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Manningham’s special number
The former Warren Harding standout gets his number retired
WARREN
Mario Manningham didn’t like the number 30.
He also didn’t want to play football after his freshman year at Warren Harding.
It was because of the teenage Manningham’s petulance that Saturday afternoon’s ceremony at Mollenkopf Stadium was celebrated by so many, including those who helped guide the one-time Raider when he wasn’t always in search of guidance.
Steve Arnold, who just had been hired to be Harding’s basketball coach when Manningham was beginning his sophomore year, recalled a story that illustrated that point.
“His mother, Mary, and grandfather, Jerry, asked me to talk to him before his sophomore year,” said Arnold, sitting with a framed black Raiders number 30 football jersey in his lap. “They said he wasn’t playing football and I said, ‘Mario, what are they talking about?’
“He said, ‘coach, I just want to play basketball.’ I said. ‘Mario listen, football’s gonna make you a lot of money someday, you gotta play football.’ He says, ‘coach, I’m not playing football.’ ”
Although the first-year basketball coach at the time would’ve loved the idea of having the standout athlete all to himself, he knew he couldn’t let that happen.
“I said, ‘listen, if you don’t play football, I’m gonna cut you from the basketball team,’ “ Arnold recalled with a laugh. “Now I knew I wasn’t gonna cut him, but anyway he ended up playing as a sophomore and the rest is history.”
History that will live on forever as Manningham became the third player at Warren Harding to have their number retired. Paul Warfield’s number 45 and Korey Stringer’s number 77 are the others.
Wrapping up a two-day character, life and football skills camp back at where it all began for him, the New York Giants wide receiver was given the honor by his former coaches, Arnold and Thom McDaniels. Both were on hand to help with Saturday’s skill training and closed the camp with the jersey ceremony.
“I got a text from Mario about a week ago asking me to help out and I was honored,” said McDaniels, who now coaches at Canton McKinley. “He was a part of seven great years my wife and I spent in Warren.
“This is a special place to us and I wouldn’t miss something like this for the world. He deserves it.”
After Arnold convinced Manningham to continue with football, it was up to McDaniels to get the most out of the sometimes stubborn athlete.
In October 2002, Massillon came to town for a Week 9 showdown with the Raiders. Having caught fewer than two passes all season, Manningham busted out for two special teams touchdowns and was on the receiving end of two more in Warren Harding’s come-from-behind win.
“We weren’t necessarily holding him back, but rather bringing him along slowly,” McDaniels remembered. “But that performance was certainly a memorable one.
“Those Massillon people still haven’t recovered from that one,” he joked.
For that performance, Manningham was wearing the number 30. That was the number he was given his sophomore year, his first year on varsity. He had scored nearly 30 touchdowns as a freshman, but that was before he nearly quit the sport.
“McD made me earn the jersey, because I wasn’t gonna play,” Manningham recalled of why he couldn’t wear the number 1, like he wanted, as a sophomore. “He was harder on me than I was on myself, that’s why I give him the utmost respect as a coach.
“I wasn’t an easy player to deal with for the simple fact that I came out there late, and you know, when you’re young you think you can do whatever you want.”
The number 30 will never be worn at Harding again. And it’s because of Manningham performance against Massillon that they chose that number to retire.
“It was sort of his coming out party,” Arnold said with a smile.