Semoball

Fate is written all over the path of Jerone Williams, er, Steckel

Southeast Missouri State defensive line coach Jerone Steckel walks the field during a break in a practice session on Wednesday at the Rosengarten Athletic Complex.
Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

There are so many meandering paths to the story of how Jerone Williams became Jerone Steckel earlier this year, that it’s difficult to argue that there wasn’t some degree of divine intervention.

Williams, er… Steckel, who is now entering his fourth season as the defensive line coach for Southeast Missouri State football, was a defensive lineman at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa following his graduation from Oakville High School in St. Louis.

He elected to sign with Eastern Illinois University for his final two years of competition with the thought that he was making an athletic decision, but unbeknownst to him, he was altering his path through life forever.

“None of this happens,” Steckel said of his college decision possibly being someplace different. “Not even near this.”

While at Eastern Illinois, he met several people, first, defensive teammate Adam Gristick, who was a couple of years younger than Williams, but the two Panther defenders became fast friends (along with the Panthers’ quarterback, a guy named Jimmy Garoppolo, but that is a separate story).

“Adam is one of my best friends,” Steckel says to this day, despite Gristick serving as the defensive coordinator at their alma mater, which is an Ohio Valley Conference rival of SEMO’s.

When Gristick, who was from Orefield, Penn., was at Eastern Illinois, he would often spend the holidays with his uncle, Dave Steckel, who was an assistant football coach at Missouri.

Williams, who was raised by a single mother (Pamela Green), who passed away nearly a decade ago, often needed a place to go for the holidays, and Gristick never hesitated to invite his friend to tag along.

“I needed someplace to go,” Steckel said, “so I would always go visit the Steckel’s.”

One holiday turned into another, then another, then soon, Dave and his wife, Mary Beth were calling Jerone and asking what he was doing on his birthday, which is Jan. 1.

“Throughout the years,” Jerone said, “we just kind of got close.”

Another twist of fate

While Jerone and the Steckel family were beginning to forge a bond, a sharp-shooting women’s basketball guard, Katlyn Payne, was deciding to transfer from Florida Gulf Coast to Eastern Illinois, which was closer to the Chicago suburbs, where she had spent most of her youth before moving to Florida late in high school.

Another fateful decision played a role in Jerone’s present situation.

Jerone and Katlyn began dating, and fast forward, the couple eventually married this summer after having a son in 2021, Tatum James (now) Steckel.

“In passing,” Jerone recalled of a conversation he and Dave had last year, “I told him that I wanted (the Steckel’s) to be the grandparents of our child.

“He has always been like a father figure to me and treated me like family.”

“Family” was something Jerone had growing up – to a degree.

He does have four siblings, now five (wait, I’m getting ahead of myself), but he admittedly “never knew my father.”

“Williams was just a last name,” Jerone said. “It never really meant anything to me.”

He and Katlyn sent baby bibs to Dave and Mary Beth last year that were adorned with “Grandparents,” which got the Steckel’s thinking.

They visited Jerone during the 2021 season and following a Redhawk victory, the couple, who reside in Kississimme, Fla., asked Jerone – at age 31 - if he would consider becoming their officially adopted son.

“I said ‘Hell, yeah,’” Jerone said. “The Steckel’s mean so much to me. They have always been there for me, always given me guidance, and always been a mentor.”

Not only was Jerone on board with the name switch, but so were Katlyn, Tatum (he didn’t argue much), and Jerone’s biological siblings.

He not only officially became a son again, but he became a new brother, as well.

Dave and Mary Beth have one biological daughter, Amanda.

“She’s my sister,” Jerone said proudly. “We call her ‘Commander.’ She’ll get after your…”

Football has prevented the new branch of the Steckel family from having a reunion with the whole gang in Florida just yet, but Jerone said that day is coming.

“For me,” Jerone said, “loyalty is everything. When a guy is willing to do anything for you, and Mary Beth has always taken me in and treated me like a son, the least that I could do is take their last name.

“They are truly family to me, so it was easy to do.”

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