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Lefty Bruce RIP

Aside from reading news articles didn't know much about him... Did he ever come back to the Cumberland community to give speeches or make appearances? Or was he one of those that left the area and never looked back? Honest question b/c I've never heard or read of him coming back to the area.
 
I went to an Ohio State Football Camp in the Summer of 1981 when Coach Bruce was the head coach. When you checked in you got to meet Coach Bruce in his office. Me and my two friends walked into his office and he asked "Where are you boys from?" When we answered Ridgeley, WV he got the biggest smile on his face and said "Is the Fire Hall in Ridgeley still open? I used to go there all the time." A great guy and so personable.
 
Aside from reading news articles didn't know much about him... Did he ever come back to the Cumberland community to give speeches or make appearances? Or was he one of those that left the area and never looked back? Honest question b/c I've never heard or read of him coming back to the area.


He may have come back for a couple of the Dapper Dan dinners.
 
He may have come back for a couple of the Dapper Dan dinners.
I knew Lefty and he knew me to see me. I have talked to him on several occasions here in Cumberland many times. He was the Dapper Dan winner .... I believe 3 times. He came to Cumberland just about once a year. I met him in 2007 at Allegany's Reunion of Champions on the down town mall. He gave a tremendous speech about a huge tackle he had at Ohio State. He said the kid was very good except for his instinct for blocking. He told that player that you are a very good player but lack the killer instinct. After a long description of all the things he told this young tackle, Lefty said; When you put your opponent on his back, you then help him up, look him in the eye and say..."That's just the start...expect that every play!" Lefty then said to the young man..."If you can't do that on every play, then you can't play here at Ohio State."
In 2014, he was again in Cumberland and attended a scrimmage that Allegany had at the stadium that day. Coach Preaskorn asked him if he wouldn't mind talking to the players before the game. You talk about and eye opener. Lefty along with Wes Abrams address the team. Lefty start his high spirited speech in a low key manner and work into a crescendo that had every member of the time in the palm of his hands. He got into the face of one particular player and point blank asked him is he was ready to play. The player was a little nervous as Lefty was now in full head coach mode. One thing for sure, those young men were fired up when they left that locker room that day.
Once last thing about Lefty before this get to long. During the basketball season of 1948/49, at the old gym at Allegany, a Ohio State recruiter came to talk to him about playing football there. In his book; "Earle...A coaches Life," Lefty said he was sitting with the basketball team when a fellow came up to him and said, "Hello, my name is Earle Bruce from Ohio State and we are interested in recruiting you." Lefty thought he was kidding, but the fellow was serious and his name was Earle Bruce...True Story!
 
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Was he not known as "Lefty" outside of Cumberland/Alco? No mention of his nickname in the article at all. Nor on his wikipedia page.
 
That is correct. Only in Cumberland was he called Lefty. He got that name while in high school because he liked a major league pitcher name Lefty Lee. Somehow...the name stuck... :)

Didn't his friend in the paper say it was because he broke his right arm or hand and had to learn how to do everything lefty?
 
Didn't his friend in the paper say it was because he broke his right arm or hand and had to learn how to do everything lefty?
Direct from his book; Earle...a coaches life; Two things impressed me: One was that Wes Fesler, the head coach, walked in and called me "Lefty," which was my nickname from high school. I was called "Lefty" after and outstanding pitcher at our school called "Lefty" Lee. I'm no left handed and never have been but nick-names have rules of their own, and so I was dubbed "Lefty". And the head coach of Ohio State knows this. Coach Fesler picked up on that right away.
I miss typed that previously when I said "Lefty" Lee was a pro ball player...when in fact he actually played at ALCO...ooopppps!
 
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