'Dream big,' DeBartolo tells Mooney crowd

YOUNGSTOWN — Calling his formative years at Cardinal Mooney High School some of the most special of his life, Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr. returned to his alma mater Wednesday as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Ford Motor Co.’s “Hometown Hall of Famer” initiative.

DeBartolo, a 2016 Hall of Fame inductee, presented Cardinal Mooney with his “Hometown Hall of Famer” plaque as CMHS, by accepting the historical artifact, became just the 107th enshrinees’ high school alma mater nationwide to become an “Official High School of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

“My life truly has come full circle. From Youngstown, to San Francisco, to Canton, back to Youngstown and now Cardinal Mooney High School, where it all began for me. It has been one memorable ride,” DeBartolo said.

With family members and a multitude of friends on hand, DeBartolo said it feels like just yesterday when he walked down the halls of his alma mater.

He told those gathered at the special assembly, especially directing his comments to students who lined the seats on both sides of the gymnasium, to enjoy their time in high school because they will look back and realize that they were some of the best times of their lives.

“Dream big,” he said during his speech and prior to the plaque presentation. “Your time here at Cardinal Mooney High School, enjoy them because they are better than your college years. There’s something about Ohio Values. They make you understand that you can’t get anywhere alone. The friends you make and the teams you play for, cherish those times. The friends that I made from the 1960’s, we still get together and every one of us cherishes those times together.”

For the complete story, see Thursday's Vindicator.