5 C Hero

Elmira is a small blue collar town in upstate New York. It is located six miles from the Pennsylvania border, having a population of 33,000. Known primarily for housing some of the state’s most disreputable criminals in one of its two maximum security prisons, it has been the birthplace or home to many notable celebrities. Included on this list are the likes of Ernie Davis (first African-American to win the Heisman Award), Tommy Hilfiger (fashion designer), Brian Williams (anchor, NBC Nightly News), Eileen Collins (first female to command the space shuttle), Frank Gannett (founder of the Gannett newspaper chain), Duke Carroll (National Football League official), Joey Sindelar and Mike Hulbert (Professional Golfers), Judge Jeanine Pirro (Reality TV), and Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name, Mark Twain. All of these people have had a profound and positive effect on our community and the surrounding area. However, if you talk to the people of the Southern Tier of New York and the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, one prominent name is noticeably missing. It is the name of a high school sports legend and a goodwill ambassador who also had a major impact on the lives of these same people in our towns. This person’s name is Joel Andrew Stephens. To many of us, regardless of age, Joel Stephens was an “Everyday Angel” on temporary loan from a much higher venue. Even though people who knew him or knew of him, thought of him this way, he was too humble and modest to ever accept this accolade….

Joel lived well and he died well. He had no ill feelings and no regrets. It was a hard fight for Joel and since his death, I think of him often and shed tears. They are not tears of sadness, but rather ones of gratitude and happiness, knowing that he has impacted so many people….

Sometimes we feel that we are indestructible, but learn differently. We must understand that as mortals with vulnerabilities, we do not have power over certain circumstances. Like worn stitches on a baseball, we learn that there comes a time when things in life cannot be mended, and we are not in control of our destiny. Many of us will go to our graves asking why tragedies like this happen. Chances are good that we will never get a conclusive answer. To those of us who knew him, Joel taught us to live and to think in the present moment and beyond, never getting caught in the whirlwind of pessimism. We learn to remember and respect the past but always appreciate what we have today and look forward to better tomorrows. The here and now are important. However, Joel would say that it is “Who” put us in the here and now that truly matters. There are instances in life when we wonder if we can endure the pain and heartache of losing a loved one. The sick feeling in our stomachs never completely goes away but it does get better. We persist, putting one step in front of the other because that is what we know we are supposed to do.… Joel never carried a football in college or played under the lights at Camden Yards. He did continue to do everything else that was asked of him. He was a heroic example and a professional in the biggest league of all, that of his Christian faith. From the moment you met Joel, you knew he was something very special. Here was a person who saw the silver lining in everything and in everyone. God gave him many avenues to be successful and he took advantage of every opportunity, with his greatest achievement being the way he lived his life. As Scott Potoniak of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle stated, “Joel Stephens made sense of something that made no sense at all.” He set the benchmark on how we should behave and treat others….

As a coach since 1975, I have been blessed to know a number of players who have had a profound impact on my own life, and who I consider true champions. A champion is not just someone who is a winner in sports. A champion is also someone who fights for a cause such as civil rights or freedom. To me, Joel Stephens was a champion not because of his athletic ability, but rather because of his unrelenting belief that his faith would serve as an example for us to follow. General George S. Patton once said, “If a man does his best, what else is there?”…

Joel’s voice may have been silenced, but the lessons he taught us have continued…. He made us all believe in a higher power. He helped us believe in the power of prayer, and that no matter what the problem may be, it is just minor in the bigger scheme. The impact of his actions is far greater than anything he could have ever done with a football or with a baseball bat in his hand. Former Baltimore Oriole Eric Davis commented on hearing of Joel’s death, “He was a remarkably strong, young man. It is sad that it has ended this way, but look at the impact he had. His life may have been short, but you can’t say it wasn’t full.” Upon Joel’s death in September of 1998, I felt a gap had been created in my life. I realized that the only way to fill that gap was to inform people about Joel Stephens and to tell his story. That was my reason for creating the Joel Andrew Stephens 5 C Award. The recipients of this award must possess the same qualities that made Joel Stephens a champion – the 5 Cs – Christianity, Courage, Character, Compassion, and Commitment.