Ex-Fresno State football player, longtime Valley coach/mentor dies from brain cancer

Longtime local coach and mentor Stephen Shelley was remembered for his positive impact on children throughout the Fresno-Clovis area during funeral services Saturday.

Shelley died on Feb. 8 after battling brain cancer the past six years. He was 52.

He often used his upbeat personality and sense of humor to connect with students of all ages and backgrounds.

“He was a jokester and a comedian, and we all loved him because he always knew how to make you smile,” said Kenya Shelley, Stephen’s wife. “He was high energy, always happy.

“He lived for being there for his kids and those kids and helping them succeed.”

Shelley’s career and popularity

Shelley spent several years working at various school in Fresno Unified as a physical education teacher and coach before working in a counselor/mentor role during the final stretch of his career with Clovis Unified.

A former Fresno State football player (1988-89), Shelley also served as an assistant football coach at the high school level for more than 20 years. He helped coach basketball and track and field, too.

His coaching stops included Roosevelt High, Sunnyside, Edison and Buchanan.

But his reach extended well beyond the high schools, with Shelley also coaching little kids.

Toward the final years of Shelley’s life, several past students came to visit him after learning he had cancer.

Kenya said she wasn’t surprised by the number of visits Shelley received.

She remembered how popular her husband was when they’d walk on campus after a game.

“It was like he was Michael Jackson,” Kenya said. “It was ‘Hi, Mr. Shelley; Hi, Mr. Shelley’ in every direction. It was incredible to see.

“And then you see them reaching out to see him when he got sick. We’ve seen countless number of students who thanked him, shared their stories with me about how they met him. That’s when you really know he touched a lot of people’s lives.”

Dealing with cancer

In 2014, doctors discovered a tumor growing in Shelley’s brain.

So he underwent surgery to remove it, which left a noticeable indention at the top of his head and forced him to regularly wear beanies.

Doctors, however, warned Shelley that the tumor likely would come back because it was so aggressive.

Four years later, those fears were confirmed when the tumor reappeared.

Surgery to remove the tumor also was no longer an option because it had grown deeper inside his brain, according to Kenya Shelley.

Then when chemotherapy and radiation stopped working, Shelley was placed in hospice care by August 2019.

“His type of cancer normally doesn’t occur until someone is at least 70 years old,” Kenya said. “Stephen was 46 when his came. I have questions about if there’s a link from his football days,” questioning a possible link to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) that has been diagnosed in a growing number of former players.

“Doctors can’t say for sure. But I wonder.”

Still smiling and laughing

Through it all, Shelley managed to keep a positive view on life and still made jokes.

Like when a friend visited Shelley while in hospice care and took video of him eating french fries.

To which Shelley responded to the camera: “Man, everybody’s going to say, ‘Why is he eating that?’ What does it matter what I eat right now? I’m on hospice.

“You should be wanting to bring me some Rally’s fries. And a double dry burger. And a frosty when my wife’s not around.”

College sweethearts, Shelley and Kenya went on to raise two children during their 21 years of marriage.

She said Shelley always was in high spirits.

“Even after knowing he had brain cancer, he would say, ‘If you wake up alive, then you live,’” Kenya said. “And what he meant by that is you have to live life. You have to continue to live life no matter what tough cards are dealt your way.

“So why not live life to its fullest?”

Shelley is survived by his wife, daughter Mi-Angel and son Stephen Jr., his mother and father, and nine siblings.

“My husband fought hard and he fought long,” Kenya. “Now he gets to rest.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 9:02 PM.