BOB ETTINGER
Jefferson police chief Steve Febel played under some great coaches while a student at Jefferson High School. And he learned a lesson that still holds value today in his current position.
Febel played football for coaches such as Glenn Sutherin and Bob Ashba, basketball for Al Graper and Larry Daniels and ran track for Jim Richards.
He learned that teamwork is the key to success.
“I had some really good coaches,” Febel, the son of Pete and JoAnn Febel, said. “I learned a lot from them. They taught me a lot about teamwork. They taught me that with teamwork, anything is possible no matter how good your opponent is.”
As proof of that, Febel offers up the 1974 Jefferson football team. The Falcons claimed a share of the Grand River Conference championship that season with just 21 players.
“The best part was all of our teammates helping each other,” Febel said. “Again, it was teamwork. It wasn’t one guy. It was the whole team. Glenn Sutherin and Bob Ashba taught us to win as a team and lose as a team.”
And that team had some great players.
“I played with a lot of good players,” Febel said. “I played with Ed Howley, Regis Burns, Randy Park and Jim Baker, among others.”
Febel was a tight end on offense and a defensive end on the other side of the ball. His role as a tight end was vastly different than that of the players that inhabit the position today.
“Our offense was five yards and a cloud of dust,” Febel said. “We had two passes. We called them fire pass right and fire pass left. The ball would be snapped, I’d take two steps off the line, get the ball and fight for yardage.
“With running backs the caliber of Randy Park, you don’t (throw the football). You just let Randy do his thing.
“We ran the wedge offense — wedge right and wedge left. Teams didn’t have to scout us. They knew what we ran.”
Febel and his teammates back each other up so well that even the kicker knew when he was needed. And he knew exactly what he was to do when called upon.
“Regis Burns, who is no longer with us, used to be our kicker,” Febel said. “If we were tired, we’d tell him we didn’t feel like running and he’d kick the ball out of the end zone.”
Having siblings, Febel knew there were eyes and ears soaking up everything he did.
“I also had a little brother that looked up to me,” Febel said. “Gary was always asking questions and asked why I did things. He always watched me play. Gary’s accomplishments made me proud. He got a full ride to Youngstown State and was elected to the (Ashtabula County Football) Hall of Fame up here. I’m really proud of him.”
He also has a sister, Sandy, who played basketball and roamed the sidelines as a cheerleader.
“She was a pretty good basketball player,” Febel said. “But she was into cheerleading. She was a cheerleader for the boys basketball team.”
The game has changed quite a bit since Febel and his buddies patrolled the gridiron.
“Football is more safety-oriented,” Febel said. “We used to be able to make crack-back blocks and cross-body blocks. We’d make cross-body blocks 15 yards downfield.
“We used the old leather-suspended helmets. Now, they have water helmets and air helmets and the new concussion prevention helmets. It was a different game back then.
“It’s more of a finesse game now. We blocked differently and tackled differently.”
Febel, who has two daughters, Ashley and Sara, and his wife, Denise, could be found in the bleachers at every one of their girls’ events. It was something he learned from his parents and grandparents.
“We picked that up from my dad,” Febel said. “No matter what it was, Dad was there. If we needed something, we had it — even if it meant him going without. I was fortunate enough to coach with my dad. We coached football together for several years. We still meet every morning for breakfast.
“God love my mother. She didn’t know what was going on, but she came to all of my games.
“My grandparents had a lot to do with that, too. I guess that’s a family thing.”
For a number of years, Febel has also given his time as a volunteer coach, an endeavor he’s enjoyed thoroughly.
“Believe it or not, I got started in coaching when I was a senior in high school,” Febel said. “My wife and I decided to start coaching when my daughter started mini-minors at JAGS.
“I’ve always been involved with football. I got involved with coaching that when Joe Kearney first came here. My dad was the freshman coach and he asked for help.”
He has spent time as a football coach, basketball coach and softball coach. he has also coached summer softball for the JAGS organization and in the Ohio Jaguars travel organization.
“I coached the Jaguars with Larry Aiman and Scott Francis and we won a state championship. That was very rewarding. I miss my Jaguars time.
“Larry was a fantastic coach. We had a super bunch of kids. The girls we had were great. We would tell them what to do and they’d try their darndest to do it.”
He’s currently coaching freshmen girls basketball with Gary Thaxton as part of the legendary Rod Holmes’ coaching staff.
“They are in that in-between stage,” Febel said. “They’re not varsity and they’re still learning. You’re still able to paly everybody.
“I really enjoyed the seventh-grade girls. That was a real learning experience. Those kids didn’t basketball, but they were able to learn how to run plays and we had a winning season.”
He’ll keep coaching as long as his body will allow him to.
“I like to give back all things I’ve been given,” Febel said. “The kids I’ve coached have told me they hope I’m around long enough that their kids play for me, too. I’ll continue coaching as long as my leags and back hold out.
“I enjoy the kids and working with the kids. The biggest charge I got was from coaching was being with my dad. We spent a lot of years together. The most rewarding was getting to be with my dad.”
Helping out as a coach has helped the kids in Jefferson to see Chief Febel as more than just a stuffy police officer.
“I just like to work with the kids,” Febel said. “I like to see them light up. They look up to me as a police officer and its good they get to see me not as just a prim and proper police officer. They get to see I have a sense of humor, too. But I do push them to do what they’ve got to do.”
As a police officer in Jefferson for the last 30 years — and as chief for the last 18 — the lessons on teamwork imparted by those coaches so long ago still hold true for Febel and his staff.
“It’s a team effort,” Febel said. “When something bad happens like the shooting down here a few years ago, Sheriff Billy Johnson was the first to stand up and offer us help. Whatever we needed, he was there for us. It’s a team effort.”
Febel is well aware of the importance of his co-workers. He knows that if one piece of the puzzle isn’t in place, nothing good can come of it.
“In football, those relationships develop because you have to work as one,” Febel said. “If you don’t do your job, if something breaks, something bad is going to happen. If something bad happens in baseball, there’s someone there to back you up. And there are two-a-days. You can’t ask for a better team builder than two-a-days.
“At SWAT school, I said it was like two-a-day practices. It’s a team-oriented organization. On the SWAT team, I’m relying on the guy in front of me and I’m relying on the guy behind me. And they’re relying on me. It’s the same in football. We say to stay home. You cover the area you’re responsible for. If you don’t, it breaks down and somebody could score.”
And the chief has learned over the years that rolling up his sleeves to get dirty never hurts.
“I was told by an old chief here, never forget where I came from, No. 1, and I’m only as good as my worst man. Basically, what he was saying was don’t tell your men to do something I’m not willing to do myself and don’t be afraid to step in and help.
“This is a very good department. We’re all very proud of the work we do. When something bad happens down here, we take it very personally.
“And we go after whoever did it.”
