As Colts’ coach shares about being the best, Gala raises best-ever amount

Nearly 400 in attendance at Trine University’s Scholarship Gala heard about being the best as they helped support Trine students in becoming their best.

Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen shared about the trajectory of his life and the qualities that propel NFL players to be the best at the Gala, held on Valentine’s Day in the elegantly decorated Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Inc. Athletics and Recreation Center.

The Gala raised a record amount for Trine University student scholarships and Books and Beyond, bringing in more than $2.65 million.

Immediate and future impact

Welcoming guests to the event, Trine University President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., said that scholarship support has an impact immediately as well as for generations to come.

“With your generosity, we can ensure that every student has the resources they need — not just to attend Trine, but to thrive here,” he said.

Stashu Patterson, who will complete a degree in accounting and finance as well as a Master of Science in business analytics this May, agreed, saying support did far more than help him cover the cost of textbooks.

“It gave me freedom,” he told the crowd. “Freedom to say yes to leadership opportunities. Freedom to mentor other students. Freedom to serve in organizations across campus. Freedom to focus on becoming the best version of myself instead of worrying about whether I could afford the next required course material.”

Patterson said everyone attending the Gala was not just funding education, but “investing in futures.”

“You are shaping the next generation of engineers, business leaders, healthcare professionals, educators and entrepreneurs who will one day be sitting where you are tonight,” he said.

Love of football, pursuit of excellence

Steichen shared about falling in love with football during high school, spending late nights throwing the ball to teammate Austin Collie, who later became a wide receiver for the Colts.

John Robinson, coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, recruited Steichen to play there.

When his playing career ended, Steichen looked for an opportunity to coach, which he had wanted to do since high school.

He became a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville. His entry into the NFL came when Norv Turner, whose son played with Steichen at UNLV, hired him as a coach for the Chargers in San Diego.

His then-girlfriend had just moved to that city, and they soon got engaged.

“We’ve been together now for 24 years, so I’m very grateful,” Steichen said.

Character, preparation, consistency, relentlessness

He said the four things that have stood out during his time in the NFL are character, preparation, consistency and the relentlessness to be the very best.

Character, Steichen said, builds trust. He recalled attending a coaches’ symposium that featured a Navy SEAL who asked if trust was earned or given.

Most of those attending raised their hand that it was earned, but the speaker challenged them that they had trusted surgeons and airline pilots who hadn’t earned their trust first.

“His message really was, when you get to a level in business and life, when you're at the top of your class, and you hire people into your company, there's got to be a little bit given,” Steichen said. “But you’ve still got to earn it every day.”

In the NFL, Steichen said, separation from mediocrity comes from preparation.

“You’ve got to prepare the right way to be at your best,” he said. “At the end of the day, if you can look yourself in the mirror, go through a project, whether you're in business or in life or in football, and you gave it your all, you know you can live with the results.”

Consistency, he said, builds stability in life, while relentlessness is the pursuit to be the very best in everything you can do.

He talked about coaching his then 6-year-old son through homework and his son complaining the writing task was hard.

“I go, ‘You're right. It is hard.’ You're gonna go through adversity,” Steichen said, “but as a parent and as a leader of company or organization, our job is to inspire, empower and guide.”

“That's what it's about,” he concluded. “Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you going.”

Live painting fetches $1,100

After Steichen spoke, the Gala moved into the live auction portion of the evening, which included sports and vacation packages and radio advertising.

The last item in the live auction was a watercolor of Pokagon State Park painted during the event by Adela Les, a computer engineering major at Trine. The painting sold for $1,100.

Concluding the event, Trine University President-Elect Tony Kline, Ph.D., reminded listeners that the evening is far more than an enjoyable night together.

“By being part of this Gala, you are allowing Trine University students to achieve their goals, hopes and dreams, impacting not only them, but the families they will go on to lead, the organizations where they will work and the communities where they will live,” he said.