Photo By Sarah Zaler | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Deon Harper, a recruiting noncommissioned officer in Harrisburg,...... read more read more
It’s crunch time in the middle of a high-stakes football game and the referees make a bad call. Or maybe there’s a fumble or an injury. The negative thoughts start to surface, opening the door for more mistakes. Glancing over to the sideline, the coach snaps his wristband and delivers a crucial reminder: Refocus and drive on. Because when you’re faced with adversity, you just have to bounce right back.
Teaching their players how to overcome adversity is a priority for the football coaches at Steelton-Highspire High School in Steelton, Pennsylvania. They know it takes more than physical ability to be successful on the football field — and in life. They’ve built a culture centered around teamwork, resiliency and values that will serve the players long after they walk off the field for the last time.
“Our program is about working for each other and family,” said head coach Andrew Erby, whose twin sons, Alex and Andrew, are two of the Steamrollers’ star players.
Being actual relatives doesn’t make a difference on this team, though, because everyone involved in the program is considered family. Two years ago, Erby welcomed a new member to the tight-knit family who has made quite an impact on the players.
To the team, he’s known as coach Harp. But away from his assistant coaching role, he is Staff Sgt. Deon Harper, a U.S. Army recruiting noncommissioned officer in Harrisburg. The first time he visited Steelton-Highspire, or Steel-High as it’s called, he was unsure he’d be able to connect with the students. Inspired by his own high school football coach — who also happened to be an Army recruiter — he decided to volunteer with the sports programs.
After speaking with Harper, Erby realized there were similarities between his football team and the Army; they are both made up of individuals coming together as a team to reach a common goal, and the Army Values closely align with the values he tries to instill in his players. Erby knew these principles, along with Harper’s high school and college football experience, would make him a great addition to the coaching staff.
“He was a former high school player from Chicago, and I thought his story was very unique,” Erby said. “There was something about him that I thought he would be a good mentor, and he fit the mold that would fit our program.”
Erby also thought Harper could “bridge a gap and make a connection with our kids” as an African American male who faced many challenges growing up but made wise decisions that led to a successful career and stable life.
Harper credits a lot of those decisions to the mentorship of his coach and recruiter, Sgt. 1st Class David Black, and the example he set.
“He was the first African American I saw that had it all put together,” Harper said. “In the inner city, you see a lot of what wrong looks like.”
Harper stayed focused even through the toughest times, like the summer before his senior year when he lost nine friends — eight of them to murder — thanks to football and Black’s mentorship.
“Football saved my life,” Harper said. “The mindset. The mentality. I was too busy. I couldn’t get in trouble in Chicago.”
Having coaches who were tough on him about grades and being a reputable young man helped Harper make the right decisions during those high school years, and he hopes to pay it forward.
“I tried to instill those same things in them,” Harper said. “Now it’s like, you chose. Where you are in life will be based off the decisions you make.”
It seems the Steamrollers are making pretty good decisions.
“Every player on the varsity team has a 3.5 or higher GPA,” Harper said. “We have five [on the] dean’s list right now, and the starting quarterback is leading the charge with a 4.0,” Harper said.
That starting quarterback just so happens to be Alex Erby. While he’s had the positive influence of his dad to keep him on track, he knows not everyone has that.
“Just growing up, we really couldn’t have bad grades because of my dad, obviously,” Alex said. “But some kids on the team might not have a father figure in their life to be tough on them. So, for the coaches to be there for kids on the team and everybody like that — I think it’s a big part of their life, and it’s growing points in their life that they can learn from.”
Andrew, who plays on the offensive and defensive lines, also sees Harper as a role model whose endless positivity emboldens the team.
“He was real laid back, and he always checked up on us and was always positive,” Andrew said. “He would always motivate us to do better and be the best man we could be in the classroom and in the weight room.”
“He just comes out with that positive energy,” Erby added. “You know, just always focused, always motivated. It’s not common these days to see that.”
The Steamrollers’ record shows you Erby knows how to win games. What it doesn’t show you is how his coaching philosophy contributes to those “W’s”. Erby believes mental preparation is key to winning, especially in high-pressure situations. So, he coaches the players to focus on doing their part, putting in the effort, and overcoming adversity.
“One of the things we really worked on in the off season was how to handle adversity because our kids really weren’t able to identify what adversity was,” Erby said. “So, our plan for adversity was to make sure we focus right here, right now, and make sure your feet are where your brain is at.”
They discussed examples of adversity like a bad call, the weather, or distractions, and how to develop a plan to overcome those moments. That’s where the snap of the wristband came in. It is their signal to focus on what their specific job is and be mindful of the effort they are giving to the team at that moment.
But it’s the “real life adversity” that Erby really wants his players to be prepared for. It was unfortunately a reality both the Erby’s and Harper would face just before the 2022 season when Erby’s mother passed away, as did Harper’s sister. While facing one of the hardest times in his life, Harper again set an example for the players by handling it with positivity and resiliency.
“He lost his sister, but the way he handled the situation, and the way he just carried himself with the positive and finding a way to get it done … that’s what toughness is to me,” Erby said. “Being able to go through those things in life and tell your story and motivate people — it’s just a positive impact across our team and across our coaching staff.”
Because Harper can relate to the players on so many levels, they often confide in him about whatever is weighing on their minds.
“I can basically talk to him about anything,” Alex said. “He just made me really comfortable talking about things outside of football. So, it’s having a positive role model on the football field like that, instead of having to go out of the way to see a therapist or a school counselor, that’s just a big impact on me and it made my mindset easier during football season.”
Not all the conversations are heavy, though. You’ll often find Harper in the cafeteria having lunch with the players, checking in on their academics or talking about life in general. It’s usually during those times that players will start conversations about the Army and what it means to be a Soldier. They’ll ask about his job, deployments, what the different uniforms are and what being in the Army is really like.
“That’s the biggest thing they’re curious about,” Harper said, adding they are often surprised by what they learn.
“I really didn’t know too much about it,” Alex said. “I mean, I knew that it was a really tough thing to do overall, but I didn’t know the benefits or anything outside of that. He taught me a lot more beneficial stuff that you get from the Army, and there’s a whole bunch of stuff that you put in and grow a real relationship with your brothers there.”
Harper’s career is a great example of the different ways to serve and the benefits that come with it.
After joining the Army Reserve in Chicago as an operating room specialist, Harper transferred to a unit in Hawaii where he attended the University of Hawaii on a partial art scholarship. Army education benefits paid for the remainder of the tuition, and he even got the chance to play football there. When he met his now wife, who was an active duty Soldier at the time, he switched over to active duty himself to continue their journey together.
When talking to someone who is interested in the Army, Harper uses his story to demonstrate how the Army is a vehicle that can take them a lot of different places and help them reach their life goals. He’ll tell them, “Let me show you how this vehicle can help guide you there. Take it. Use it. Get off wherever you need to, but use it. Start life with no debt.”
Harper is thankful for the unique opportunities his Army career has given him, like traveling to Turkey and Greece. But he also fondly remembers the smaller moments, like seeing stars for the first time out in the woods at basic training: something he never experienced growing up in a city.
“I thought the whole world was Chicago.” Harper said. “Inside of our 11 blocks — that was everything. I’ve been everywhere now. So, I don’t where I’d be at [without the Army]. I for sure wouldn’t have had the experiences I’ve had.”
What Erby took away from Harper’s Army discussions was how there are so many different jobs in the Army, but they are all interconnected. Just like a football team, they must work together to accomplish the mission.
“So, for example, in football you have your defense, your offense, your special teams and your coaches, but you all need to work in unison,” Erby said. “I think he really brought to light how important it is to work together.”
Working in unison has certainly paid off for the Steamrollers. They’ve clinched two Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A State Championships in three years. Their first title came in 2020, when Alex and Andrew were only freshman. After suffering a tough loss in 2021, they went into the 2022 season even more determined to take back the title. Despite being viewed as the underdogs, the team remained focused, ignored the naysayers, and came out on top once again.
The team’s secret weapon to remain focused on what’s important is to “do it for the room.”
“It’s about making good decisions,” Erby said. “Looking at the people in the room with you, whether the team, the classmates, family, community, and choosing to do what is right because they are counting on you.”
For Alex, the motto means not only playing for the guys next to him on the field but giving back to the community and being a leader in school. Sometimes the team holds pep rallies in the elementary school, and Alex knows it’s a big responsibility to set a good example for the young kids who look up to them.
“You can just look at the little kids’ smiles on their faces as soon as you walk into the room,” Alex said. “It’s just a blessing to be such a positive role model to them because when I was growing up watching the football kids, I mean, I thought they were kings and NFL payers at the time.”
Even with all the attention Alex and Andrew get because of their football prowess — they are only juniors with more than 20 offers on the table from NCAA Division I schools – they remain humble and level-headed.
“There’s a lot of attention on us, but at the end of the day we just want to focus on the main goal, and that’s just playing the game and having fun,” Andrew said. “So, we just try to block out the outside noise as much as we can and just stick with our guys in the room and just play for each other.”
The culture Erby has built within the Steel-High football team is evident far beyond their school walls. Harper said students at other schools have told him how they wish they could play for Steel-High. Slightly surprised they’d want to play for another team, Harper asked what their reason was.
“’They play for each other,’” Harper recalled them saying. “’Have you ever been on the field and seen how they rally with each other? They fight with each other. They argue with each other. They win with each other. They cry with each other.’”
“It just shows that their impact is so much bigger than football,” Harper said. “If you watch them outside of football, they’re intentional with their actions and what they do and they impact they have. That’s rare. What this coaching staff and this organization has put together—it’s an honor and a privilege to be associated with them.”
The feeling toward Harper is mutual.
“He is a positive energy and light for the kids, and it’s amazing to see,” Erby said. “We’re blessed to have him. Whatever you need done, whatever you need help with, he’s there. But just to see the kids, and the energy and the role model that they need, there’s no price tag on that.”
One day a player told Harper, “Coach Harp, you don’t even understand what it means to have you here, because everyone outside of Steelton looks at us like we’re not good enough.” It made Harper realize that he truly was making an impact on the kids, and that they recognized and appreciated his dedication to them.
That’s what “do it for the room” means to Harper. It’s giving back what was given to him. It’s the fulfillment in knowing he’s making a difference and being a good role model for young Black kids by leading them in the right direction and showing them what right looks like. It’s those conversations in the cafeteria or on the bus, teaching them life lessons like finances, credit or even how to tie a necktie. It’s “those things that I know they’re gonna remember forever” that matter most to Harper. Because at the end of the day, it’s bigger than football.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2023 09:25 |
| Story ID: | 442864 |
| Location: | STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, It's bigger than football, by Sarah Zaler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
