Jul 7, 2002 By Steve Ferris 3 min read

Uniontown has a history of producing great athletes – like Charlie Hyatt, Bennett Gregory, Stu Lantz, Sandy Stevens, Ron Sepic, Chuck Muncie, Nelson Munsey and Ernie Davis. Football star Bennett Gregory’s name appears on a sign under a street sign off Connellsville Street.

The city’s latest effort to honor and recognize two of its gridiron legends was to rename the Grant Street park the Sandy Stevens and Ernie Davis Memorial Park.

The hardest part was deciding whose name would appear first on the sign, according to city councilman Joseph N. Giachetti, director of parks and public property.

He said the parks and recreation board wanted the names listed alphabetically, but he wanted Stevens’ name first – and council approved it.

Giachetti said both men accomplished great feats on the field, but Stevens lived in Uniontown until he graduated from high school in 1958 and Davis was here only until he was 12 years old. Stevens’ family owned a funeral home in town, he said.

“Sandy Stevens was here from first to 12th grade,” Giachetti said. “His parents owned a funeral home on Main Street. He was at least one of the first black starting quarterbacks at a major college – the University of Minnesota. He won them a Rose Bowl and he was an All-American. That’s why I wanted his name first.”

However, the move is being subjected to some criticism.

Al Owens, a Uniontown resident and long-time advocate of honoring Uniontown athletes, called the decision to name the park after Stevens and Davis “the single dumbest thing I’ve seen city council ever do.”

Owens said council should have named the park after Davis and something else after Stevens.

Owens said his simple request to rename a park has resulted in council insulting two outstanding athletes and good men.

“It diminished the importance of two very good men that deserve to have their own entities named after them,” Owens said.

“It’s an insult to the memory of these good people. A simple request to change a name has taken a nasty turn. It’s ridiculous.”

Davis was the black to win the Heisman Trophy when he played for Syracuse University.

He was drafted by the Cleveland Brown, but died of leukemia in 1963 before ever playing a down at the professional level.

Owens said Davis achieved hero status in his adopted home in Elmira, N.Y., where a community center and a scholarship fund bear his name.

A statue of Davis was erected at a middle school.

Davis was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

“I’m really saddened by this,” Owens said.

“I thought that we could make people feel happy that these people came from their home town. I thought I was doing something people would really appreciate.”