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Personal strife only fuels Stephens' desire
Defensive tackle Dan Stephens
Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review
"But I did get a B once," he said.
Big deal. One little B never hurt anybody, did it?
"It bothered me. It was frustrating," said Stephens, a senior defensive tackle, who is preparing for the Panthers' (4-2, 2-1 Big East) meeting with Rutgers (4-2, 1-1) noon Saturday at Heinz Field. "When you put a lot of work into something, you want to get the most out of it."
Stephens said he believes the "bad" grade came in a college algebra class.
"I'm always looking for perfection, and that can be tough on me sometimes," said Stephens, who is completing his final semester in Pitt's GSPIA program, where he'll earn a graduate degree in public administration and non-profit management in December. "But I've always been like this."
Stephens' current success on the field, which includes a five-tackle (two for losses) effort in a 20-17 overtime win over Boston College last week, pales in comparison to what he does off of it.
He is the son of two high school educators (his mom is the superintendent at Brentwood; his dad is the principal at Duquesne) and is a member of the prestigious Verizon Academic All-American team.
He also is a Type I Diabetic, which is the most severe form of juvenile diabetes. He must prick his finger repeatedly to monitor his blood level and he injects his stomach with insulin up to five times a day.
His condition has all the makings of a distraction, but he doesn't view it that way. That's why he spoke recently at the American Diabetes Foundation to newly diagnosed youngsters. It was a way of giving back.
"He has character," defensive line coach Bob Junko said. "He comes from a great family and he sets the right type of example. I think all the things he's done have rubbed off on the other kids."
"Dan is a competitor, a guy who pushes himself every day," said Vince Crochunis, Stephens' linemate and also an academic all-American. "He's the kind of guy you want to line up next to."
A native of Wheeling, W.Va., the 6-foot-2, 295-pound Stephens played in key role in the Panthers' win over Boston College, which prided itself on its nickname -- "Offensive Lineman U."
He and Crochunis helped hold the BC running game to 56 yards, 128 below their average, in addition to shutting out the Eagles during two trips inside the Pitt 5.
The potent effort came a week after the Panthers stifled Temple on a pair of goal-line stands, the second of which kept the Owls from taking a 23-7 and altered the outcome of the game. Pitt went on to a 27-22 victory.
Stephens and Co. hope their back-to-back performances make folks forget about last season, when the Panthers were regularly manhandled up front.
"I think when you stop teams at the goal line, it gives momentum to the entire team," said Stephens, who had four tackles at Temple and was the coaching staff's co-defensive player of the game. "It's a pride factor. You're backs are up against the wall and you make a statement to everybody: We're not letting you get in here."
Junko said he wasn't surprised to see Stephens thrive in those situations.
"It's more than just football-playing ability that takes over when you're in the middle of those things," Junko said. "It's about who you are and where you come from. I think everything about you comes out at times like that. I really believe that's when you see someone's true character."
In Stephens, Junko sees plenty.
"He makes my job a lot easier," Junko said. "He's a pleasure to be around."
| Earle moving out of athletic department |
Jim Earle, associate athletic director for marketing and merchandising, is moving out of the athletic department at the end of the month for a new position as head of the university's housing and food services division.
Earle played a key role in the Panthers' moves to Heinz Field and the Petersen Center and engineered ticket campaigns that resulted in a sellout of season tickets for football in 2003 and at the Petersen Center the past two seasons. He was a member of the athletic department for 12 years and worked the last year for AD Jeff Long.
