by Article by Avon Lake Football Club
It was a clear, chilly, gusty day on November 4th, 1982. A typical fall day for northeast Ohio towns on the shores of Lake Erie. The kind of day where the air is crisp and filled with the smell of fall leaves. For football fans, this is the prime time – the middle of the regular season for youth programs, high schools, colleges, and the pros. That particular November day would be different for a couple from a sleepy town in Ohio called Avon Lake.
November 4th was the day that Lynn and Michael Medders welcomed their newborn son with his father’s namesake, Michael, into the world. Like all parents, Lynn and Michael heard their son’s first sounds and the possibilities of how he will impact and even change the world flooded their thoughts. They raised him and his sister, Amanda, in Avon Lake and as he grew in age, so did Michael’s leadership skills. He was a natural leader.
His energy and optimism drew people to him and his laughter and genuine charm kept them close. As a boy, Michael found a love of football, and his drive and leadership skills earned him recognition as an All Ohio Football Player before he graduated from Avon Lake High School in 2001.
After high school, Michael went on to attend Walsh University in North Canton and then transferred to Bowling Green State University, where he enrolled in R.O.T.C. Following his graduation from BGSU in 2005, he was stationed as a troop leader at Fort Hood, TX and served at FOB Caldwell in Iraq. Captain Michael Joseph Medders was 25 when he was killed in the line of duty Wednesday, September 24, 2008, in Baquba, Iraq.
Avon Lake, and every community in our nation, have more stories like Michael Medders’ to tell. Too many. The Avon Lake Football Program and our community owe an eternal debt of gratitude to these young men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and to the Gold Star Families who live in the wake of their memories.
The number 66 was Michael Medders’ Shoremen Football Jersey Number. The number 66 and an American Flag will be on every football helmet in the Avon Lake Football Program to serve as our constant reminder to honor all of our fallen. The varsity football team will carry a number 66 flag as they take the field before kickoff on the Shoremen’s Home Opening Night, August 26th, against Brecksville, which will be named Mike Medders Night.
The number 66 will also appear in other reveals throughout this season. These gestures serve as a compliment to the dedication after his passing, of Medders Lane behind the Stadium and his Memorial Locker in the varsity locker room. Please help us to be mindful of all those who serve, and to be grateful for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Shoremen forever, never forgotten
Thank you for your service 🇺🇸 Forever in our hearts
This is a wonderful honor!
Thank you for your service Michael Medders! Forever grateful!!
We will never forget your sacrifice.
Thank you for your service🇺🇸
Thank you for your service. Prayers for your family.
This will be a wonderful tribute to a true hero. It might be nice to ask the former Shoremen who were the recipients of the Mike Medders Award to come back for the game.
Well done, good and faithful servant. Rest easy.
Thank you Mike for your service.I will be at the game.
A great tribute to another fallen hero.
Thank you for your service
Thank you – American hero