Watch the entire film below. (Though, we recommend casting it to a big screen and cranking it up.) Enjoy.

“Listening to the words in some of those speeches, they resonated deeper than I realized. They are the cornerstone of who I am.” -Chris Osswald ‘80

The Film

Thirty years ago this fall, I was fortunate to play on a D.C. Everest State Championship football team. This film is a gift to both the Steffenhagen family and D.C. Everest Football.

“Paint Me Green” is a personal project and tribute piece about Wayne Steffenhagen, legendary Wisconsin high school football coach. One could say the project started during the 2007 season, when Coach Steff gave me access to film him and mic him up on the sideline of every Evergreen game. But I like to think it actually started in the fall of 1978, when the Steffenhagens moved three houses down the road from my family. My hope is that this film will bring back some of the sights, sounds, and smells of Everest football for anyone and everyone who was lucky enough to be coached by Steff, or anyone who was lucky enough to see one of his teams play.

The Why

Let’s face it; they don’t make them like Coach Steff anymore. As the game of football has evolved, a lot has changed about it, and it’s rare to see such a salt-of-the-earth coach roaming the sidelines these days. The number of things Coach Steffenhagen accomplished for both the football program and the community while mentoring thousands of high-school student athletes is quite impressive, to say the least. I felt it was a no-brainer that a piece like this should be made, and I think many of you who see it will agree.

Read more about the story behind the film here.

“I wish I could play one more game for Coach Steff! This film takes me right back into our locker room…how great it was, and now brought back to life.” -Andy Becker ‘89