Massillon is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Canton, 20 miles (32 km) south of Akron, and 50 miles (80 km) south of Cleveland. The population was 32,146 at the 2020 census.
Paul Eugene Brown was an American football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). Brown was both the co-founder and first coach of the Cleveland Browns, a team named after him, and later played a role in founding the Cincinnati Bengals. His teams won seven league championships in a professional coaching career spanning 25 seasons.
Washington High School, commonly referred to as Massillon High School or Massillon Washington High School, is a 9th to 12th grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District in the city of Massillon, Ohio, United States. It serves students within the city of Massillon as well as parts of Jackson Township.
Charles Christopher Spielman is a former American football player and is a special assistant to the owner and CEO for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played linebacker at Ohio State University, where he was a two-time All-American, and for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL), where he was a three-time All Pro. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, and coached for the Arena Football League's Columbus Destroyers. He was a broadcaster for Fox Sports and ESPN from 1999 to 2020.
John Edward McVay is a former American football coach who rose through the coaching ranks from high school, through the college level, and to the National Football League (NFL). Born in Bellaire, Ohio, he played college football at Miami University, starring as a center.
Harry Augustus Stuhldreher was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played quarterback at University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924, where he was a three-time All-American and member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield. After graduating from Notre Dame, Stuhldreher played professional football briefly with the Brooklyn Horsemen/Lions in 1926. He served as the head football coach at Villanova College—now known as Villanova University—from 1925 to 1935 and at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1936 to 1948, compiling a career college football record of 110–87–15. Stuhldreher was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1958.
Richard Spielman is an American football executive who is the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was promoted to general manager in 2012 after spending 2006–2011 as the team's vice president of player personnel. He formerly worked for ESPN on NFL Live.
Robert Louis Vogel is a former professional American football offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1972. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Colts and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. He played college football at Ohio State University. Vogel's football resume was very impressive. Played his Sr. year of high school in Massillon Washington High School, he earned first team All-Ohio honors in 1958. After starring at Ohio State University, he was the fifth player chosen in the 1963 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. Vogel protected Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas' blindside in Super Bowls III and V.
Thomas Laverne James, Jr. was an American football defensive back and punter who played for Ohio State University and the Cleveland Browns in the 1940s and 1950s. He was born near Massillon, Ohio and attended Massillon Washington High School, where he played as a back on the football team under head coach Paul Brown. James was a key part of a Massillon team that went undefeated in 1940. After graduating, he followed Brown to Ohio State and played there as a halfback. Ohio State won its first national championship in 1942 when James was on the team.
James Edward Houston was an American football linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Horace Albert "Big Horse" Gillom was an American football punter and end in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played ten seasons for the Cleveland Browns between 1947 and 1956. Cleveland head coach Paul Brown, who coached Gillom in high school, college and professionally, called him his best all-around high school player and once said there "has never been a better punter than Horace".
Loren Walter Houston is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He graduated from Massillon Washington High School after twice being on Ohio-state championship teams. His senior-year team in 1950, quarterbacked by classmate Don James, was rated the no. 1 high school team in the United States. Houston went on to play college football at University of Miami and Purdue University and was drafted in 26th round of the 1955 NFL Draft.
Lindell Lee Houston was an American football guard who played eight seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns. He was the older brother of Jim Houston.
Dennis E. Franklin is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1975 NFL Draft. Prior to playing for the NFL he played college football as a quarterback at the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1974. He was the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines from 1972 to 1974. He was recruited by Michigan after starring for the Massillon High School football team in Ohio. Franklin is known as Michigan's first black quarterback.
Theodore Nesser Jr. was a professional football player-coach in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League. During his career he played mainly for the Columbus Panhandles, however he did also play for a little for the Massillon Tigers, Akron Indians, Canton Bulldogs and the Shelby Blues.
F. Stuart "Stu" Wilkins was an American football player, lawyer, and businessman. He played at the guard position for the University of Michigan football team from 1945 to 1948 and was a starter on the Wolverines undefeated teams in 1947 and 1948. He practiced law for more than 50 years in Canton, Ohio. He was one of the leaders behind the establishment of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, serving on the steering committee that prepared the presentation to the NFL, and serving for more than 40 years on its board of trustees. He also served as the chairman of the board of the American Automobile Association from 1989 to 1991.
Devin Smith is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and the American Professional Football Association, from 1920 to 1923, and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs won the 1916, 1917 and 1919 Ohio League championships. They were the NFL champions in 1922 and 1923. In 1921–1923, the Bulldogs played 25 straight games without a defeat. This remains an NFL record.
Gareon Conley is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Thayer Munford is an American football offensive tackle who currently plays for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
