When New Iberia Senior High School administrators decided to honor former players and coaches by creating a NISH Hall of Fame for Athletics, one of the criteria established for nominees was that they should be people of great character.

The second class for the NISH athletic Hall of Fame, scheduled to be inducted at the Yellow Jackets’ home opener against Comeaux, perfectly exemplifies that factor.

The late Eddie Sorrel, who was both an athlete and coach at New Iberia Senior High, and Kerry Joseph, a record-setting quarterback at NISH who went on to play at McNeese State University and now in the Canadian Football League, both had great success in their athletic endeavors.

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But being good examples to the community at large and to those close to them has been as big a part of their success as athletic talent and coaching ability.

“I think Dad had a charisma that let him reach kids and help them be successful in life,” said Angela Moore, Sorrel’s daughter. “If he could help use athletics to do that, or use his techniques in class to help do that, he did. He taught them you always have to strive to be your best. He was a very good teacher of character.”

Sorrel was named Mr. Athlete at NISH when he graduated in 1967. At New Iberia Senior High, he competed in track and football, earning All-District and honorable mention All-State honors. Turning down a chance to play football at LSU, Sorrel chose to attend McNeese State University, where he ran track.

“My dad was an exceptional athlete,” said Sorrel’s son, Steven. “He ran 46, 47 seconds (in the 400 meters) in college, and sub-50 in high school, on grass. He had an opportunity to play football at LSU and turned it down. He didn’t want to get beat up.”

Sorrel’s two children and his widow Marilyn will accept the award at halftime ceremonies Friday.

“It’s really hard to put it into words,” said Moore. “New Iberia Senior High was a really big part of my dad’s life. He was an athlete there, a coach and teacher. To have his efforts recognized means a lot to us.”

After finishing his college career, Sorrel coached at Barbe High School while earning his master’s degree at McNeese. He also coached at Jeanerette Senior High twice and at New Iberia Freshman High in addition to two coaching stints at NISH, from 1977-85 and 1990-93. His Yellow Jackets won district championships in cross country four times and six times in track and field, and finished as state runner-up in 1984 and 1991. He also coached Jeanerette to a state track championship.

“I think when people think of Dad’s legacy, they think of his charisma and commitment to character,” said Moore. “(NISH) never won a state championship when he was coach, so for him to be honored without that state championship trophy means a lot to us.”

While the Jackets did not win a state title under Sorrel, NISH assistant principal Joel McFarland credits him with setting the stage for NISH state titles in the years after Sorrel moved from coaching into school administration. McFarland coached track at NISH after Sorrel, and he and then-principal Jean Reaux honored Sorrel with his own championship ring when the Yellow Jackets won state titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Steven Sorrel said he was practically born and raised at NISH, going to football and track practices with his dad as a youngster. His dad coached him for one year before being named assistant principal at Anderson Middle School and leaving the coaching ranks. Eddie Sorrel eventually moved to the school board office, where he was the Iberia Parish School Board Transportation Supervisor.

“I was a sophomore when he was coaching, and right when track season started was when he got the assistant principal’s job at Anderson Middle,” said Steven Sorrel. “I do remember a lot of the kids he coached in track. I run into them and we’ll talk about all the things Dad used to do. He was hard but he was fair.”

For example, one year the Jackets did not win the district title they were favored to win because some of Sorrel’s top athletes had skipped practice, and he suspended them. Steven Sorrel, who coaches pole vaulters at NISH, recently had a similar situation, and used his father’s example as a guide.

“He had a rule, you either show up (for practice), or you don’t compete,” said Steven Sorrel. “I had the same problem with one of my kids who didn’t show up for practice.

“It all correlates with the real world. All that pain and suffering you go through makes you better.”

Sorrel said that though he did not become a teacher like his father, who died when Steven was 20 years old, he enjoys coaching.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish he was here,” said Sorrel. “I see what he got out of (coaching), and it’s not all about money. If you can touch one kid’s life, it’s very rewarding.”

And his father’s induction into the NISH Hall of Fame is both an honor and an inspiration.

“To me it’s an honor,” said Sorrel. “It also gives me a goal as a coach.”

Joseph played football and basketball and ran track at NISH from 1998-91, earning All-District honors in football and track. He was a state champion in the javelin and discus before playing football at McNeese from 1991-95, where he earned conference MVP honors and Louisiana Player of the Year honors as a senior.

After stints in the World Football League and with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, Joseph moved to the CFL, where he could play the position he preferred, quarterback, rather than being a defensive back in the NFL. Joseph led the Saskatchewan Rough Riders to the Grey Cup championship in 2007, earning League MVP honors.

“I think it’s a good honor,” said Joseph, who will not be able to attend Friday’s game because he will be playing for the Toronto Argonauts Friday night. “You never forget where you come from. New Iberia Senior High has been a real big part of my upbringing.

“When I look back at the coaches I had, it was like another father figure for me. Coaches we had in football, basketball, baseball and track taught you how to be a man.”

In addition to playing football, Joseph also for years helped out with a free local youth football camp, where current and former college and professional players worked with area youngsters to improve both their football and life skills.

“Those (high school) coaches taught you how to carry yourself on the court or on the field,” said Joseph. “And they instilled the work ethic I have now.”

Joseph’s mother, Geraldine Joseph, oldest brother Kevin Joseph and niece Keily, Kevin’s daughter, will take time from watching the Argonauts play Friday to attend the halftime ceremony.

“I think it’s a great idea to recognize a lot of athletes and coaches,” said Kerry Joseph.

McFarland also encourages former teammates of Joseph’s and athletes who Sorrel coached to attend Friday’s game as a way to help honor the two.

A committee of former coaches who worked at least five years at NISH selects nominees for the Hall of Fame and votes on them each year. Last year’s first class included former NISH athlete and coach Bobby Keasler and former NISH football and track standout Johnny Hector.