Letter to the editor: Monessen's Heath deserves Hall of Fame honors
Since 1950, exceptional athletes, sports writers and coaches have been bestowed with the honor of being inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame. On June 17, they welcomed six new impressive, admirable sports figures into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations to the new inductees! But many, myself included, are still scratching our heads, wondering why Jo Jo Heath still hasn’t received this prestigious recognition.
Monessen has a long history and reputation of being a great sports town, excelling in all areas of sports, but especially football. Many great athletes have played on that field, and Joseph Leroy “Jo Jo” Heath Jr. was one of the best.
He was recruited and played for the University of Pittsburgh from 1976 to 79. In 1980, he was drafted in the sixth round by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played with Philadelphia Eagles (1981), Toronto Argonauts in the CFL (1982), British Columbia Lions in the CFL (1983), Houston Gamblers in the USFL (1984), Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL (1985), New York Jets (1987) and the Pittsburgh Gladiators in the Pittsburgh AFL (1989).
Three years in the NFL, three years in the CFL and one year in the USFL — Jo Jo’s record speaks for itself. So again, I/we ask, why hasn’t he received this prestigious recognition?
You can sign a petition at change.org. (search for “Heath for Hall of Fame”).
Kim Aldrich-Bickham
Manvel, Texas
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