FAIRMONT — There might have been a member of the Baltimore Ravens NFL team at the podium Saturday, but the room was decked out with the logo of the Colts.
But that would be the FOP Colts, Fairmont’s five-team member of the American Youth Football Conference,
and that was all right with Ravens defensive end and linebacker Gary Stills, whose two sons, Darius and Dante, play on the pee-wee team.
The Ravens have a bye on Sunday, so that gave Stills, a West Virginia University player from 1996-98, the opportunity to address the 2007 Colts Banquet, held Saturday evening at Fairmont State University’s Colebank Hall.
“You can ask me anything about (quarterback) Peyton Manning of the (2007 Super Bowl champs Indianapolis) Colts or Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers,” Stills joked to the audience after his finished his brief remarks.
The city of Baltimore might not be too fond of the Indianapolis Colts, which were the Baltimore Colts until 1984.
But right now, Stills is more focused on the Steelers, the team the Ravens will be playing next Sunday, with Darius and Dante in attendance to see their father in action on Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
A native of Trenton, N.J., Stills was drafted in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1999 and played for the team through 2005. He joined the Ravens in 2006.
Stills delivered a brief speech in which he encouraged the young attendees to respect their parents.
“I see all the children participating in football, and it’s not all about the children,” he said. “It’s also about the parents. Tomorrow when you get up and get going, look at your mom and look at your dad and say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for everything that you’ve done, for food, clothing, somewhere to live. They go shopping, buy clothes, and they only do it because they love you.”
Stills noted that he wished he could spend more time with Darius and Dante and go to their games, but if Darius mentions that to him, “I have to tell him, ‘Darius, while you’re playing and while Dante is playing, I have to play about two hours after that.”
As a boy growing up in Trenton, N.J., Stills was inspired by linebacker Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants and their 1987 Super Bowl win.
“I said to my mother, ‘I’d like to do that,’” Stills said.
Even though she had trouble coming up with the $25 Stills needed to join a local team, she scraped it together. Ten years later, he was playing for Don Nehlen at WVU.
In another coincidence, the Ravens’ only Super Bowl win was against the Giants in the 2000 season, before Stills joined the team.
After Stills finished his remarks, David Hawkinberry, president of the FOP Colts, presented the football player with a Colts sweatshirt.
“I triple-dog dare him to wear it,” Hawkinberry laughed.
E-mail Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.
In Today's TWV
Related Photos
-
PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER
October 27, 2007
Stills encourages respect for parents
Current NFL player, former WVU star addresses FOP Colts
- In Today's TWV
-
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
Osama bin Laden, the face of global terrorism and architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was killed in a firefight with elite American forces Monday, then quickly buried at sea in a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run.
-
Construction around FSU
Construction matters were on the minds of the Fairmont State Board of Governors Thursday as they discussed projects to widen Locust Avenue and the continuing renovation of the historic Kennedy Barn.
First, a project to widen Locust Avenue to three lanes has been a priority for the state for several years. -
Goal: Redevelop site of former black Elks
City officials are hoping to solicit a buyer to redevelop the former site of the former black Elks building at the corner of Everest Drive and Cleveland Avenue.
Following the structure’s emergency demolition last weekend, city manager Jim Snider said the city is hoping someone will come forward to develop the site and recoup the city’s $72,000 demolition cost. -
Investigation continues into suspicious container, plastic jug that were blown up
Fairmont police detectives will continue their investigation into a suspicious can and jug that were blown up late Friday night by a State Police bomb squad, police said.
No one was injured, but the incident forced drivers to detour around Fairmont Avenue from Seventh to 10th streets while the area was secured and the containers were safely destroyed. -
Years of planning, work lead to new Baxter fire hall
In 1968, the Baxter Volunteer Fire Department opened its doors for the first time.
The department had its humble beginnings in a small pole building near the ball field. Over the years, the firefighters made do with the small building, adding on as they could, according to Destry Jones, Baxter fire chief. -
AmberView participation rising
Fairview Middle School has a higher percentage of students enrolled in AmberView than any other school in the state, officials said Friday.
AmberView is an innovative program, developed in West Virginia, that assists law enforcement by quickly issuing an up-to-date digital picture of a missing or abducted child. AmberView officials have seen participation rise dramatically in the last year. -
Police investigate, detonate suspected bomb
West Side’s main thoroughfare was blocked for hours while police investigated and then detonated a suspected bomb Friday night.
Fairmont City Police responded to a report of a suspicious package Friday after a 911 call from a passerby. -
Student housing at FSU booming
While enrollment may be down at Fairmont State this year, student housing is booming.
The university’s board of governors received preliminary enrollment numbers at its meeting Thursday. -
Jay to speak at convention
U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, an early supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, will be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month, a campaign aide said.
Rockefeller, 71, who is seeking a fifth-straight term in the Senate, will speak on Wednesday, Aug. 27, said Jessica Tice, his campaign press secretary. -
A strong ‘heartbeat’
“The chamber is the heartbeat of every community,” Gov. Joe Manchin told a crowd of approximately 375 people during the Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 55th Annual Dinner.
Members of the business community gathered at Fairmont State University’s Falcon Center Thursday night for the event, which also serves as the chamber’s annual meeting. - More In Today's TWV Headlines
-
US kills Osama bin Laden decade after 9/11 attacks
