With the game on the line in the 1997 Rose Bowl, Buckeye WR Dimitrious Stanley caught three first down passes in the final two minutes to get Ohio State to the Arizona State 20 yard line.
It was 17-14 Sun Devils thanks to Jake ‘the Snake’ Plummer’s short touchdown dive a couple of minutes earlier.
With :28 seconds remaining, Buckeye QB Joe Germaine threw to Stanley once again. This time, however, he was grabbed and pushed. No call from the refs. Incomplete.
“I don’t know what that is. Those guys down there, those officials should donate their checks to charity. My gosh. Too obvious,” came the endearing words of legendary TV announcer Dick Vermeil.
A pass interference call would come on the next play setting the Buckeyes up at the five yard line. Then David Boston danced into the end zone.
Ohio State wins 20-17.
Dimitrious Stanley was lot of things. A great athlete certainly, but he was so much more. His father Wayne, who was a former Ohio State RB coach under Earle Bruce, says he was a better person. “He spread the sunshine that God shined on him with everybody around that came into his life.”
After playing briefly for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League, Dimitrious made his way back to Columbus, his hometown.
He graduated from Thomas Worthington High School in 1993, was recruited by John Cooper and ended up getting his B.A. from Ohio State in 2001 in Communications.
Dimitrious has been described as engaging, charismatic, kind, caring, giving, a leader, a great teammate, a man’s man, and a good speaker.
He dabbled in television in Columbus landing a spot hosting ‘Football Fever’ on WSYX-TV. There he exhibited his colorful taste in fashion. His sign off: “Take care. Give care.”
He unsuccessfully ran for Columbus City Council in 2015.
Dimitrious began sitting in on Friday afternoons on 610 WTVN radio talking about whatever came up, sometimes politics. He was a strong Conservative voice.
I was driving home the day he announced that his cancer was in remission. The excitement in his voice warmed my heart. I prayed at that point that God would not take this very important man from us.
Every year Dimitrious volunteered for the Special Olympics basketball game at his alma mater Worthington High School. He handled the announcing and play by play.
His wife Jessica says she & Dimitrious would sneak off spontaneously, go for a drive, roll down the windows, blare the music and sing at the top of their lungs. They met in 2011 at Sushi Rock and were married in June, 2018.
The following year Dimitrious discovered that he had a weak stream when urinating. At the urging of his wife, he went to the doctor only to discover that his PSA count was 58. Normal is 2 or 3. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
He would go through the treatments and even beat cancer the first time, but it came back. When Dimitrious went through the medical process of dealing with his diagnosis, he was surprised to learn how many things were not covered by insurance.
“Once he realized he had advanced cancer, he wanted to make sure he helped other men, especially African American men who might be more hesitant to go to a doctor,” says Dr John Burgers, one of his doctors.
Prostate cancer is prevalent, but no one talks about it. Stanley started ‘Brave Men, Inc’ in September, 2019 to raise awareness of the disease and encourage men to get regular screenings. One nurse came up to him to say thank you. You are saving so many lives. And she started crying. At that moment, he knew he was making a difference. Dimitrious took the path less traveled in his final days. It wasn’t just about him. He built Brave Men, Inc because he had a huge heart and he saw an opportunity to help others.
After nearly a four year battle with cancer, Dimitrious Stanley died on Feb 9, 2023. He was 48. He left behind a wife and three daughters – Dakota, Alexis and Aubrie.
His widow Jessica is now the executive director of ‘Brave Men, Inc.’ and she has made a commitment to keep the foundation going. BMI distributes ‘Brave Boxes’ to health care facilities in Ohio filled with supplies men need after surgery.
African American men are 64% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Worthington High School presented Jessica and their three daughters with a framed #3 jersey before their home opening football game in 2023. The Cardinal team wore a ‘DS’ sticker on the back of their helmets that season.
Dimitrious Stanley Way was dedicated in Westerville in 2023. It is north of the Lakes Country Club off Worthington Rd.
Brave Men, Inc.’s annual bourbon event is scheduled for Friday, November 14 from 6:30 to 9:30pm at Prohibition Gastro Lounge in Powell. Guests will enjoy an exclusive lineup of bourbon, wine and tequila tastings, appetizers, live music, raffles and a silent auction. For ticket information, go to www.bravemeninc.com/events.
The featured picture of Dimitrious Stanley and some old guy (me) was taken on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer in 2008, eleven years before his diagnosis. Dimitrious is one of my all time favorite Buckeyes and I was so happy to be able to shake his hand.
“He wanted men to be brave and get checked for prostate cancer,” says Dr Benjamin Martin.
The Buckeye football program was desperate for a signature win in that 1997 Rose Bowl, especially after losing to Michigan again at home. Dimitrious wasn’t the fastest or the flashiest receiver to play at Ohio State, but he was gritty, sure handed and knew how to get open. He led the Buckeyes down the field that final drive and though he didn’t get the glory for the game winning touchdown, he put us in a position to win the game.
Which is what great teammates do.
Sources: ‘Dimitrious Stanley was a football star, cancer fighter’ by Steve Wartenburg, Ohio State Alumni Magazine, July 19, 2023, alumnimagazine.osu.edu; ‘Former Buckeye legacy helping men fight prostate cancer’, NBC4 Columbus, YouTube, September, 2024; ‘Dimitrious Stanley remembered’, abc6onyourside.com, April 13, 2023; homage.com; www.bravemeninc.com; Remembering former Ohio State wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley, WBNS 10TV, YouTube, Feb 9, 2023; Dimitrious Stanley honored, remembered by Thomas Worthington before football game, WSYX ABC 6, YouTube, Aug 26, 2023; 1997 Rose Bowl – game winning drive, YouTube, ABC-TV; Ohio State mourns the Loss of Dimitrius Stanley, Feb 9, 2023, www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com; Featured picture of Dimitrious Stanley at the 1997 Rose Bowl courtesy of the Ohio State Alumni Magazine.