Inspire, Summer 2000

( Alumni Profile: Jay Fry '51 N Coaching for Christ W hat do Cedarville College and football have in common? Unless you attended Cedarville in the early years or noticed that Cedarville College was cited in the Guiness Book ofWorld Records for the worst loss ever in college football, you may think there's no connection. However,once upon a time, Cedarville College did have a football team and Jay Fry'51N was on it. As a young boy with a heart problem,Jay was told he could never play sports. However,because he loved the game,he secretly played sandlot football and inadvertently strengthened his heart until he was a player worthy of note. Jay was recruited to play Cedarville College football and remembers coming to campus in 1947, when the student body numbered 110.Although he enjoys the memory of helping Bethel Hall to move to campus, his fondest memories involve football and his friends and teammates. In 1949 Jay transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio,which is known as the "cradle of coaches."As a college all-star player, Jay had the opportunity to play with the Los Angeles Rams in a college all-star game.Who would have guessed that from Miami Jay would go on to coach throughout North America? It didn't take long to learn that although the coaching family is like a huge fraternity, one still must climb the ladder one rung at a time,taking each opportunity as it presents itself. So Jay began as a coach at Celina High School(Celina, Ohio). From there he moved to Guelph University in Canada where he stayed for three years until he was asked to return to Miami University. While at Miami,his team won a football championship and went to the Tangerine Bowl,and Jay won coach of the year accolades. 18 Spring Jay's career took him throughout North America. Jay spent two years coaching at Yale University before heading to Indiana University where he took his team to the Rose Bowl in 1968.It was that year that he and two friends started Camp America,a sports camp which is now operated as a large church camp.From 1970-1973,Jay coached professional football in Canada and in 1973 went to the Gray Cup,which is the equivalent of the U.S.Super Bowl.After two years in Memphis with the World Football League,Jay went on to coach with the New York Giants for three years. It was after his time in New York that Jay decided to run the camp that he helped start and spend his time recruiting athletes and campers. Although Jay is truly a football "hall-of-famer"(inducted into the Miami University, Guelph University,Indiana University, Butler County,and Indiana Football Hall of Fames),one of Jay's greatestjoys is to return to Cedarville College where it all began. He and his wife eagerly spend time in the cafeteria meeting and talking with students. They truly believe that Cedarville students are the best in the world. Jay has also enjoyed the ministry he has through his "memorial T-shirts." Jay originally designed these T-shirts to remember two friends who passed away,but he has now designed a shirt which commemorates the life and death of Jesus Christ, and he uses this shirt to share the gospel with others. Jay married his high school sweetheart, Phyllis, and they have three children,ten grandchildren,and one great granddaughter. Although the Frys live in Hamilton,Ohio, where they first met,they spend their winters in Florida where they enjoy sailing and shopping.