EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – Retired National Football League Super Bowl champion Derek Wolfe cut the ribbon Saturday on the new athletic facility that bears his name.
Accompanied by his wife, Abigail, and daughter, Roxie, the 2008 Beaver Local graduate joined school officials and others in opening the Derek Wolfe Fieldhouse on state Route 7. It’s the same property where the old high school stood before it was demolished and replaced with an all-grades school.
Wolfe and Jamin Pastore, an entrepreneur and fellow Beaver Local alumnus, announced in 2020 that they would donate $1 million for a new turf field and other amenities for their alma mater.
The field was completed at a cost of $375,000 and named after Pastore, followed by a groundbreaking in February 2024 for the Derek Wolfe Fieldhouse.
The facility includes a 50-yard indoor practice field, which will accommodate various sports, batting cages, shower and locker rooms and a weight room with 10 rack stations. Wolfe selected the workout equipment from Sorinex Exercise Equipment, which outfitted the Denver Broncos’ weight room.
“I can never give back enough,” Wolfe said. “I didn’t have parents. I didn’t have a home. I had this community. Many people did what they could to push me in the right direction. I’m extremely grateful for the people of this town who didn’t give up on me. This is the least I can do to give something back that will help bring back pride to the area, bring back the spark like Jamin gave me.”
Pastore was a mentor to Wolfe.
“I want someone to see my name on the front of this building and think, ‘If he can do it, I can do it,’” Wolfe added.
And with the updated facility, he believes Beaver Local athletes can compete with any area school.
“It can elevate the program to where it should be. It’s going to raise it to the next level,” he said.
As he looked around the new facility filled with fans waiting for photographs, Wolfe expressed his gratitude for the community where he grew up.
“I love you guys. I’ve been so blessed from the time I stepped foot in this town. I feel so lucky to have had that,” he said.
He also thanked his wife for her support.
Wolfe signed autographs, posed for pictures and talked to people attending the event, from retired teachers to Beaver Local High football players. The team met Wolfe on Friday before its game against its arch rival, the East Liverpool Potters. The Beavers won, 21-12.
Superintendent Eric Lowe thanked Wolfe and his family. He presented them with a plaque and inducted Wolfe into the Beaver Local Athletic Hall of Fame.
Lowe also said ticket sales for Wolfe’s appearance Saturday led to $3,000 in student-athlete scholarships.
“We’ve always had great people and great things going on in our district; now we have great facilities for our kids,” the superintendent said. “It’s great for our community.”
The new center is about 90% complete, with flooring and some other items still to be finished.
Lowe also thanked district Treasurer Stacy Williams and the board of education for their perseverance in funding the project. “Sometimes progress is tough,” he said.
The total project cost $6.8 million. With Wolfe’s donation, money the district received in American Rescue Plan funds and by refinancing its construction bonds, the building part of the project is fully paid, Williams said last week.
“Our goal throughout the pandemic was to be fiscally responsible and use all grant funds in a way that would be sustainable when the funding source was no longer available,” she said.
“I am proud to say we reinvested in our school and community by providing additional local opportunities for all students to grow and develop beyond the classroom,” she added.
The treasurer also said the building includes an energy-efficient, state-of-the-art heating, ventilation and air conditioning system similar to what’s in the school.
“There will be no additional costs to taxpayers in the form of levies, and the field house will not use any money in the currently planned operating budget,” she said.
The general contractor for the project was Brock Builders of North Lima, with the turf on the main field and inside the field house installed by Forever Lawn Turf, a company created by Beaver Local graduates Dale and Brian Karmie.
Wolfe is the only Beaver Local graduate to reach the NFL, according to a news release.
He excelled in both football and wrestling and continued his education at the University of Cincinnati where he emerged as a standout lineman over four years with the Bearcats. Wolfe was named co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year his senior year.
Wolfe was drafted by the Broncos in 2012 and spent eight seasons with the team, highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl 50.
He later played for the Baltimore Ravens, retiring in 2022. He officially ended his football career by signing a one-day contract to retire with the Broncos.
School officials reported in the news release that Wolfe had 316 tackles and 34 sacks during his NFL career, “embodying the trails of hard work, perseverance and excellence that define the spirit of Beaver Local athletes.”
Pictured at top: Fans pose with former NFL player Derek Wolfe, center, during a meet and greet at the new field house.