Tony Steponovich
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | January 15, 1907 Globe, Arizona |
| Died: | January 5, 2000 (aged 92) Riverside, California |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Inglewood (CA) |
| College: | University of Southern California |
| Position: | Guard, end |
| Career history | |
| |
Anthony John Steponovich (January 15, 1907 – January 5, 2000) was an American football player and coach.
Early years[edit]
Steponovich was born in 1907 in Globe, Arizona, an attended Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California. He enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) where he played college football for the freshman team in 1926 and for the varsity from 1927 to 1929.[1] As a senior, he played for 1929 USC team that won the Pacific Coast Conference championship, defeated Pitt in the 1930 Rose Bowl and has been retroactively recognized by some selectors as the national champion.
Professional football[edit]
Prior to the 1930 season, Steponovich and two of his USC teammates (Nate Barragar and Johnny Ward) signed with the Minneapolis Red Jackets of the National Football League (NFL).[2][3] He appeared in nine games for the Red Jackets, six as a starter.[4] He played at the end, guard, and center positions.[1]
Steponovich and his USC teammates Barragar and Ward finished the 1930 season with the NFL's Philadelphia franchise, known as the Frankford Yellow Jackets. Steponovich started three games at the end position for the Yellow Jackets.[4] In all, Steponovich appeared in 12 NFL games, 9 as a starter.[4]
Steponovich returned to professional football in 1935 as a guard for the Los Angeles Maroons,[5] and in 1936 as a fullback for the Hollywood Stars.[1]
Steponovich's younger brother, Mike Steponovich, also played in the National Football League.[6][5]
Coaching career and later years[edit]
Steponovich later coached football at Oceanside High School in Oceanside, California, and at Riverside High School and Riverside College in Riverside, California.[7][8] His Riverside COllege teams won only one conference game in two years, and he was replaced as head coach in March 1950.[9] He died in 2000 at Riverside.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Tony Steponovich". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- ^ "Red Jackets Sign Two Coast Stars: Barragar, Famous Center, and Steponovich, Due Next Week". The Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. August 31, 1930. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Californians Continue Saga as Members of Red Jacket Gridders". The Minneapolis Star. September 27, 1930. p. Sports 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Tony Steponovich". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "Brothers to Battle in Pro Grid Tilt Sunday". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. December 4, 1935. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mike Steponovich NFL Football". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- ^ "Riverside Gets New Coach For Coming Season: Tony Steponovich, Ex-Trojan, Selected as Assistant at Nearby Institution". The San Bernardino Daily Sun. September 9, 1938. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tony Steponovivh Named Mentor at Riverside College". The Pomona Progress Bulletin. July 24, 1948. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "DeFrancisco Named Coach". Los Angeles Times. March 9, 1950. p. IV-3 – via Newspapers.com.