Steve Breaston facts for kids
Breaston with the Arizona Cardinals in 2008
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | August 20, 1983 North Braddock, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 189 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Pittsburgh (PA) Woodland Hills | ||||||||
| College: | Michigan (2002–2006) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 5 / Pick: 142 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Steven William Breaston (born August 20, 1983) is a former American professional football player. He was a wide receiver who also excelled at returning kicks and punts. Steve played college football for the Michigan Wolverines before being chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2007 NFL draft. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Early Life and High School Football
Steve Breaston grew up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. He went to Woodland Hills High School near Pittsburgh, PA. Steve was a star football player there for three years. He helped his team achieve an amazing 14-1 record and reach the Pennsylvania 4-A state championship game.
High School Achievements
Steve was a very versatile player in high school. He helped Woodland Hills win the WPIAL Class AAAA title. In that game, he ran for 219 yards. In 2001, he was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year. Experts rated him as one of the best athletes in the country.
As a quarterback, Steve ran for 2,545 yards and scored 37 touchdowns in his high school career. In his senior year, he ran for 1,718 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also threw for 600 yards. He was involved in 34 touchdowns overall that season. Steve also returned two punts for touchdowns as a senior. He gained over 5,000 total yards in his last two seasons. Besides football, he also played basketball and ran track. He even won a district title in the 300-meter hurdles.
College Career at Michigan
Steve Breaston played for the Michigan Wolverines football team for four seasons, from 2003 to 2006. He became one of the best return specialists in the school's history. He also ranks fifth in Michigan history for the most career receptions.
Setting Records at Michigan
Steve holds several impressive records at Michigan. He is the school's all-time leader in punt returns (127 returns for 1,599 yards). He is also the all-time leader in kickoff returns (81 returns for 1,993 yards).
He returned four punts for touchdowns, which ties him for the school record. He also returned one kickoff for a touchdown. His total of five return touchdowns is a Michigan record. His punt return records are also Big Ten Conference records. In 2005, Steve set a Rose Bowl record with 315 all-purpose yards. This means he gained 315 yards from running, catching, and returning kicks and punts in that single game.
College Awards and Honors
Steve received many awards during his college career:
- In 2003, he was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year.
- He was a four-time Big Ten Football Special Teams Player of the Week.
- He was also on watchlists for major national awards like the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in 2006.
College Statistics Overview
Steve had many games where he gained over 200 all-purpose yards. This shows how important he was to the team in many different ways.
| Season | Team | Games Played | Receiving | Rushing | Punt Returns | Kickoff Returns | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receptions | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Attempts | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Returns | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | Returns | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | |||
| 2003 | Michigan | 13 | 38 | 444 | 11.7 | 37 | 3 | 12 | 65 | 5.4 | 21 | 2 | 45 | 619 | 13.8 | 74 | 2 | 9 | 191 | 21.2 | 34 | 0 |
| 2004 | Michigan | 11 | 34 | 291 | 8.6 | 50 | 3 | 10 | 76 | 7.6 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 292 | 12.2 | 67 | 1 | 28 | 689 | 24.6 | 53 | 0 |
| 2005 | Michigan | 11 | 26 | 291 | 11.2 | 52 | 2 | 10 | 101 | 10.1 | 30 | 0 | 29 | 356 | 12.3 | 72 | 0 | 23 | 646 | 28.1 | 95 | 1 |
| 2006 | Michigan | 13 | 58 | 670 | 11.6 | 62 | 2 | 10 | 79 | 7.9 | 26 | 0 | 29 | 332 | 11.4 | 83 | 1 | 21 | 467 | 22.2 | 64 | 0 |
| Career Totals | 48 | 156 | 1,696 | 10.9 | 62 | 10 | 42 | 321 | 7.6 | 30 | 2 | 127 | 1,599 | 12.6 | 83 | 4 | 81 | 1,993 | 24.6 | 95 | 1 | |
Professional Football Career
Steve Breaston was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was the 142nd player chosen overall.
Playing for the Arizona Cardinals
In his first NFL season in 2007, Steve showed his talent as a returner. In a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown. This play was very important in helping the Cardinals win the game. By the end of that season, he had gained 1,462 yards from returns.
The 2008 season was a big year for Steve. When another star receiver, Anquan Boldin, got injured, Steve stepped up as a starting wide receiver. He played so well that he, Anquan Boldin, and Larry Fitzgerald became only the fifth trio of receivers in NFL history to each gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Steve finished that year with 1,006 receiving yards. During his time with the Cardinals, he had 140 catches for 1,810 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Time with the Kansas City Chiefs
In 2011, Steve Breaston signed a five-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. In a game against the Colts, he caught two touchdowns. These scores helped the Chiefs make a big comeback and win the game 28-24. He finished that year with 785 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In 2012, he had 74 receiving yards. The Chiefs released him in February 2013.
Brief Time with the New Orleans Saints
On August 5, 2013, Steve signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. However, he was released by the Saints just two weeks later, on August 19, 2013.
NFL Career Statistics Summary
Here's a look at Steve Breaston's statistics during his professional NFL career:
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
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| Games Played | Games Started | Receptions | Yards | Average | Longest | Touchdowns | ||
| 2007 | ARI | 16 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 11.5 | 22 | 0 |
| 2008 | ARI | 15 | 6 | 77 | 1,006 | 13.1 | 58 | 3 |
| 2009 | ARI | 15 | 15 | 55 | 712 | 12.9 | 45 | 3 |
| 2010 | ARI | 13 | 11 | 47 | 718 | 15.3 | 37 | 1 |
| 2011 | KC | 16 | 13 | 61 | 785 | 12.9 | 43 | 2 |
| 2012 | KC | 10 | 4 | 7 | 74 | 10.6 | 24 | 0 |
| Total Career | 85 | 64 | 255 | 3,387 | 13.3 | 58 | 9 | |
Personal Life
Steve Breaston is related to another football player, Toney Clemons, who is his cousin.
See Also
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
