It is great that this week OSU and Buckeye Nation are celebrating the life and legacy of Coach Woody Hayes in honor of his 100th birthday.  And now an 8-foot bronze statue of Woody will greet everyone who visits the football practice and training facility that bears his name.  We in Muskingum County can be especially proud that the statue is the creation of the world-famous, but Zanesville’s own, sculptor Alan Cottrill, a man with whom I attended high school and participated in sports over 40 years ago.  I am also proud that I was able to get acquainted with Coach Hayes during my undergraduate years at Ohio State and in my adult life worked with him on various charity projects, the last of which was an American Cancer Society event in Zanesville just about a year before his passing.  I recall the feeling I had that day when Woody grabbed my arm to help him up a set of stairs – sad to see our beloved coach facing the challenges of age, but so proud to help him any way I could.  A photo of Woody and me framed with his personalized autograph is my most cherished piece on our family Buckeye Room wall.  Woody Hayes was a one-of-a-kind who will never be forgotten as a legend of The Ohio State University.  I am honored that he was a part of my life!   TEK