GENOA TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio State fans gathered in Genoa Township in the Saturday morning rain to celebrate the opening of Dimitrious Stanley Way. The new street was opened and named in honor of the former standout 1990s Buckeyes wide receiver who died in February after a battle with cancer.

The new Dimitrious Stanley Way street replaces Alpine Drive after the Delaware County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed the change. Preceding that change was a heartfelt letter to the board from Jessica.

“The Delaware County commissioners had a hearing and I went to go speak after sending the letter,” Stanley said. “There are no homes on this street so they don’t have to change anyone’s address.”

The street sign was unveiled by the family with Jessica adding that Dimitrious is always giving signs he’s with us always, and now a physical sign shows he is.

“Dimitrious is smiling down right now saying they don’t do this for everyone,” his wife Jessica Stanley said. “He was such a great man and did so much for the community. He loved being home, and getting a street named after him would mean so much to him.”

A native of Worthington, Stanley was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and died after a four-year battle on Feb. 9 at the age of 48. Some of Stanley’s former teammates such as linebacker Ryan Miller and his head coach John Cooper were among those who spoke at the event.

“This guy was one of the most underrated players when I coached,” Cooper praised. “We would’ve not even gone to the Rose Bowl if he didn’t have such a great year in ’97. He’s everything a Buckeye represents.”

Miller told a story of when he and his OSU teammates, including Stanley, were on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and were joined by Jeff Foxworthy and Paula Abdul. The team was asked to lift both of them on their shoulders on the way in. Miller and Stanley were ecstatic when they were told they’d be hoisting Abdul, which garnered some laughs from the crowd.

On the field, Stanley led the Buckeyes in receiving yards during his senior season in 1996 with 829 yards and eight touchdowns. The year culminated in Pasadena with a 1997 Rose Bowl win over Arizona.

Off the field, he started numerous charitable organizations such as Brave Men Inc., which aims to encourage men to open up about health issues.

“Brave Men Inc. was founded by Dimitrious after he got diagnosed with prostate cancer,” his god-brother Justin Green said. “The way he always was in life was that he always had to find a way to try to help people going through what he had to go through.”