Stan, Steven & Mark Whittington
Year Inducted: 2024
Over a span of 47 years, the Whittington brothers coached one of the most successful youth football programs in Wilkes County. Steven and Stan began coaching the Mulberry-Fairplains Ruritan 6 - 8th grade football in 1974, with Mark joining in 1977. The Wilkes Yellow Jackets included K-2nd, 3-4th, 5-6th, and 7-8th grade teams. More than 3,100 players participated before the program ended in 2021. The 3 brothers coached the 7-8th grade team for 40 years. Their coaching philosophy stressed fundamentals, academics, sportsmanship, dedication, and hard work, all while making football fun! This philosophy created success on the field and off. There was a ‘no cut’ policy where boys and girls were allowed to participate. Their mantra was if someone wanted to play football, they would make it possible. The team provided all equipment and insurance, and program fees were waved as needed, until dropped in 2002. All players played for free. After the season, players were allowed to keep their game jersey (with their name), and tapes/CDs of the games were available. The brothers paid for physicals, shoes, and mouth pieces for players in need, as well as team meals after long road games. Rides to and from practice and games were provided by the Whittington’s daily. Assistant coaches and players joked about Steven, Stan, and Mark’s bus service! Players were awarded for good play with helmet decals after games, and team awards at the end of each season. Former players commented “The Whittington’s taught me a lot about what it takes to be a good football player, but more importantly, they taught me a lot about what it takes to be a good man.” and “I learned so much more than football from those men, as they taught me about life and how to become a man.”
Steven and Stan were born on May 22, 1951, and Mark was born on June 19, 1955 to Mary Dula Whittington and Ernest Edsel Whittington. The four brothers, Steven, Stan, Mark, and Scott were raised in Wilkesboro, played 7-8th grade football, and graduated from Wilkes Central High School. Stan and Steven played 4 years of football, track, and wrestled. Stan received the Most Improved Defensive Lineman Award his junior year. Steven and Stan received the Eagle Award their senior year. Mark played one year of football, managed varsity football for two years, and wrestled for three years. The three brothers graduated from Wilkes Community College and Appalachian State University with teaching degrees in 1973, and 1977 respectively. Steven earned his Master’s Degree in Social Studies in 1978.
Stan worked at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. corporate office for 29 years, retiring in 2001. He married Betsy Conrad in 1997 and has four daughters, and 5 grandchildren. Steven taught school for 32 years at Traphill, Mulberry, and North Wilkes Middle School, retiring in 2007. He coached basketball and softball, as well as coaching JV basketball at NWHS for 7 seasons. He was inducted in the North Wilkes Hall of Fame class of 2022. Steven married Tamara Burcham in 2007. Mark worked 46 years in the family business at Better Homes Furniture Company and retired in 2022. He married Hope Wiles in 1999.
After the brothers had coached more than a decade, the YMCA dropped youth football in 1989. Stan quickly took action to preserve youth football by forming a new Wilkes County league, named the Yellow Jackets. They later added 1-2nd, 3-4th, and 5-6th grade teams, and played teams from surrounding counties. In 2002, the Yellow Jackets evolved into a county wide team, and Wilkes students in grades 1-8th were eligible to play, including public, private, and home schooled. This was the first in this area. As football programs evolved, the Yellow Jackets 7-8th grade began playing middle schools from neighboring counties and states. The younger teams played in the Appalachian Mighty Mountaineer Youth Football League, and later in the Mountain Valley Youth Football Athletic Conference. Teams became fewer as middle schools joined conferences, so the Yellow Jackets joined the Queen City Middle School Conference, composed of private, charter, and Christian schools in the Charlotte area. They won two conference championships, and one tournament championship in two years. In 2021 the Yellow Jacket program was dissolved due to a nationwide decline in youth sports, competition from other conferences, travel teams, and the Covid pandemic. The brothers give credit and thanks to many coaches who worked with them through the years giving their time and talent to help coach youth in Wilkes County.