Hall of Fame
Playing two sports is hard enough, but for T.J. Stecklein, simply playing was not enough. In Stecklein's world, second best does not exist. In four years at Coe, Stecklein earned letters every season in both football and wrestling. On the field, he was one of the fiercest defensive backs in the Midwest Conference, where he was an all-conference selection. He served as a team captain in his junior and senior years. For his dedication in the classroom as well as his outstanding football ability, Stecklein was a natural selection as an Academic All-American. On the mats, he further combined his physical and mental abilities. He did not simply win matches; he dominated his competition to win three consecutive conference championships as well as qualify for the NCAA Division III national meet in those years. He was so well thought of and admired for his dedication that his teammates elected him a team captain for his last three years at Coe. After graduation, Stecklein took an assistant coaching position at Wahlert High School and then assumed the head coaching position at LaSalle two years later. In four seasons, he guided the team to the Class 2A championship game in 1985, the Class 3A quarterfinals in 1986 and another playoff appearance in 1987. Following that success, Stecklein sought out a bigger challenge and found it in Charles City. He took over a team that had not tasted a win in quite. some time. Three years later, the team finished 6-3, duplicating that mark the following year. In 1988, he received one of the highest prep coaching honors in Iowa when he was selected as the Defensive Coordinator for the Shrine Game. In 1992, T.J. left coaching to enter a new field that offered more challenges. For Stecklein simply showing up is not good enough. The measure for Stecklein's success is how well he played and coached the game.
