Editor’s Note — This is the third and final story in a series of articles about LeBeau Field House Night — held last Saturday in London High School’s Ray Chadwell Gymnasium.

Reunited.

And it felt so good.

In addition to being arguably the best defensive strategist in the history of the National Football League, London native Dick LeBeau is a musical connoisseur.

While the melancholy 1979 Peaches and Herb song might not be in his guitar-playing repertoire, the sentiment is in his heart.

One of the many highlights of last Saturday’s event at London High School to honor this Legend of the Fall — as well as to raise funds to construct a field house that will bear his name — was a reunion of LeBeau with some of his teammates from an Ohio State University football team that won the 1957 national championship. They defeated Oregon in the Rose Bowl to earn top billing in both the United Press International and Football Writers Association polls. An outstanding game by LeBeau in the season finale against Michigan got the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl.

There was plenty of warmth and friendship to go around as former Buckeye teammates Daryl Sanders, Bob White, Dick Schafrath, and Galen Cisco each spoke to the close-to-500 admirers on hand to honor LeBeau.

“He told me, ‘Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye,’” said Sanders — an offensive tackle who eventually joined LeBeau with the Detroit Lions. “Your teammates become a part of your life.”

Sanders, who did an excellent job throughout the evening as the Master of Ceremonies, was born in the town where all on hand agree where LeBeau should eventually be honored — Canton — the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When the 1957 college football season got underway, it did not appear as though the Buckeyes would be making any noise. Saddled with a loss to Texas Christian University in the opener, OSU’s title hopes seemed to be all but smashed.

But, the Buckeyes were able to dig themselves out of a hole by continuing to rack up victories. The pivotal point in the season came as OSU trailed unbeaten Iowa 13-10. Legendary coach Woody Hayes but the game in White’s hands, and the sophomore fullback responded, marching his squad down the field and finally capping it off with a five-yard scoring run.

“I’m proud I played for OSU, and I played for Woody Hayes,” said White, who was the Academic All-American Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1958. “I’m also very proud to say I played with Dick LeBeau.”

While LeBeau has excelled in the coaching ranks of the NFL, so has Cisco in Major League Baseball. One of the captains on the 1957 squad (and a two-sport star at Ohio State), Cisco has won two World Series rings as pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I can’t tell you how much he cleaned up after my mistakes,” said Cisco who played linebacker, of LeBeau, who was a defensive back. “He always had an answer for whatever was thrown up to him - he never got flustered on the field.”

A LeBeau teammate who was also known for a strong work ethic was Schafrath. A spunky lineman, Schafrath had a successful football career with the Cleveland Browns (including an NFL championship and seven Pro Bowl appearances). He then turned his eyes to politics where he served as an Ohio State Senator from 1986 to 2003.

Born and raised on a farm, Schafrath recalls volunteering to cut LeBeau’s hair at the request of Coach Hayes. LeBeau preferred to have matinee idol-type locks as those of James Dean. Unfortunately for LeBeau, Schafrath’s only previous hair styling experience was with sheep.

“I started shearing on his head,” Schafrath said, “and he didn’t need a comb for a year.”

Schafrath also learned early on about the driving force behind his teammate from London - LeBeau’s mother, Beulah.

“They don’t make moms like that anymore,” Schafrath said.

LeBeau agreed with Schafrath, but also added his older brother Bob to the mix as well.

“I’ve never seen either of them do anything the wrong way,” LeBeau said of his mother and brother, and the inspiration they have had for him from his Buckeye playing days and beyond.

In his usual humble way, LeBeau tried to play down his success.

“They all know I’ve turned the wrong way as many times as I’ve turned the right way,” LeBeau said. “I hope I can balance the ledger.”

Once dubbed the ‘Dick Clark of NFL coaches’ due to his youthful appearance (‘it’s better than being referred to as the Frankenstein,” he said at the time), LeBeau didn’t pass up the chance to take a jab at his mostly white-haired teammates.

“I remember you being a whole lot younger,” LeBeau laughed.

As the admiration poured from his former teammates, their sentiments were echoed by some of the words of “Carmen, Ohio,” their school’s alma mater.

“Though age may dim our mem’ry’s store

We’ll think of happy days of yore

True to friend and frank to foe

As sturdy sons of Ohio.”

While other LeBeau-related stories swirled throughout the evening including days of selling swimming pools in Detroit to checking the temperature by using a Coke bottle, it just took simple words from a former teammate to sum up the reason for the reunion.

“He has shown us the way,” Cisco said. “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”