By: URBANA DAILY CITIZEN
URBANA, OHIO – Urbana Country Club took center stage during a recent episode of "NFL Films Presents" — which aired on Wednesday-Thursday, Jan. 15-16 on Fox Sports 1.
The episode included the short film "Buckeye Boys," which features Pro Football Hall of Famers Dick LeBeau and Paul Warfield and was filmed at Urbana Country Club during the Legends Golf Classic on July 21, 2019.
Urbana University Hall of Famer & current public address announcer Steve Stout is featured in the episode. Stout, who has worked with NFL Films on several occasions, is the sports editor at the Urbana Daily Citizen and a local football historian.
Another UU Hall of Famer, Chris Willis, played a key role in the film's production. Willis was tasked with researching all the games LeBeau played against Warfield and finding the footage that was used. He has served as head of the research library at NFL Films since 1996.
Willis was also on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Centennial Committee which recently chose 15 new hall of famers.
Lead characters LeBeau and Warfield are both Ohio natives and both played football at Ohio State, though not at the same time.
The episode focuses on the special bond LeBeau and Warfield had on and off the field beginning in the early 1960s. At that time, LeBeau was a defensive back for the Detroit Lions and Warfield a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns.
Warfield was recently named one of the top 10 receivers on the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
LeBeau, who grew up in nearby London, Ohio, has played rounds of golf at Urbana Country Club for over 60 years.
Urbana Country Club is known as the Dye Original course since its first nine holes were designed and built in 1922 by "Pink" Dye, father of world-renowned golf course designer Pete Dye; the second nine was designed by P.B. Dye — who is Pete's son — and opened in 1993.
