We lost another great Buckeye this week with the passing of Dante Lavelli! They have been going so fast. (I feel tonight even more sure that I did the right thing explained in yesterday's "I lied" post below.)

The Browns fans among you will remember Dante as one of the greatest in the heyday of the Cleveland Browns. As for myself, I will have two memories, and they are both of times I was with him and others of "The Greatest Generation." Dante was one of those group of Buckeyes from Northeast Ohio with the e's and i's at the end of their names!

The first memory is the recognition of the '42 National Championship Team, in the fall of 2007, on the field, in the Horseshoe. Dante was there and it was "a once in a lifetime" for me to be with him and his teammates on the sidelines. I took pictures of all of them that day, and still have the copy of the letter I included with the pictures I sent to Dante's family.

Even then, I could see that Dante was struggling with his health. As a result I never pursued an interview, but I still can imagine what a thrill it would have been.

My second and last encounter was when I attended the funeral of Bill Willis and Dante was one of the honored guests. My vision of Dante Lavelle will forever be him walking down the aisle after Bill's service. He was part of the recessional, a place of honor for a valiant teammate. Although he had to be escorted out, and my friend Joyce Canfield was at his arm to steady him, they walked alone down the aisle, he still tall and proud and strong and handsome. Dashing in a full length fur coat, with a chiseled square jaw, one did not have to strain to imagine him taking on a linebacker in a helmet without a face mask, or the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge. It is not often one is in the presence of true greatness, but I sensed it that day in that place.

Dante was one of the good guys. Much has been written about that, and they have said it better than I could. Rather than add to it, I will just suggest that if you are a Buckeye or a Browns fan, you owe it to him to read and honor this mans life. Check out the following links:

Browns legend Dante Lavelli, 85, passes away

Lavelli made the best of what life tossed his way

Always sure-handed, Lavelli never dropped his loyalty to Browns fans, either