The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Native gets day named after him
City honors Chase Farris
Elyria native Chase Farris received multiple honors on March 26 as the city of Elyria declared Chase Farris Day to the Super Bowl Champion offensive guard for the New England Patriots.
Farris was honored at South Park Recreation Center, 101 South Park Road, where he was on hand as a special guest for the Elyria Mini Pioneers youth football league’s skills and conditioning camp.
He received the Hometown Hero Award from the Ambassador Brothers of Lorain County.
Two members of the Ambassador Brothers are youth football coaches and saw a great opportunity to honor someone who not only had achieved so much in football, but developed his skills and talents in Elyria.
Ross Johnson, a youth football coach and a member of the Ambassador Brothers, attended Elyria High School with Farris, and they remain good friends.
“Not too many kids make it out of Elyria successfully or get to play a professional sport,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that Farris always makes a point of coming to talk to youth players whenever he is in the area; and it presented the perfect opportunity for the Ambassador Brothers to honor him.
Farris was completely unaware of the honors to be bestowed upon him beforehand and was humble as he casually strolled into the gym at the South Park Recreation Center.
He was presented with a proclamation from the city of Elyria by Ward 5 Councilman Marcus Madison that declared March 26 to be Chase Farris Day and praised Farris’ impact on area youth.
“Growing up in Elyria, we face so many different challenges. You guys know it. We see it and feel it,” Madison said. “The fact that we can come together and celebrate someone who has had the focus and determination to push themselves forward; and come back to the community to look at you guys in the eye and say, ‘You can dream a big dream.”
Madison said that honoring Farris was a positive reflection of where the community is going, and asks for people to continue raising the standards to give area youth a chance.
Farris said that growing up in Elyria presented some challenges along the way with a number of obstacles that he had to hurdle over, and he challenged the youth to work hard.
“It is truly an honor for me to receive this. But my real purpose was to come here and speak to you all,” Farris said.
Farris emphasized to youth football players in attendance that they have a lot of people in the right places that care about them and encouraged them to continue working and making education a priority in their lives.