Jim Steffen facts for kids

James William Steffen (born May 1, 1936 – died April 23, 2015) was an American football player. He played as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). Jim Steffen played for teams like the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, and Dallas Cowboys. He was chosen in the 1959 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Early Life and College Football

High School Sports Star

Jim Steffen grew up in California. He went to Tustin High School and finished in 1954. While there, he was amazing at many sports. He was chosen as an All-State player in football, baseball, and basketball. This means he was one of the best high school athletes in the entire state!

College Journey

After high school, Jim first went to Occidental College to play football. But he soon moved to Santa Ana College. There, he played basketball and baseball. Later, he transferred again to Orange Coast College, where he focused on baseball.

UCLA Football Success

In 1956, Jim finally transferred to UCLA. He had to wait a year before playing. Then, he joined the football team as a junior without a scholarship, which is called "walking on." Even though he wasn't the biggest player, he was a very tough tackler. He played both defensive end and offensive end.

In his senior year, Jim was chosen as the team captain. He was also named second-team All-West Coast and received an honorable mention for All-American. This showed how important he was to his team. Besides football, he was also a key player on the UCLA baseball team.

Professional Football Career

Playing for the Detroit Lions

In 1959, the Detroit Lions picked Jim Steffen in the NFL Draft. He was chosen in the thirteenth round. The Lions changed his position to a safety. A safety is a defensive player who helps stop long passes and tackles runners.

As a new player, Jim played in 8 games and started 3 of them. In 1960, he played in 12 games as a backup player. In 1961, he played in 8 games for the Lions. Later that year, he was traded to the Washington Redskins.

First Time with the Washington Redskins

When Jim joined the Washington Redskins in 1961, he played as a right cornerback. A cornerback tries to stop the other team's receivers from catching the ball. He also returned kickoffs and punts.

In 1962, he moved to left cornerback and started all 14 games. He was great at stopping the other team, getting 4 interceptions and recovering 3 fumbles. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an opponent.

In 1963, Jim became a strong safety. He started 13 games and made 5 interceptions. In one game against the Dallas Cowboys, he had 3 interceptions! He even returned one for a 78-yard touchdown, which was a team record. People recognized him as one of the best tacklers in the league.

He continued to play strong safety in 1964, making 144 tackles and 4 interceptions. In 1965, he started all 14 games and had 4 more interceptions.

Time with the Dallas Cowboys

In 1966, Jim got seriously hurt during a preseason game. He had a punctured lung, a separated shoulder, and three broken ribs. These injuries made him miss six weeks of playing. Because of his injuries, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys.

He couldn't play for the Cowboys in 1966 because he was still recovering. In 1967, the Cowboys signed him again. They tried to change his position to a weakside linebacker, but he hurt his right knee during training camp. He was then released from the team.

Second Time with the Washington Redskins

In 1968, Jim Steffen signed with the Washington Redskins again. He was a backup linebacker. However, he broke his arm in a preseason game. After this injury, he was released from the team on July 30, which ended his professional football career.