TicketsWhen UC went into Notre Dame Stadium this year and beat the Fighting Irish amid chants of "Let's go Bearcats!" ringing out from seemingly every corner of South Bend, the college football world took notice.
This was a statement win for a program that's been on the rise. The centerpiece of UC's emerging playoff resumé. A changing of the guard moment for a Group of 5 school.
For Larry Sheakley, a lifelong Cincinnatian, diehard Bearcats fan and longtime UC Athletics donor, the win at Notre Dame stands out for a more personal reason.
"I had gone down to the locker room after the game, and when Des [Ridder] walked by, I reached out to give him a fist bump," Sheakley recalls. "He pulled me into a hug, and as we were hugging, he put his head into my shoulder.
"It's a moment I won't ever forget."
That celebratory hug is symbolic of the close relationship the two have forged since Ridder won the starting job and received the Sheakley Quarterback Scholarship four years ago.
Much has been written about Ridder's recruitment out of high school. As an underrated quarterback prospect from Louisville, Ky., he says UC was only one of two schools interested in him.
"When I was looking at colleges, my mom told me I had to stay within six hours of home so she could come to my games," Ridder says. "I knew about Cincinnati growing up; they had some great teams, competitors at the highest levels. Playing here seemed like an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
Also crucial to that opportunity, Ridder says, was the chance to earn a full-tuition scholarship.
"It was my dream to play at this level, but it also meant a lot to me to be the first in my family to graduate from college," he says. "If I didn't have my scholarship, I wouldn't be where I am now. I probably would be working 9-5 and going to school part time."
The Sheakley Quarterback Scholarship, which Ridder calls a "blessing," is a nod to Sheakley's love for UC sports—a passion that he inherited from his parents, Raymond and Dorothy, at a young age.
"My dad graduated from UC in '49. Some of my earliest memories are of him giving me a bath at night and teaching me the fight song, or watching basketball games on TV together," Sheakley says. "My mother loved women's basketball and was at every home football game, even as she got older and couldn't get around as well. She was the biggest Bearcats fan."
Those memories are what inspired Sheakley to start giving back to UC Athletics. In addition to naming the Sheakley Lawn in Varsity Village and a suite in Nippert Stadium after his father and mother, respectively, he made a gift to create the Sheakley Quarterback Scholarship in 2014.
"This scholarship was important to me because I didn't want to only invest in bricks and mortar," Sheakley says. "For someone like Des, he might not have been able to take out loans to go to school. Scholarships give kids a chance they may not otherwise have."
As a fully endowed scholarship, Sheakley's gift provides full tuition for UC's starting quarterback in perpetuity. UC Director of Athletics John Cunningham says this kind of support is invaluable not only for student-athletes like Ridder, but also for UC's competitive future.
"We annually dedicate a substantial portion of our budget for scholarships and aid, so endowed scholarships like Larry's enable us to invest in other aspects of our athletics programs," Cunningham says. "When you look at this dream season the football team has had and Des' role in it as a leader, it shows you just how pivotal Larry's support is."
The Bearcats' dream season will continue on New Year's Eve, with a College Football Playoff matchup against No. 1 Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. Ridder, who graduated in 2020 with a degree in sports administration, says he will be ready for whatever happens after this season when he hangs up his UC jersey for the final time.
And it is thanks to Sheakley's support.
"The Sheakley Scholarship has set me up for life. Whether I play in the NFL or not, I have my college education," Ridder says. "But beyond that part of it, I'm so grateful to know Larry. He always comes to practices and games—he's just a great guy to be around."
For Sheakley, who will be at the Cotton Bowl to share a post-game hug with Ridder no matter the outcome, those feelings of gratitude are mutual.
"When I created this scholarship, I didn't really know what the impact would be," he says. "Now to see Des, who's this wonderful young man, a father who loves his daughter more than anything and a leader in every sense of the word, I feel honored to have supported him through this scholarship."
HOW TO CREATE AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
With a gift of $50,000 you can create a named scholarship endowment or with a gift of $350,000 you can fully endow a named scholarship in perpetuity. To learn more about how you can make an impact through endowed scholarships, contact the UCATS office at 513.556.4884.
This was a statement win for a program that's been on the rise. The centerpiece of UC's emerging playoff resumé. A changing of the guard moment for a Group of 5 school.
For Larry Sheakley, a lifelong Cincinnatian, diehard Bearcats fan and longtime UC Athletics donor, the win at Notre Dame stands out for a more personal reason.
"I had gone down to the locker room after the game, and when Des [Ridder] walked by, I reached out to give him a fist bump," Sheakley recalls. "He pulled me into a hug, and as we were hugging, he put his head into my shoulder.
"It's a moment I won't ever forget."
That celebratory hug is symbolic of the close relationship the two have forged since Ridder won the starting job and received the Sheakley Quarterback Scholarship four years ago.
Much has been written about Ridder's recruitment out of high school. As an underrated quarterback prospect from Louisville, Ky., he says UC was only one of two schools interested in him.
"When I was looking at colleges, my mom told me I had to stay within six hours of home so she could come to my games," Ridder says. "I knew about Cincinnati growing up; they had some great teams, competitors at the highest levels. Playing here seemed like an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
Also crucial to that opportunity, Ridder says, was the chance to earn a full-tuition scholarship.
"It was my dream to play at this level, but it also meant a lot to me to be the first in my family to graduate from college," he says. "If I didn't have my scholarship, I wouldn't be where I am now. I probably would be working 9-5 and going to school part time."
The Sheakley Quarterback Scholarship, which Ridder calls a "blessing," is a nod to Sheakley's love for UC sports—a passion that he inherited from his parents, Raymond and Dorothy, at a young age.
"My dad graduated from UC in '49. Some of my earliest memories are of him giving me a bath at night and teaching me the fight song, or watching basketball games on TV together," Sheakley says. "My mother loved women's basketball and was at every home football game, even as she got older and couldn't get around as well. She was the biggest Bearcats fan."
Those memories are what inspired Sheakley to start giving back to UC Athletics. In addition to naming the Sheakley Lawn in Varsity Village and a suite in Nippert Stadium after his father and mother, respectively, he made a gift to create the Sheakley Quarterback Scholarship in 2014.
"This scholarship was important to me because I didn't want to only invest in bricks and mortar," Sheakley says. "For someone like Des, he might not have been able to take out loans to go to school. Scholarships give kids a chance they may not otherwise have."
As a fully endowed scholarship, Sheakley's gift provides full tuition for UC's starting quarterback in perpetuity. UC Director of Athletics John Cunningham says this kind of support is invaluable not only for student-athletes like Ridder, but also for UC's competitive future.
"We annually dedicate a substantial portion of our budget for scholarships and aid, so endowed scholarships like Larry's enable us to invest in other aspects of our athletics programs," Cunningham says. "When you look at this dream season the football team has had and Des' role in it as a leader, it shows you just how pivotal Larry's support is."
The Bearcats' dream season will continue on New Year's Eve, with a College Football Playoff matchup against No. 1 Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. Ridder, who graduated in 2020 with a degree in sports administration, says he will be ready for whatever happens after this season when he hangs up his UC jersey for the final time.
And it is thanks to Sheakley's support.
"The Sheakley Scholarship has set me up for life. Whether I play in the NFL or not, I have my college education," Ridder says. "But beyond that part of it, I'm so grateful to know Larry. He always comes to practices and games—he's just a great guy to be around."
For Sheakley, who will be at the Cotton Bowl to share a post-game hug with Ridder no matter the outcome, those feelings of gratitude are mutual.
"When I created this scholarship, I didn't really know what the impact would be," he says. "Now to see Des, who's this wonderful young man, a father who loves his daughter more than anything and a leader in every sense of the word, I feel honored to have supported him through this scholarship."
HOW TO CREATE AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
With a gift of $50,000 you can create a named scholarship endowment or with a gift of $350,000 you can fully endow a named scholarship in perpetuity. To learn more about how you can make an impact through endowed scholarships, contact the UCATS office at 513.556.4884.