Coach was visiting some of the school systems in NEO about 15 years ago.
My grandma was a long time employee of the school district and was voted to the school board after she retired.
Long and short, I come from a big family where everyone played sports. None bigger than wrestling and football; but this was a 'football family' first and foremost. Dominated a lot of family talks at get-togethers.
So here's Coach Tress, giving a speech to the school and this poor woman, who walked around with wallet-sized pics in her purse of her favorite players (Carlos Baerga & AJ Hawk) was too scared to introduce herself. We tried to give her some encouragement but she just couldn't muster up the courage.
Coach saw this from our small group huddled around grandma and, as well natured and calmly as you'd expect - he walked right over, politely cut into the group and introduced himself. Shook everyone's hands, then talked with grandma for a good 15 minutes. Explained how she has a big family, the Irish-Catholic Cleveland roots, 1 child graduated from tOSU, with 3 more having attended (1 of the 3 graduated) etc etc.
Coach listened intently, had a wonderful exchange, along with his own funny quips, thanked everyone for their time and their love of all things Ohio (Buckeye)
Grandma asked for a picture and, fighting through near tears, composed herself enough to take one with Coach Tress.
I don't have enough words. Gracious, humble, selfless, lacking in any and all ego. A man of the people, if there ever seemed one. Coach has shook hands with tens of thousands of people, but it felt like he could tell how much it meant to her and took a little extra time to make the interaction special.
She bragged that, apart from her family, that meeting was one of the high points of her life. Grandma passed in 2018, but I have the pic on a mantle in my home office.
I said all that to say this - nobody is perfect, and how his tenure ended was a shame. But I'll defend Coach Tress to anybody who would otherwise speak to the opposite of the character I saw him show, not only in that moment, but the near endless collection of high character moments he has shared with thousands more.
I'm forever grateful to him taking the time to make one of the greatest memories a small-town, football loving Grandma could ask for.
