Former Buckeye, Dimitrious Stanley, has died at the age of 48 after a long battle with prostate cancer. Born and raised in Worthington, Stanley played as a receiver at Ohio State University from 1993 to 1996. In his final season, he led the team with 829 yards, 43 receptions, and eight touchdowns. Following his college football career, he played in the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League. Stanley was known not just for his football career, but also for his political and media endeavors. He ran for Columbus City Council in 2015 and worked as a consultant for a home healthcare company. He also co-hosted local television appearances before and after Ohio State football games.
In October 2019, he shared his cancer diagnosis on Facebook, promoting regular doctor visits and early detection screenings by saying “I’ve learned men as young as 35 now are getting the disease… It’s not a death sentence if you get on early enough. Go get checked. Stay on top of it. Love all of you.”
With the disease recurring in late 2020 despite having a prostatectomy, a fellow former Buckeye, Tyson Gentry, launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising over $75,000 for Stanley’s family to help ease the growing medical bills. Stanley responded by creating Brave Men, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to prostate cancer research and patient financial support.