Tribute To Stephen G. Hoffman
We
were unfortunate to lose one of our own in the 9/11 attacks. Stephen
G. Hoffman was one of the thousands in the World Trade Center
tragedy. Though he is not physically here, we all know he is with us
in spirit each day.
Stephen G. Hoffman
Below are some writings from his former players and
friends.
Although it has been has been 1 year and 4 months since 9/11 I
still remember it like yesterday, and even though at the time when
it happened I thought nobody I knew was in there, like the rest of
America I also cried. Thinking of the families and there losses. I
recently decided to look up the Queens Falcons online to see if the
web site was up. I was shocked to find out that one of our own was
at towers, words cannot explain how I feel my first thoughts are my
condolences to the family of coach Steve. See, it took me two weeks
to put my words together when I found out about the tragic loss and
it hit me hard. Although I was only with the program two years (94
@95) the Queens Falcons program has meant a lot to me throughout out
my life. The things that all our coaches, including coach Steve,
taught us has gotten me far in life. Things I will never forget like
practice! How you play, always show class, go hard every down, act
like champions, sure enough we became champs in 95, when I first
joined the team I never played tackle football. I was 6 feet and 150
lbs and I remember my first practice I got beat up. I was doing
tackling drills with Seanie and it looked like football wasn't for
me, but the coaches never gave up on me. By the second game I was
playing regularly. I remember it was against Rosedale I had my
breakout game and Coach Steve and Greg both smiled at me and cheered
for me whenever I made a good play. I've never had that before in my
life, and that was the first time I believed I could do anything if
I worked hard at it. Before that I was little hoodlum from Corona
with no goals. The program made me believe I could succeed, after
the 95 season, that same December in fact I moved to Orlando, FL,
where I played 6a high school football. My team in Orlando was one
of the worst in the region, we lost every game but two. One of them
was on my birth day and on that day I didn't want to lose. I went
out in the middle of the pre-game huddle and I told my team that
there's no way in hell I'm going to lose, we are going to crush them
… then I made my whole team holler 'Crush'em!' like we did in the
Falcons … and damn it we won.
That's how important the Queens Falcons program has been in my life,
it has been the foundation for my adulthood. And to lose Coach Steve
is like losing a mentor, someone I definitely look up to. Coach
Steve and Greg always stressed the importance of education and
without that I would have never pursued college. Currently I'm
striving to be an entrepreneur in real estate and other investments.
I will never forget everything the program taught me. These values I
pass to my little brother and his friends who are now 15. So I guess
what I'm trying to say is thank you coach for taking your free time
to teach me football and life, you've made a big difference in my
life I will never forget you ... crush'em..
Lana
Crooker
I never knew Steve Hoffman but after reading the lovely tributes
written by those that did know him I am moved to write and say that
our world was a better place for that period of time that Steve was
in it.....he touched the hearts of many ....and I thank you Ray
Romano for putting this link on your website so that I could read
about a wonderful man who gave much to many. May God Bless.
Anthony Nieves
I played with the Queens Falcons during the summer of 2001 for
training for the upcoming season. Although I did not make the weight
status to play I felt that coach Steve helped me set goals for
myself and the confidence not to give up. Finding out that coach
Steve had lost his life in that building shocked me for the fact
that I go to high school at Murry Bergtraum for business careers
which is not to far away from WTC. On that day I saw and felt
everything as the attack on us occurred and it was a most
devastating sight that I have ever seen. Coach Steve had a saying
for football that the strength of a player doesn't come from their
upper body but from their legs. The way coach Steve called it was
"using your trunks". Even till this day I feel that coach Steve
would want us to hold ourselves up strong with our "trunks" for
these are our roots which represents our spirits that will never
die.
Coach Steve was a remarkable man who had a love & passion for
everything and everyone that was around him.
Victor Guerrero
This is Victor Guerrero from the upcoming 2002 Falcons and I
would just like to say that I hardly knew Coach Steve. I was going
to be coached by him for the upcoming 2001 season but due to the
World Trade Center Attacks I couldn't. I just wanted to say that he
was the best Coach ever and that I know that he is still with us in
our hearts and dreams and in spirit. And we all miss him very much
and wish he was here so he could coach us. He was a great coach and
man and anybody that knows him I'm sure will never forget him
because I know that I will never forget Coach Steve.
I want everybody to know that we should of won last year against
Bayside in the championship for Steve but I promise we will win this
year and dedicate every season to [him]. This year we will dedicate
every play, every game, and every day to Coach Steve
like he would want us to. This year the 2002 [team will] make up for
last years loss in the Championship and where going to win a
Championship for Coach Stephen Hoffman ... I promise.
Thank You Coach Steve for teaching me the game of football but most
important the Game of Life. I will miss u very much and I know
you're up in Heaven right now looking down on us and no matter what
you will always be in our hearts.
Coach Tim Cavanaugh
Stephen was the greatest motivator of young men and people I
have ever met and he will never be forgotten.
I LOVE YOU ALWAYS MY BROTHER!
Corporal Monuel M. Aulov aka Manny
Good Afternoon Dec.6, 2001
Coach Cavanaugh, I don't know if you remember me its been some years
now since you were my special teams and defense coach, but I will
never forget my years as a Forest Hills Falcon, the Orange and Navy
Blue Colors, I guess since then I heard the colors have changed as
time does. As for myself I graduated High-school and pursued my
Baseball Career in High-school, I was a pitcher and a 3rd Basemen my
school went to the city finals but came up short against Newton high
school both years...but after High-School, I life was getting kind
of hectic and difficult so I decided to go into the Marine Corps, at
first I thought it was a dumb decision but as I am 4 months away
from coming back home I realize it was the best decision I could
have made for myself, Because not only am I a better person but now
I have many skills that the Marine Corps taught me and I didn't
understand them till recently and they are HONOR, COURAGE AND
COMMITMENT. The Other day I ran into Teddy he just entered the
Marine Corps and he told me that Steve died in the World Trade
Center, Let me tell you that my heart dropped when I heard that, I
remember Steve and Greg and Kane and the whole Coaching crew back in
93-95, but heart and my prayers go out to Greg and his family as
well as Steve's, I will never forget that guy as long as I live, it
brings tears to my eyes when I just think about that he's gone, he
was a true role model on the field and off. I don't know if you know
but I currently work in the Pentagon and I was in almost the same
predicament luckily myself and my fellow Marines in my shop got out
in time, it was honestly a horrifying experience, there was a lot of
confusion and smoke and bodies as well. But luckily god spared me,
and not a day goes by that I don't thank him for that. And not a day
in my life will go by without my prayers going out to the Hoffman
Family. I was in Afghanistan and Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for 1
week writing vital info for the Marine Corps, but let me tell you it
was not a pretty sight, Myself in the 4 year career I had here, I
traveled all over the world and accomplished so many Marine Corps
Missions, But now I am just a Computer Guy and Intel and there is
another kind of mission to get done here at the Pentagon and that is
to catch the perpetrators and terrorists who did this and bring them
to justice. Once again my prayer's go out to everyone.
Ricky Ayeung
When playing for the Falcons, I remember the coaches telling us
how we should give in as much as they were; go to practice every
scheduled day because they're taking time from their own lives to be
there for us. Still, I failed to realize what they were telling us.
I couldn't see what the big deal was, but now I know. I realize the
hundreds of hours they accumulated over the years, that took away
from their families, was FOR US. They taught us lessons by using
football as the medium. We saw it was football games, they saw it as
a chance to teach us to be men.
You never really appreciate a person until they're gone, and how
many times have we learned that lesson? I had lost contact with the
Falcons for some time, and when I did get back in touch with the
organization it was around 9/11. My timing could not have been
worse.
Finding out about Steve was one of the harder things to take on. Up
till that point, I was one of the lucky ones to think I didn't know
anyone in the 9/11 attacks, but I was wrong. You couldn't meet a
better group of guys who not only knew what they were coaching, but
cared just as much. So how do you pay your respects to someone like
Steve? ... you can't. You can't possibly pay back a person for all
the sacrifices he made for us kids. You can only remember the
lessons he taught and dedication he gave. So for all the times I
failed to say so during practices and games, ... 'thank you.'