Life sometimes mirrors sports – within an instant, everything can change.

No one knows this more than kinesiology and physical education assistant professor Walter Owens.

Owens is a former Negro League Baseball player, assistant coach to the NIU basketball team and former head coach of the men’s baseball team. His athletic background, ability and mental toughness were tested more than ever in his life. He’s had to work hard to continue and finish his NIU teaching career and, most importantly, just to get his life back to the way it was.

“I was teaching the bowling class, and was ready to give them the directions for the day,” Coach Owens said. “And I dropped a piece of paper and I couldn’t pick it up. I kept missing.”

Owens attempted to pick the paper up six times, but couldn’t grasp it. A student volunteered to pick it up for Owens, but he said he was OK. He tried three more times before finally scooping the paper up. His words began to slur and employees in the bowling alley could tell something was wrong.

Owens couldn’t. And at first, neither could his doctors.

“I drove myself to [Kishwaukee] hospital,” Owens said. “And I got a CAT scan and [my physician] said, ‘Everything’s fine. You’re OK. Go home.'”

But everything wasn’t OK for Coach O. The doctor told Owens to give him a call the next morning. When Owens made the call, the doctor had a different opinion. He specified to Owens not to teach or drive and come into the office as soon as possible. The doctor finally made the right call – telling Owens that he had a stroke.

“And it seemed like right at that point, I lost the use of my hands and my leg,” Owens said.

Students in his KNPE 117 and 118 (Bowling I and II), as well as coaching classes for baseball and basketball (KNPE 375 and 376), were left with substitutes – sometimes. Other times, there would be no substitute at all, and classes would either be cancelled or left empty.

Faculty and staff reacted to word of Owens’ stroke remorsefully.

“I was shocked and saddened at the same time,” said Don Bramlett, director of Retention Programs and friend of Owens. “To my knowledge, Owens has always been in good health.”

Bramlett has always recommended Owens’ classes to students, calling his method and lecturing “the Coach O experience.”

“I was very depressed,” Bolles, said. “He didn’t seem ill at all.”

Bolles lost his mother to a stroke. The occurrence of his close friend suffering the same ailment played into his mind.

Owens spent five days at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, and rehabbed for about a week until relocating to the Van Matre HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Rockford for more rehab.

Bramlett said Owens had almost no use of his left side in his first days at Kishwaukee.

On March 14, a sign was posted on the classroom door in Chick Evans Field House. It announced to students a new instructor would teach KNPE 375 and 376 following spring break.

However, by March 19, Owens was back teaching coaching of basketball and baseball. He still had limited motion on his left side and occasionally walked with a cane.

Owens didn’t tell very many people he was back teaching.

“I didn’t know he was back until someone told me yesterday,” Bramlett said a week after Owens had returned. “But he spent a lot of time in rehab, so he must’ve had clearance from his doctors and people in physical therapy.”

“I didn’t know at first and I was a bit apprehensive,” Bolles said. “But the doctors said it would be good for him.”

Why did he decide to come back? Was it tough for him to come back?

“It wasn’t that tough because mentally, I had already wanted to come back,” Owens said. Owens was determined to return to NIU to finish out his final year of teaching full-time as an assistant professor.

“Most people in rehab [following a stroke] work out three days a week, Bolles said. “Walt worked out five days. I think his competitive nature drove him back here.”

And it’s his competitive nature that will make him remembered for years to come after his retirement.