COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio State wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley has passed away after a nearly four-year battle with cancer, according to his family. Stanley, who leaves a wife and young daughter, was 48.
According to a GoFundMe set up by his former teammate Tyson Gentry, Stanley was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2019. After going into remission for some time, the cancer returned and spread.
Stanley, who is originally from Worthington, played high school football at Thomas Worthington High School.
Stanley was a four-year letterman with the Buckeyes from 1993-96 and a member of the 1993 and 1996 Big Ten Championship teams. He played in 45 games started 13 times.
Twelves of those starts came during his senior season when Ohio State was 11-1 and finished No. 2 in the nation after defeating Arizona State in the Rose Bowl.
That year, Stanley led the team with 829 yards and eight touchdowns on 43 receptions. That season he was honorable mention all-Big Ten and twice earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
His best game came against Wisconsin in 1996 where he caught 10 passes for 199 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. In the Rose Bowl, he had five catches including a 72-yard touchdown.
For his career, Stanley had 63 receptions for 1,136 yards, an 18.0 yard-per-catch average (seventh-best at Ohio State) and 13 touchdowns.
He graduated from Ohio State in 2001 with his degree in communications.
Following his collegiate career, Stanley played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League in 1998 and spent two seasons in the Arena Football League with the New Jersey Red Dogs in 1999-2000.
After his diagnosis, Stanley founded Brave Men Inc., which raises awareness about prostate cancer and raises money for those fighting the disease.
Stanley’s father, Wayne, coached running backs at Ohio State for five years under Earle Bruce, from 1979 through 1983.