Stegall credits faith for getting him through grief of losing son

At a Salvation Army luncheon filled with laughter and nostalgia on Wednesday, it was Milt Stegall’s poignant football analogy about faith — and the loss of his son this past summer — that quieted the room and touched every heart at Canad Inns Polo Park.

Stegall, 55, shared how his faith was shaken after his 20-year-old son, Chase, died unexpectedly from epilepsy in June. Chase was found in his dorm room at DePaul University in Chicago, where he was a member of the school’s soccer team.

In the weeks that followed, Stegall said he pleaded with God for answers — and fast ones.

“(God) told me he was going to tell me in football terms that he knows I’ll understand,” Stegall said, recalling how about 60 to 70 per cent of plays an offensive co-ordinator calls fail for one reason or another. “But God said, ‘I’m the life offensive co-ordinator, and every single play I call has always been right. It’s never wrong. It’s worked every single time. You might not like the play I am calling, but it’s for the betterment of the team.’”

Once he heard that message, Stegall said, peace followed.

“Without that faith, I’m not sitting here right now,” he said.

Stegall credits Winnipeg — his second home — and Blue Bombers fans for helping his family through their grief.

When he returned to the TSN panel in July, where he’s worked as an analyst since 2009, the outpouring of support moved him deeply.

“That moment topped anything I’ve ever went through,” he said. “And I know that’s crazy to say, because it’s a moment that involved the passing of my son, but just that love and that support and the wrapping of arms around me and my family was part of the therapeutic process.”

Stegall first came to Winnipeg in 1995 after three seasons with his hometown Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL.

“The first question I asked my agent was, ‘What’s a Winnipeg?” he said to laughter, before telling the audience that besides marrying his wife, and having his two sons, the best decision he made in his life was signing in Winnipeg 30 years ago.

He went on to spend all 14 years of his legendary CFL career with the Blue Bombers. At the time of his retirement in 2009, he was the league’s all-time leader in receptions (845), receiving yards (15,153), average yards per catch (17.7), and touchdowns (144 receiving, 147 total), among numerous other records.

He was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2012 and enshrined in the Blue Bombers Ring of Honour in 2016. In 2008, Arena Road was renamed Milt Stegall Drive.

“I just drove down there coming here today,” Stegall said. “How many people can look up their own name in an address?”

The Salvation Army’s Winnipeg Hope in the City event Wednesday — which marked the kickoff to the organization’s annual Christmas campaign — allowed Stegall to do something that’s been part of his life since childhood: giving back.

“You need to make sure you help out those who can’t help out themselves right now,” he told the crowd. “I’m in a position to help. It’s OK to spend some time and resources on ourselves, but most of the time we’re doing too much, and there are others out there who need our help. I know how much the Salvation Army does for so many. And the community of Winnipeg has done so much for me. This is my small way of helping give back.”

Funds raised at the event will help the Salvation Army continue its essential programs and services, providing hope and support to those who need it most.

Meantime, Stegall said the only thing separating Winnipeg from his hometown of Atlanta is proximity to family. He still visits several times a year for TSN broadcasts and community events.

“I still continue to be involved,” he said. “I’m still giving back to a community that gave so much for me. I’ve never stopped, and I see no reason why it should ever stop. I love this place so much.”

He added that, in many ways, Winnipeg hasn’t changed all that much over the years.

“It’s not as cold as it used to be,” he said, speaking on a sunny, mid-November day where the daytime high reached 6 C and the grass was still green outside. “It’s still friendly Manitoba. The love is always here. Maybe that’s why I don’t see a change. And there is no need to change when you have such a great structure, a great foundation; there’s no need to change.”

Stegall is in town for the rest of the week, with the 112th Grey Cup set for Sunday at Princess Auto Stadium.

As for a Grey Cup prediction between the West Division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders and East Division winning Montreal Alouettes?

Stegall wasn’t biting — suggesting only that he’s hoping for an exciting game, or maybe even the first Grey Cup tie in CFL history.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca