Steve Papin facts for kids

Steve Papin, born on February 28, 1972, is a former American football player. He was an "offensive specialist" in the Arena Football League (AFL) for seven seasons. He played for teams like the San Jose SaberCats and the New York Dragons. Before playing professionally, he went to West Valley College and then Portland State University. He also played for the Scottish Claymores and the San Diego Riptide.

Early Life and College Football

Steve Papin grew up in San Jose, California. He went to Piedmont Hills High School there.

College Career Highlights

After high school, Papin played college football for the Portland State Vikings. In his senior year, 1995, he was a top player. He gained 2,397 all-purpose yards, which means he ran, caught, and returned the ball for a lot of distance. He finished third in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, an award for the best player in his division of college football.

Professional Football Career

Steve Papin started his professional career in 1997 with the Scottish Claymores. This team was part of the World League of American Football.

Playing in the Arena Football League

From 1997 to 2001, Papin played for the San Jose SaberCats in the Arena Football League (AFL). He was a very successful player during this time. He was named to the Second Team All-Arena twice. He also won the "Don't Blink! Player of the Year" award two times. The SaberCats released him in December 2001.

In January 2002, Papin joined the New York Dragons, another AFL team. He played with them until March 2003. He ended his AFL career with impressive stats. He had 15,413 all-purpose yards and scored 152 touchdowns. On average, he gained 200.4 all-purpose yards per game. His great performance led him to be a finalist for the Arena Football Hall of Fame in both 2013 and 2014.

Time with the San Diego Riptide

In 2003, Papin played five games for the San Diego Riptide. This team was part of af2, a league similar to the AFL. His time with the Riptide was cut short when he suffered a knee injury.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Steve Papin became a football coach. He coached at both professional and high school levels.

Professional Coaching Roles

• In 2005, he was the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Riptide.
• He continued as a defensive coordinator for the Central Valley Coyotes in 2006.
• In 2007, he switched to offense, becoming the offensive coordinator for the Everett Hawks.
• He held the same role for the Tri-Cities Fever in 2008.
• In 2010, he was the offensive coordinator for the San Jose Wolves.
• In 2011, he returned to the San Jose SaberCats as their wide receivers coach.

High School Coaching Roles

Papin also spent many years coaching high school football teams in California.

• From 2011 to 2013, he was the head coach for the Gunderson High School Grizzlies in San Jose.
• In 2014, he became the head coach for the Independence High School 76ers. He coached there for several years.
• For the 2019 season, he coached at Menlo-Atherton High School.
• He returned to Independence High School in 2020.
• After the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Papin became the head coach at Santa Teresa High School.

Broadcasting Career

In 2015, Steve Papin also worked in sports broadcasting. He was hired by CBS Sports Network. He worked as a sideline analyst for their coverage of the AFL games.