From Loss to Leadership: Elias Velasquez Finds His Footing at Greenville University
Published: September 19, 2025
Author: Liz Dowell
When Elias Velasquez first arrived at Greenville University, he carried more than just a football bag and a class schedule - he brought the hope of a fresh start. A criminal justice major with a minor in crisis management, Elias had already endured more in his first year than many students face in a lifetime.
Born in New York and raised in Florida, Elias was drawn to Greenville not only by football but by the persistence and personal attention of GU’s coaching staff.
“Other schools ghosted me,” he said. “But Greenville? They checked in almost every other day. They made me feel like I mattered.”
After a GU Coach made a personal visit to his home in Florida, Elias committed, hoping to find not just a team - but a home.
UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES
What followed was a year of both triumph and heartbreak.
In the spring of his freshman year, Elias’s world was upended. His father - his coach, motivator, and biggest fan - passed away unexpectedly.
“He was my guy. We traveled everywhere together for football. Losing him…I didn’t know how to move forward,” Elias shared. “I went home for two weeks, and I wasn’t sure I was coming back.”
He did return - but the grief came with him.
In the months that followed, Elias began to drift. Searching for peace, he turned to drinking. “It started as a way to numb the pain,” he admitted. “But then any little inconvenience-something didn’t go my way-and I’d spiral. It wasn’t just about my dad anymore. I was using it to avoid everything.”
That period marked a turning point. Back home during the summer, Elias saw friends getting caught up in dangerous patterns. He recognized the road he was headed down.
“I didn’t want to be stuck in a high school mindset while trying to grow,” he said. “That’s when I knew I needed to change.”
A SECOND CHANCE
Returning to campus in the fall, Elias leaned into his support system. Teammates like Kaiden Cervantes and coaches like Coach Lee Tenenoff and Coach Logan
Kirk stepped in - not just with words, but with presence.
“They didn’t always know what to say. But they sat with me, brought me into their spaces, played golf with me, made me feel like I wasn’t alone.”
Faith also became a lifeline. At his father’s funeral, Elias held onto a verse from Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” It stayed with him. Later, through Bible studies and one-on-one conversations with Coach Tenenoff, he began rebuilding his foundation - not just as a student or athlete, but as a man rooted in something more profound.
“I was always in the Word,” Elias said. “But now it’s different. Now it’s part of my healing.”
Today, Elias is thriving. He’s a starting player on the football team. He’s working hard during the summer in Arizona to fund his education. He’s found a new rhythm of discipline, reflection, and purpose. His coping tools have changed too - trading the bottle for the gym, using movement to process emotion. “I run or lift until I’m not mad anymore,” he said. “It works.”
And though his dad isn’t in the stands, Elias finds ways to bring him into every game. “My goal? Make every play so the announcers have to say my name - over and over. That way, maybe he can hear it, too.”
When asked what advice he'd give to other students walking through loss, Elias didn't hesitate. "Keep moving. It doesn't have to be fast - just one step forward, even if it takes weeks. That one step is everything."
Through grief, setbacks, and a second chance, Elias Velasquez isn’t just surviving - he’s becoming who he was meant to be.
