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Steve Emerson |
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.
In addition, Emerson played basketball where he split starting time at the guard positions with Greg Ritchie and Bo Goode, and also played varsity baseball.
His main regret was not being around to see what fruit the North Stafford athletic program would produce in upcoming seasons. (Kevin Brown was an up-and-coming star who played for the junior varsity basketball team in 1981-82).
Null described Emerson as a "good athlete who did a fine job for us."
After a brief stay at Elon College where he tried out for the football team, Emerson transferred to N.C. State, where he earned a degree in political science in 1986. He added a master's degree from Boston University four years later.
Then came four years in the U.S. Marine Corps prior to joining a small pharmaceutical firm.
For the past seven years, Emerson has worked for General Electric in the medical systems division, and currently holds the position of Northeast Region manager.
Besides having authored the book "The Analogy of Sales," Emerson is the inventor and patent-holder of the server wand--a device to benefit one's tennis stroke. Emerson came up with the server-wand idea three years ago after taking his children to a tennis clinic in Richmond.
Approximately 500 wands have been sold since its introduction in March, and Emerson is currently negotiating to secure a deal with a major sporting goods manufacturer for greater exposure. (It's priced at $24.95, plus shipping and handling, comes in six different colors and can be ordered online at emersontennis.com).
Emerson met his wife, Stephanie, while attending college in Raleigh. They have been married for over 20 years and are avid gardeners and history buffs.
Seventeen-year-old Sydney Emerson has put her father's invention to good use. A rising senior at Atlee High School, she is undefeated against Capital District tennis opponents for the past two seasons.
Emerson's two other children, Jack, 5, and Gillian, 8, are active tennis players as well. His family's interest in the sport prompted the NSHS graduate to become a certified teaching tennis pro.
To reach KURT NICOLL:
Email: knicoll@freelancestar.com
