Tiger Legacy: Stories of Massillon Football is a community storytelling project that includes images of all those who contribute to the Massillon football experience: the players, the coaches and staff, the principal, members of the Tiger Swing Band, the cheerleaders, the Pep Club, the Orangeman, the Sideliners, the Touchdown Club, the Tiger Moms, the mayor, the season ticket holders, the orange and black-clad fans, and the beloved mascot, Obie, the live tiger cub. The story of Massillon football takes place on and off the field.
Tiger Legacy is rooted in a more than 100-year history that traces back to the origins of pro-football. While football was not created in Massillon, it took root there in ways that popularized the sport. The rivalry between Massillon and the nearby Canton McKinley Bulldogs began in 1894 and is considered among the greatest high school football rivalries in the United States. Both teams are in the top ten nationally for total team victories, and historians believe the rivalry had a key role in the evolution of pro-football. In 1920, the National Football League was formed in Canton, Ohio, and in 1963, Canton became the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
