High School

Ohio high school football team removes former NFL running back's name from stadium

According to a report, Groveport-Madison Schools has removed former Pittsburgh Steelers' star LeVeon Bell's name from their venue
Andy Villamarzo|
August 23, 2024; Groveport, Ohio, USA; A Groveport Madison cheerleader peeks out from the team’s tunnel before Friday night’s game against Hilliard Bradley on Le’Veon Bell Field at Cruiser Stadium.
August 23, 2024; Groveport, Ohio, USA; A Groveport Madison cheerleader peeks out from the team’s tunnel before Friday night’s game against Hilliard Bradley on Le’Veon Bell Field at Cruiser Stadium. | Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

According to a report by The Columbus-Dispatch's Dave Purpura on Thursday, Groveport-Madison Schools has removed former Pittsburgh Steelers' star Le'Veon Bell's name from their high school football stadium after he was ordered to pay $25-million in a sexual abuse case.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell (26) runs for a gain against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Oct 1, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell (26) runs for a gain against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Per the report by Purpura, Bell had donated $750,000 back in 2017 for a brand new artificial turf field and a new scoreboard. On Aug. 25, 2017, the school had re-named the stadium to 'Le'Veon Bell Field at Cruiser Stadium'.

The 3-time Pro Bowl running back during his time at Groveport over the course of three season rushed for over 3,000 yards and scored a total of 43 touchdowns. Bell would go on to star at Michigan State where the tailback ended up rushing for 3,346 yards and 33 touchdowns from 2010 to 2012.

Bell went on to play in the National Football League (NFL) from 2013-2021 and finished his career with 6,984 rushing yards, 45 touchdowns. Out of the backfield, Bell caught 412 passes for 3,380 yards and found pay dirt nine times.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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