A Thanksgiving tribute: Rocky Belk

Holidays are a great moment to put life into perspective. We Browns fans can get pretty wrapped up in wins and losses, our Ohio heritage demands it.

Yesterday however, after noticing a spike over these last months in "Rocky Belk" google searches landing on this blog, I decided to do a google search myself on Belk. Unfortunately what I discovered is that ex-Browns receiver Rocky Belk tragically passed away last July at the age of 50 years old. For fans who followed the Browns in the 80's, Belk was a sort of comet who flashed across Cleveland. In one year he got very little playing time, but many Clevelanders noticed him because he scored two big touchdowns including one long TD pass from Brian Sipe against the despised Pittsburgh Steelers. Belk's NFL career lasted only one year with a total 5 catches and 2 touchdowns.   By comparison to other pro football players, his career can reasonably be labeled as average.

Reading Belk's obituary however it's clear that Rocky Belk went on to achieve true hero status as a school teacher and social worker. Read what the citizens of Arlington, Virigina had to say about Belk after his untimely passing:

Can we summarize a man's legacy, his life's work, in a memorial plaque? It would be kind of cool for students that knew him to tell those coming in that ask who was this Rocky Belk and what did he do? Those that knew him could tell them that Rocky Belk from Gum Springs followed his dreams and made it all the way to the NFL working every step of the way and after he got there he never stopped giving back. What motivated him was simply his love for the children he taught.
In the end, for those that knew him, it really doesn't really matter whether a plaque with Rocky Belk's name inscribed on it is put out at the horseshoe kiss and drop where the Longbranch students start their morning; because in the end every child and parent that Rocky touched will remember him at that horseshoe full of hale and with a big,easy,giving smile.

Football players bring great joy to us fans by their magnificent feats of athleticism and courage, however let us not forget on this Thanksgiving day, that as great as it is to have witnessed Brian Sipe, Greg Pruitt, Bill Nelson, Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Doug Dieken or countless others fill our Sundays with memories, that the real heroes in our world are the people who go out without recognition day after day and help others.

So on this Thanksgiving Day, let's thank God that folks like Rocky Belk touch our world and remember, they are the heroes.

Memories: Rocky Belk

When we were in college back in the 80s, we formed a football team in the Ohio State Intramural flag football league. The Schwansies as we were called, nearly won it all that year. We made it to the semi finals where we played some sissy frat boy group that certainly did unspeakable things like practicing... The only practicing the Schwansies did involved 12 ounze curls, probably before, not after the game. In the end, we lost that semi-final game by less than a touchdown. We were from the Cleveland area so I guess that helped us all move on, but I still have a tough time thinking about that loss.

This squad was led by the brilliant Bill Jingo at QB and his brother, the hard driving (another way to say extremely bad tempered) David Jingo. Other members of this squad included our center and main pass-rusher Craig Vretas, and the infamous Mike Abel. As I recall, occasionally the derelict Nathan Davenport would show up to play, beyond that I can't remember who else took the field of play but I am sure that I've named nearly all of the guys that won the games for us.

So why do I mention Rocky Belk?? Well... I too was on that squad and I caught 3 passes all season long, all for very long touchdowns. When I found this video, I now recall, that Mike and Dave used to call me Rocky Belk. Why? Because Belk caught 5 passes in his entire NFL career, 2 of them for long scores.

watch this video to witness one of Rocky Belk's career touchdowns......