Steve Emerson Visit the Photo Place

Emerson inspired to lead, then invent

Small beginnings did not deter Emerson

Date published: 8/20/2006

By KURT NICOLL

Steve Emerson is an innovative guy, sometimes out of plain necessity.

A quarter of a century ago, the first-year North Stafford football team was getting pounded by Gar-Field. Emerson prayed he wouldn't be called upon to run any more passing plays against the hard-charging Indians defense.

Head coach Jimmy Null and his staff came up with a respite, allowing the senior quarterback to change plays at the line of scrimmage--making North Stafford one of the first area high schools to call audibles.

Gar-Field wound up winning 41-6 to drop the Wolverines to 0-3 for the season. Emerson and his teammates did not quit after the licking, though, regrouping to finish 6-4 against a totally nondistrict schedule.

"In 1982 there was no culture for a new school opening, nothing that identified us as North Stafford," the 42-year-old businessman from Mechanicsville recalled. "We tried to distinguish ourselves from Stafford. Our schedule [of Group AAA, AA and A opponents] was rather unique. We didn't get the recognition we thought we deserved. It felt like being a stepchild."

Having moved from North Carolina to Stafford County in 1980, Emerson showed no reluctance in switching schools again following his junior year with the Indians. The new North Stafford school was roughly 10 minutes away from his home, and his younger brother, Russell, was scheduled to go there as well.

Null was not totally enamored of the mixture of teams the Wolverines played that season, but later came to appreciate the efforts of athletic director Woody Shahan to fill out a 10-game schedule (coming in the middle of a two-year contract for most schools).

"Gar-Field and Woodbridge were two of the commonwealth's elite teams, and people aspired to play them," the former North Stafford coach and Louisa athletic director said. "Playing a varsity schedule our first year helped us develop as a team and helped our younger players get ready for the following two years."

Besides being a durable player capable of taking licks from opposing defenders, Emerson was blessed with some potent weapons, including running back Tommy Dixon and wide receivers Fred Hamn and Richie Altstaetter. For the season, Emerson passed for over 1,000 yards while completing 13 touchdown passes.

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Date published: 8/20/2006