Teammate Remembers Jim Mandich, One of Solon's Brightest Comets

When Jim Wallace called his good friend and former Solon football teammate Jim Mandich in early 2010, he was concerned  that Mandich had not been in the broadcast booth for the Miami Dolphins' games.

"Tell me you sprained an ankle," said Wallace.

"I've got bile-duct cancer," replied Mandich.

That rare form of the disease claimed Mandich at age 62 earlier this week. But he did not go quietly. For Mandich was a man who relished his life and improved the lives of those around him.

"It shocked me when I heard about it from a friend I have who works for the Dolphins," said Wallace. "It's a big loss because I was very close with him. We were going to have a ceremony for him in Solon this September and he told me that he would be here."

That ceremony will now be a memorial for Mandich, a standout tight end and defensive end for the Comet football team who also played basketball, baseball and was a longtime school record holder in track and field. Mandich held the shot put and discus records for more than 40 years until they were broken last year by A.J. Hicks. Hicks is now coached by Wallace.

"I remember Jim would be up at the school practicing on Sundays," said Wallace. "He was the greatest competitor I've ever played with. Everywhere he went, he won."

Wallace remembered one game when the unbeaten Comets took on an unbeaten West Geauga team. Trailing 16-0 in the first half, Mandich took a knee in the huddle and told his teamates, "We will not lose this game."

They didn't.

Mandich was a key player for the University of Michigan teams of the late 1960s. He played for a new coach by the name of Bo Schembechler. "Jim didn't know who Bo was, but the two of them fit together very well. They were both diehard Michigan men." In 1969, the Wolverines shocked No. 1 Ohio State one year after the Buckeyes had humiliated them. Mandich had a career-high 59 receptions that season and went on to become the 29th overall pick in the NFL draft, selectedy by the Dolphins.

While watching Mandich launch himself into the opposing players on special teams, Miami teammate Larry Csonka called him a "mad dog." The name stuck and Mandich became a Miami cult hero, playing for the unbeaten 1972 Dolphins before finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He ended his career with two Super Bowl rings and 23 touchdown catches. But his legend was just beginning.

For over 25 years, Mad Dog Mandich was fixture on the Miami airwaves, hosting his own popular show on WQAM and serving on the Dolphins broadcast team for 15 seasons. "All Right Miami," was his signature phrase. His adult beverage of choice was a "green lizard," Mandich-speak for Heineken. His straightforward approach gained him a legion of loyal fans in South Florida, fans who are now grieving his loss.

"Jim came from a tough background, but he loved horseplay," said Wallace. "He was also extremely intelligent. He went to Michigan instead of Ohio State because they had a better academic program and he became an honor student there."

Mandich's father owned a tavern in Solon. Years later, his famous son would buy that property. And the former Comet never forgot about his roots.

"One of the last times I talked to him he mentioned how Solon was such a great town to grow up in," said Wallace. "He would always ask me about the football team and he loved it in 2000 when Solon went to the state title game. He was looking forward to coming up here in September."

From Solon to Michigan to Miami, Jim Mandich seized the day like few before him. As usual, he didn't lose – he just ran out of time.