With one look at the walls of Bob Elliott’s office, it is easy to see why he has such a good coaching reputation.Autographed framed portraits of former Hawkeye prodiges decorate the office of ISU’s assistant football coach.Messages such as “thanks for everything” from former 49er and Pro-Bowler Merton Hanks and “I wouldn’t be here without your help” from Matt Bowen, a defensive back for the St. Louis Rams, adorn the room. And Tommy Knight of the Arizona Cardinals thanks Elliott for “teaching him the fundamentals.”Other athletes’ pictures fill the space of his walls, and there are also pictures of family and friends. Amidst it all is a bulletin board near his desk. It keeps notes reminding coach what to do and who to call. A small white note in the middle stands out. On it is the name JoEllen Hull and a number that Elliott can reach her at.Jo is not the next Dustin Avey, and Elliott isn’t calling to tell her how nice the campus is and why she should come visit.But you don’t have to be a football player to be strong and you don’t have to grind out 60 minutes on the gridiron to be a warrior.Elliott is calling Jo for an entirely different reason, far more important than any Insight.com Bowl. Jo has non-Hodgkins lymphoma and is undergoing a stem-cell transplant — the same procedure that Elliott went through in 1998, hospitalizing him for 32 days.Jo, all of 40-years old, has battled much turmoil in the past two years. Not long ago, she was first diagnosed with cancer. Maintaining an upbeat attitude, she fought off the disease and managed to keep her sense of humor.She joked that it was easier to get ready to go out. She didn’t have to worry about her hair that was gone, a result of the chemotherapy.Jo won the first round, but the cancer came back — this time it was worse. It was devastating news.Again, Jo faced a third-and-long in the game of life while more bad things waited for her in the near future.Her 41-year old husband of 22 years, Myron, suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack.Not only did Jo have to face her own sickness, but also deal with the loss of a husband and a great friend.Just when it looked like things couldn’t get worse, a light shined through the gloom. Like any tough battle, the victor needs a good coach. Jo found that. More appropriately, the coach found Jo.Elliott heard from Jo’s father about what was going on in her life. Elliott, knowing the seriousness of the challenge that Jo faced, made time to call her.The first time he called her, Jo couldn’t talk, so Elliott gave her his home number and his cellular number.”You have to understand that I didn’t know this man from anyone,” she said.She told her friends that some Elliott guy from Iowa State had called her. They proceeded to laugh.”They just kept going on and on about who he was,” she said. “Well, then I felt stupid.”By talking with Elliott, her emotions of foolishness were quickly transformed into positive feelings about the upcoming procedures. “He is a very positive person,” she said. “He said it would be a tough road, but I could do it.”Elliott also told her that he would have a spot waiting for her in the sky boxes at a Cyclone game next season. Elliott reminded Jo to root for the Cyclones during their 37-29 bowl victory, also.”I asked him why he didn’t tell me he was such an important person, and that my friends had been laughing at me,” she said.Elliott just laughed.Much like the difference that Elliott has made in the ISU special teams, the difference in Jo’s attitude was evident.”By the time I was done talking, I felt more secure and confident,” she proclaimed.Elliott was able to tell Jo which nurses she would see, both the good ones and the bad ones. He told her what the procedure would be and what it does.”The chemo knocks you on your butt,” Elliott said.Jo will have to be totally isolated. Since the procedure kills off all of the immune system, even the common cold could be deadly. Stem cells are responsible for maturing into red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and lymphocytes.They are collected from bone marrow, and when the chemotherapy is done, the cells are put back into the patients’ body.Elliott said he credited Jo for having courage just for undergoing the stem-cell transplant. You have to be strong and need a strong reason to face such a challenge, he said.Elliott said he wanted to be able to be with his family, but he also wanted to coach again.Jo wanted to do it for her two children, and also because she knew her husband was watching from above.”Cheering me on was Bob,” she said.Jo is currently undergoing the stem-cell transplant in Iowa City while Elliott is now recruiting. And even though miles of land separate them, the words he gave Jo are with her everyday.”Thanks Bob,” she said.Jo is lucky to have such a good coach, and so is Iowa State.Jeremy Gustafson is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Ogden. He is co-sports editor of the Daily.