CLEVELAND — The hardware keeps coming for Glenville football coach Ted Ginn. He already made history as the first Cleveland Public Schools football coach to win a state championship.
“I’m gonna hold this closely and near to my heart,” Ginn said. “It’s always good to be recognized for the work you do for your community, for your city.”
Ginn has been with the program since the 1970s, when he went from a security guard to assistant coach. He eventually became the head coach at Glenville. He’s sent dozens of players to Division 1 schools, with 22 alum currently in the NFL.
His son, Ted Ginn Jr, recently retired from the league. The younger Ginn presented his father with the award with help from other alumni.
“Just to have my own kids present that to me, man,” Ginn said. “It meant everything to me.”
The City of Cleveland honored the Glenville Tarblooders with a motorcade last month.
“This group of kids was special,” Ginn said. “They were special because they believed first and learned later.”
In 2007, Coach Ginn founded Ginn Academy, a school that helps create structure for students coming from underserved neighborhoods. He has a number of track and field championships, but the state football title brought him to tears.
“It means that we can achieve greatness for our town, our city, our kids, our community,” Ginn said after winning the title. “It’s hard for me to explain because so many people before me tried and didn’t succeed. But now we can prove that we are great.”
Ginn said this award is a nice addition to his collection in his office, but he’s not done.
“Like I tell everybody, the end of one race is the beginning of the next one,” Ginn said. “Tomorrow is a different day, so let’s go.”
