When you think of Martins Ferry football the name Bruney immediately pops into your head.

And vice versa.

When many read or hear the words Bruney and Martins Ferry in today’s culture, they immediately think Dave, the current and highly successful Purple Rider head football coach.

However, what many people today might not realize is there’ve been 24 others stroll the Ferry hallways and play sports for the Purple Riders who make up the Bruney family.

For that reason alone, it’s not hard to see why the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame has selected the entire Bruney Family for the annual Heritage Family Award, which will be presented to the family during a banquet at the Serbian Culture Center in Weirton on July 1.

“We’re humbled, honored and proud to be recognized as the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Heritage Family of the Year,” Dave Bruney said, speaking on behalf of his entire family.

The Bruneys found out about the award a little more than a month ago. Since then, Dave has spent much of that time putting together a lengthy chart on each member of his family, who’s been involved with Ferry athletics, their lineage and also what the members are doing now.

“Frank Dawson, who is the president of the Holtz Hall of Fame, had been on a cruise with Lou and it was mentioned about our family wining the award and (Frank) got back and called me from Florida with the news.”

This is just another in what’s becoming a summer of awards for the Bruneys.

Dave will be inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame on Friday, June 18 and his uncle Fred will be inducted into the OVAC Hall of Fame in August (see OVAC HOF Release on Page C6).

“All of these things seem to come at once,” Dave said. “Not sure if that officially makes you old when you start getting awards like this, but all joking aside, we feel blessed and honored to have come from such a loving family which placed academics and athletics in such a high regard.”

Bruney Family Tree stretches far and wide through time. However, the constant from 1925 until the 2009 graduating class accepted its diplomas last year, is their love of Ferry and the fact that if you cut them open they’d bleed Purple.

Fred and Edward “Pepper” Bruney are the two oldest living members of the Bruney family and, according to Dave, are both expected to attend the ceremony.

Fred – who was a former team MVP at Ohio State and had a 42-year NFL career counting playing and coaching – has a lengthy relationship with Holtz.

“Lou is quite fond of Fred,” Dave said. “Lou was the defensive backs coach at Ohio State when Fred was coaching in the NFL and they’d correspond with each other and when Lou coached the Jets for a while, he would consult with Fred on certain things.”

The first Bruney to dawn the Purple Riders’ uniform was Edward “Pie” Bruney, who was the father of the aforementioned ‘Pepper.’

In 1927, Dave Bruney’s grandfather Arthur Bruney Sr., played offensive and defensive line

The first all-Ohioan from the Bruney family was Charles Bruney, who played fullback and linebacker and went to play at Duke University.

The first Bruney to get into coaching was the late Robert Bruney who was a member of the Little All American Team at the University of Chattanooga. He went on to become an assistant coach at Bellaire and then the head coach at Powhatan before he passed away from Scarlet Fever.

The late Art Bruney Jr. graduated in 1946 after playing offensive and defensive line for the Riders. He’s Dave and Bill’s father.

The aforementioned Fred Bruney – who is now 79 years old – graduated high school in 1948 . He currently resides in Atlanta.

Pepper Bruney – who graduated in 1948 – went to West Liberty State College and then returned to Martins Ferry as a teacher, coach and principal. He, too, is 79 years old.

Bob Bruney graduated in 1959 and went to play football at Ohio State after an all-Ohio career with the Riders. He, too, returned to his alma mater to teach and coach before becoming the school’s athletic director.

Bob’s brother Thomas graduated in 1964 after an all-Valley campaign as a halfback and defensive tackle. Dave graduated in 1969, which was a year ahead of his brother Bill. Both went on to Ohio University and then careers in education.

Dave’s been the head coach at Martins Ferry since 1979 and is now the Riders’ athletic director.

Bill, meanwhile, is retired as the Ferry guidance counselor and has been a long-time member of the Riders’ coaching staff. He was on the coaching staff at Steubenville in 1984 when Big Red won the state championship.

After Bill’s graduation in 1970, another Bruney didn’t graduate until 1980 when current Brooke High head coach Tom Bruney received his sheepskin. He was a standout football and baseball player and went to Ohio Wesleyan. He’s been the head coach at Maryvale, Az., Maple Heights and Ashtabula Lakeside.

Tom’s brothers Bobby Dean and Fred graduated in 1983 and 1988, respectively after playing at Ferry. Both are in education today. Thom Bruney – who is the son of Thomas Bruney – graduated in 1989. He graduated from Bethany and is also a teacher and coach.

Beth Ann Bruney graduated from Ferry in 1993 after starring in volleyball, basketball and softball.

The next Bruney to graduate was Bill’s son Craig in 1999. He was a standout football player and wrestler and is now a highly-successful lawyer in New York City.

Dave’s oldest son, Zach, graduated in 2000. He played quarterback under his dad and went on to be a standout player at Mt. Union College and is now the Mt. Union College offensive coordinator.

Gina Vinci – who is the daughter of Carla Bruney, Dave and Bill’s sister, – graduated in 2000. She was a standout in basketball and attended Ohio University.

Mandy Bruney – Bill’s oldest daughter – was a state runnerup in the 3200 meter run during her senior year of 2001. She’s since graduated from The Ohio State University is teaching in Pickerington.

Dave’s only daughter, Ashley, was a three-sport standout for the Riders and a two-year captain. She’s a graduate of Ohio University and is now an academic advisor at College of Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati.

Natalie Vinci is a 2002 graduate of Martins Ferry. She was a standout pitcher for the Riders and attended Ohio Dominican and is a teacher.

Trevor Bruney was a standout in football, under his dad, and also in track. He graduated from Mt. Union College and is now working in Pittsburgh for AFLAC Insurance.

Amy – who was Bill’s youngest child – was a standout in track, cross country and basketball and is currently enrolled at Ohio State’s Veterinary School. The last athletic Bruney – for now at least – to come through Ferry’s hallways was Karlen Vinci who was a standout in softball and basketball. She graduated one year ago and is now attending Ohio University.

Saying it’s ‘All in the Family’ isn’t too far off when it comes the Bruney family.

But still, according to Dave, no one was ever pressured to take part in sports.

“Speaking specifically about my immediate family, we never felt pressured at all,” Bruney said. “Sports were something we just grew up with and as we grew up attending Martins Ferry events we saw the expression on our parents’ faces and knew they took it seriously.”

Taking it seriously is something all of the Bruneys I’ve gotten to meet have in common. They take academics, sports, Martins Ferry and most importantly their family as serious as anyone you’ll meet.

That alone makes them an ideal choice for the Holtz HOF Heritage Award.

Congratulations!

SETH’S SCOOPS

• ST. CLAIRSVILLE eighth grader Jaylon Brown has been the area’s premier 100 and 200 meter dasher all season in junior high track. Today, he’ll compete in the Ohio Middle School State Track and Field Championships in Groveport near Columbus. He’s unblemished in the two sprints. He ran an 11.0 at the Union Local Invitational earlier this season.

• IT’S HARD to believe that this is the final official weekend of prep sports for the 2009-10 school year. Once again, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention and recognize how much The Times Leader Sports Department appreciates the help and cooperation we receive from the schools within our readership. We’re already looking forward to next school year.

• ONE OF the keynote speakers at this year’s Holtz Hall of Fame event is Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly.

Staskey can be reached at sstaskey@timesleaderonline.com