On a fall Monday morning at 7 a.m., Donald ‘Chili’ Stephens’ first alarm blares into his bedroom. An hour and a half later after a shower and breakfast, Chili arrives at Grant High School for his first class of the day. When the final bell rings at 3:30 p.m., he heads straight to the locker rooms for football practice—earbuds in, head down. For two hours, Chili runs drills on the turf with the Grant High School Varsity Football Team, practicing alongside over 30 teammates and pushing them to work harder. He says, “If you’re not doing what you gotta be doing, you’re not gonna achieve what you wanna achieve.”
When practice ends, Chili hurries home for family dinner before a late-night workout at a friend’s gym. After working out, he finishes up his homework and gets to bed early enough to repeat the cycle for the rest of the school week. “It’s really exhausting, to be honest.” He says, “Where I want to be in the future motivates me. I know if I put in the work, and continue to take care of what I need to do, it’ll pay off. I just need to stay focused.”
In Oregon for the class of 2023, Chili is ranked ninth for football by 247 Sports. At Grant, Chili is widely acclaimed among the faculty and student body for his work on the football field and the basketball court.
As a two-sport athlete, Chili juggles his passions for basketball and football by maintaining a prime physical and mental condition. Through consistent workouts and practices, coaches have noticed immense growth in his playing during his high school athletic career. Coach Robert Key, varsity football and basketball coach at Grant, says, “He’s a kid that always wants to strive to be better every day that he attends practice, and even when he’s not at practice.”
Despite feeling surrounded by pressure and expectations, Chili remains focused on his priorities. “I feel like I should just play the game,” Chili says, “I don’t try to be promotional, or try to play hero ball, I just play my game.”
As a kid, Chili felt like sports were his only option. “I just wanted to do something. Growing up, everyone was playing a sport.” He adds, “I was a really observant kid … I knew what was going on with (my family), and I had no sense of purpose…then, I found basketball.”
In the early years of Chili’s life, his grandparents served as the matriarch and patriarch of his family. “(My Grandfather) taught me to be my own man and not depend on nobody, just because you’re all you’ve got at the end of the day.”
Chili began playing sports in elementary school. For him, integrating sports into daily life felt natural. He says, “My family was athletic, my brother played basketball… I used to go to the park and shoot for an hour every single day, dribble the ball anywhere.”
At eight years old, Chili’s grandmother passed away. “When I was growing up, my grandmother ended up dying, and things got rough for (my mom),” he explains, “A single parent taking care of four or five kids…at a young age I could tell my grandmother’s death really affected her.”
The loss of Chili’s grandmother shifted the trajectory of his childhood. He says, “I ended up moving in with my basketball coach.” During those years living away from home, he lost contact with his family. “Throughout those five or six years … there were times I didn’t even talk to (my mom), I didn’t know if she was alive.”
Before attending Grant, Chili prioritized his passion for basketball over other athletic endeavors. Playing basketball, and the community that came from it, became stress relievers. “A lot of people knew me, and I had a lot of friends from sports… it was good getting away from all that stuff that goes on outside my life.”
Throughout Chili’s childhood, he did not feel as though there were many people he could count on. However, he recalls close friend Adrian Mosely sticking by him throughout difficult times. “Adrian … we’ve been through some of the same stuff as kids, it’s what makes us close.” Mosely, a fellow Grant Varsity Basketball player, says, “He pushes me more than I push him; I kind of just lead from like an ‘Imma show you’ standpoint, he talks and communicates more.”
Chili says, “If you have somebody that’s real and always keeping you real no matter what, not trying to sugar coat, I think that’s the best type of people to have around.”
When the two became friends around sixth grade, doors opened for Chili to play with peers that were well known in the Portland athletic community. Shortly after, Key and Chili met at a Self Enhancement Inc. Summer Basketball Camp in North Portland. Chili’s admiration for Coach Key and past successful players at Grant inspired him to play as a General.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck in March of Chili’s freshman year. His sophomore football season was postponed to the spring of 2021, and games and practices were limited due to safety concerns. During the pandemic, Chili kept himself busy with preparation for the college recruitment season ahead of him. “I would wake up in the morning to train at 6 or 7 a.m., I’d go back home, eat. Then, I’d ride my bike up to Jefferson High School, train, go back home and then drive to my friend’s gym and go workout.” He adds, “Sometimes I’d even go jog at night.”
Chili entered the pandemic with his attention centered on basketball. However, during his sophomore year, collegiate potential arose in football, and he reassessed his priorities. He says, “I like basketball better, but I’m better at football. I feel like I have an opportunity at being a professional in (football), so that’s the sport I’m taking serious right now … but my passion is really basketball.”
Coach Key says, “I do know football is his first priority … but I’ve always told him he can excel in both, and he’s doing a great job right now as a junior in high school.”
In August 2021, Chili came down with a severe case of plantar fasciitis, a foot injury that causes heel pain. The injury interfered with the beginning of his football season and forced him to do daily recovery work. Key says, “I think the injury was his only setback, I know he has put in the work to succeed this season.”
During the 2021-22 school year, Chili played as the running back on Grant’s Varsity football team. In September, Chili watched his team lose games from the sidelines against Silverton High School and Sheldon High School while he was unable to play due to his injury. He says, “It was hard, seeing we had two losses at the beginning of the season … and feeling like if I was there we could’ve won the games.”
Key recalls how Chili spent his days after the losses, “I saw a different side of him, a sad side of him where we knew (football) was something he couldn’t rush to get back into, and when he did rush, he wasn’t fully healed and needed more time.”
When Chili had finally made significant strides in recovery, he got back on the field to play against McDaniel High School on September 17, 2021. That night, Grant claimed a victory with a score of 42-0, and Chili paved the way, rushing yards past stands packed with cheering students.
Chili feels as though his team looks to him as a leader now that he is an upperclassman. He says, “As I got older I figured out that you gotta be more than just a visual leader. If you have the words, they’re gonna listen to you, so whatever you do, they’re gonna do that.” Chili adds, “If you play harder, they’re gonna play harder. If you’re watching film, they’re gonna be watching film. Just because they wanna be great.”
Chili finds excitement in leading his team. “Whatever I say, (the team) gon’ listen to me. It’s fun.” He adds, “I like bringing good energy to the team. Having fun, laughing … everyone needs good energy in their life.”
Key says, “Chili is the ultimate teammate. You can always see him picking up others when they’re down … he leads by example, and it domino effects to the whole team.”
Since noticing his potential in professional football, Chili has looked to role models and well-achieved athletes for guidance and expertise. He particularly admires Fred Taylor, a former running back from the National Football League who played during the 1990s and 2000s. He says, “What I noticed about (Fred Taylor) is he’s observant; he doesn’t really talk much, but then he always says the right things when he does.” Chili hopes to model Taylor’s humbleness, and his thoughtful approach to sportsmanship.
Chili has continued to maintain a close relationship with Key. He says, “Out of all the coaches, he’s who I’m closest to … there’s not really many Black coaches here, so it’s good just talking to him.” After building a close bond over the years, Key has become aware of Chili’s background and life story. “He understands me more than any other coach … it’s comfortable.” Key says, “It’s a blessing to know that we do have the relationship we have.” He adds, “ I’ve been in a similar situation growing up … so I understand the struggle, and I understand that I can be a positive role model to make sure that he’s in a good environment and a good situation.”
Generally, Chili feels supported by the Grant faculty and administration beyond the coaching staff. “I feel like I am appreciated, and my relationship with (the coaches) is pretty good.” Since being raised in a situation that introduced ideals of independence early on, he maintains the idea that he is responsible for his own success. He says, “It’s really my responsibility to take care of stuff, and it’s not up to (teachers or coaches) at the end of the day.”
Chili is optimistic about the remainder of his collegiate recruitment process. Yet, college scouting comes with high stakes, and high stakes come with pressure from everyone around him. He says, “I got people texting me, calling me, saying ‘you better have three touchdowns,’ ‘four touchdowns,’ ‘you gotta have two hundred yards’… it’s a lot of pressure … it’s a lot of background talk I gotta hear all the time.”
In recent years, Chili has become more open about his battles with mental health. He says mental health is “something that everybody should talk about … because everyone is going through something we don’t know about.”
Chili copes with his own escalating stress by listening to music, spending time with friends, and practicing mindfulness. Yet, he still finds himself overwhelmed at times. He says, “I feel like I could be a lot easier on myself and not pay so close attention to the background talk … just play my game.” He remains focused on the reasoning behind his division one aspirations, “I just want to play at a high level, the best of the best, so I can become a better player.”
After spending several years living with his coach, Chili has now moved back in with his mother and little brothers. He says, “I’d seen my mom was back on her feet, and I just wanted to make sure my brothers was straight… I know growing up without nobody can be tough, and you can go down the wrong path, so I didn’t want them to do that.”
Chili continues to work on rebuilding his relationship with his mom and his family. He says, “Everything that (my mom) went through, everything that she overcame just keeping her faith in God … turning, changing, becoming a better person. It’s what inspires me to do what I do … take care of my responsibilities to make sure she doesn’t have to work,” Chili says.
Key is also friends with Chili’s mother, and has observed how parental support has improved Chili’s frame of mind. He says, “Now that I see Chili’s got a beautiful relationship with his mom, I see a lot of stability.”
The dynamic of Chili’s relationship with his grandfather has shifted in recent years. His grandfather experienced a car accident that severely impaired his abilities to communicate, which hindered their abilities to maintain a close relationship. Despite these challenges, Chili still feels empowered everyday by his grandparent’s legacies and leadership.
While living with his mom, Chili has been able to foster relationships with his little brothers, too. “I’m basically just being a father figure to them.” He says, “The oldest after me, his dad is an on and off situation like (mine). I just want to make sure he don’t have the same thoughts I used to have, make sure he don’t stress at a young age.” With a smile, he adds, “My other little brother, he’s a pretty good kid.”
Chili sees his protection over his little brothers as reparative for himself, too. He says, “I wanna make sure they’re straight, they’re set, so they don’t go through the things I went through.” Reflecting, Chili adds, “It’s not fun at all, not being able to do things you wanna do, some nights you don’t eat … I don’t want other kids to go through that.” He intends to provide for his brothers with the means of a professional athletic career, and aims to ensure they never cope with the financial or food insecurity that he once did.
His twelve-year-old little brother now plays football, too, inspired by Chili. “They watch my every move like I used to with my big brother … I gotta set the right example for them.”
On October 15, 2021, Grant defeated Roosevelt High School with a score of 42-41, proclaiming Grant the winner of the Portland Interscholastic League for football for the fourth consecutive year. Although Chili was unable to be out on the field due to a COVID-19 exposure, he felt pride for his team while watching alongside his family. “I feel like sports gave me motivation to do something with my life, to find something that would bring my family back together.”
Grant lost in the first round of playoffs to Lakeridge High School on November 5, 2021 with a score of 28-14. However, Chili still reflects positively on his team’s growth throughout the past season. He says, “All of our losses are just learning experiences.”
Chili does not plan to conclude his athletic career upon graduating from Grant next year. He plans to work until he is covering ground on the turf of a Division 1 college. Key says, “The first step in the right direction in his goal-setting is to get him playing Division 1 football. Once we get step one in the right direction, I believe the sky’s the limit. We could see him playing on Sundays.”
