From a Northeast Ohio standpoint, the Kelce boys – – Jason, the center for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Travis, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs – – are making a lot of news heading into Sunday’s Super Bowl, as well it should be.

The Cleveland Heights natives are the first set of brothers to play against one another in a Super Bowl. They are among the best players in the NFL at their respective positions, and may someday be the first set of brothers to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yes, they are that good.

And that they have not forgotten their hometown, but in fact have always kept their hearts close to it, both with their presence and their acts of charity and kindness, make it an even better story.

But there’s another great local story, and it concerns Nick Sirianni, the head coach of the Eagles. Sirianni is not a Northeast Ohio native, but he did play – – and play well – – at a tradition-rich football Northeast Ohio college, Mount Union, in Alliance. He was an outstanding wide receiver for the Purple Raiders way back when, as legendary head coach Larry Kehres was beginning his incredible run in building the program into one of the best and most successful not just in Division III, but in all of college football.

Steve Doerschuk, a veteran writer at The Repository in Canton, did a great story on Sirianni several weeks ago. He did a good job of pulling out all of the local angles about him.  Doerschuk, who is a tremendous writer, and an equally good storyteller, put a real personality alongside the face of the coach.

The story is long, and many times when a story goes on and on and on, it loses its interest.  It just starts to repeat itself and drag. But that’s not so with this story, for the longer it goes, the better it gets.

Steve King

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