Brian “Photoshoot fresh” Jones, the quarterback for the Shaker Heights football team who will be taking his talents to John Carroll University next fall, and then “wherever the money takes [him]” thereafter, intended to arrive at his high school prom at the Cleveland Museum of Art last Saturday in a helicopter.

All Jones and his date could do, however, was circle the museum (“five to seven times,” via Mark Naymik) because officials in University Circle and the City of Cleveland felt that the landing logistics would be too tough to coordinate on short notice during the busy holiday weekend.

Jones, who communicated with Naymik via text message, argued that there was “no real reason” he wasn’t allowed to make the grand entrance on Wade Oval. He also indicated that those who called his planned helicopter entrance excessive should instead focus on the world’s more important problems.

Naymik, for his part, viewed the chopper as another example of excess in an era of over-the-top prom rituals, nurtured by “over indulgent parents.”

Responses to Naymik’s piece on Cleveland.com were split: Many applauded Jones’ originality and presented rhetorical questions on the order of: “Who among us didn’t do outrageous things when we were 18?” Another contingent agreed with the overindulgence narrative and thought city officials were right to deny Jones the helicopter entrance on the grounds of safety and taste.

Brooke Siggers is a senior at Shaker Heights High School. She attended prom on Saturday and said she wasn’t surprised by Jones’ attempt.

“He is an extremely confident person to say the least,” Siggers wrote in an email to Scene. “Everyone knows who he is, and he is a pretty cool person toward most people. He definitely can be obnoxious at times and does take some getting used to, but he does well in school and still gets along with most.”

Siggers, who admitted the entrance was “luxurious,” also called it “pretty cool” and “original.” She said that she’s seen much of the social media reactions, but doesn’t think the negative press has affected Jones.

“He is ‘Brian Jones’ and he does not care what other people think about the things that he does,” wrote Siggers. “I doubt that anyone in our class was surprised to see something like that from Brian. Brian’s ego is enormous and I know he loves the attention that his helicopter is getting him.”

DON’T FORGET TO KEEP CHECKING CLEVELAND.COM FOR LIVE, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE SUBURBAN PROM COVERAGE!

This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2014.

Sam Allard is a former senior writer at Scene.

3 replies on “Shaker Heights QB Wanted to Land a Helicopter on Wade Oval for His Prom Entrance”

  2. “He is ‘Brian Jones’ and he does not care what other people think about the things that he does,” wrote Siggers. And this same narcissistic attitude will continue into his professional athletic career when impressionable youngsters look up to him for life-setting examples. Believe it or not, at one time (decades ago) professional athletes were aware of this responsibility and fulfilled it with humility and gratitude.

  3. Here’s the thing. If his whole helicopter landing thing can be done without inconveniencing a whole bunch of traffic and without costing the city any money, then sure, knock your socks off and go land that thing. If this isn’t the case, then I see no reason why taxpaying citizens should be inconvenienced and our tax dollars wasted so police can block off an area for someone to land a helicopter in.

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