey Galloway, Butch Reynolds, and Greg Oden. Other guests included New England Patriots Pierre Woods and Larry Izzo, Detroit Lion Mike Furrey, Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, former Cincinnati Red Kent Merker, and former Blue Jacket Jody Shelly.
“It is a great foundation and a great cause. I went out into the schools reading to the kids and handing out books when I was at Ohio State and have continued to stay involved,” said Carpenter. “Mike is guy that I looked up to and watched play when he was in college. Our relationship grew at Ohio State and now that we are both colleagues in the NFL it has expanded again. The foundation is about making a difference and I told him I would do anything I could to help.”
Former Buckeye quarterback Craig Krenzel shared the same views.
“It is obviously a tremendous opportunity to help Mike, Ryan, and Luke but it is also another opportunity for me to give something back to the city that has given me so much,” said Krenzel. “It is about the kids and that is what counts.”
Greg Oden
Photo by Kevin SchlosserGreg Oden, who is taking classes this summer at OSU, was the tallest participant in the 8-Ball tournament to date.
“Everyone involved with this foundation are good people that love Ohio State. I love being around them and being a part of this community,” stated Oden. “Columbus is a great city and I knew that if I came back I would be taken care of so this is my way of doing the same thing and giving back.”
In case you were wondering, Bobby Hoying led Team Nelson to victory in the tournament. In the process his teammates won a free pool table to commemorate the event.
“From day one we had some big ideas with what we could do initially and what we could eventually do. Now in our ninth year we have a real opportunity to pay it forward,” said Fickell. “It is great to have the support of Ohio State and the community; we have a chance to make a difference in thousands of lives every year and that is what this is all about.”
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