Ohio Northern football team places flags on soldiers' gravesites to honor U.S. veterans on Veterans Day

By Tim Glon

ADA — Members of the Ohio Northern University football team honored America's veterans on Veterans Day by placing flags on gravesites at Woodlawn Cemetery in Ada.

More than 120 members of the team placed nearly 300 flags on the graves of U.S. veterans at the cemetery. The flags were generously provided by the Ada chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

"We believe it is very important for our staff to provide opportunities for our athletes to be 'other-centered,'" ONU head coach Dean Paul said. "Many young people develop a mindset in which everything is about them. Being 'other-centered' helps develop the sometimes forgotten personal components in our players' lives, such as religion and community service.

"When the opportunity to place the flags at veterans' gravesites was discussed, we felt it was a great opportunity to pay our respects to those heroes who risked their lives to protect our country and make it a better place."

The Polar Bears are 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The team will wrap up its 2015 regular season on Saturday with a home game against Otterbein at 1:30 p.m. It also will be Senior Day at Dial-Roberson Stadium.