Stephen P. Courson

Rest in peace great athlete.

I remember playing pool with Steve. I didn't know who he was for the longest time. We would shoot pool and just talk. Then one day someone asked me if I knew who I was shooting pool with. I said Steve. They told me he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then I asked him why he never told me he played football. He said because that was in the past... Well If course I seen he was a big guy but never thought he was a ex football player. Super bowl Steelers football player. He was such a nice guy...

Steve Courson was a warrior in the only sense of the word--not as some paper football star, but as a man who strove to help people in need, even protect them. He stood up to be counted, to tell the truth, every time he was called. He did it for me and countless endangered athletes, like I was. I am honored to have been a friend.

I knew Steve for such a relatively short period of time, we were childhood friends growing up in Longmeadow, MA, from 12 to 16 years old before his family moved to Gettysburg. I’ve since followed Steve from a distance as a pro football player, author and spokesman, and would like to share some of our youth.

Steve was an avid history buff, collector, and liked to make things. His bedroom ceiling was decorated with dozens of WWII planes as if they were dog fighting. When he tired...