Sandy Stephens
| No. 15 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 21, 1940 Uniontown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died: | June 6, 2000 (aged 59) Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Uniontown |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame (2011) | |
Sanford Emory Stephens II (September 21, 1940 – June 6, 2000) was an American college football player and civic leader. Stephens was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area city of Uniontown, Pennsylvania and is best known for his career as a college football quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he became one of the first African-American quarterbacks in major college football and the first African American to be named an All-American at quarterback. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
College career
Stephens was the first black man to play quarterback at the University of Minnesota and remains the only quarterback to take the Gophers to the Rose Bowl (1961 and 1962). He was one of the first "National Recruits" for the University of Minnesota, along with Judge Dickson and Bill Munsey.[1] Minnesota was one of the few schools at the time willing to field a black quarterback.[2] The mayor of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, had served in the Navy with John Mariucci, the coach of the Gopher Hockey team.[3] Mariucci tipped off the University of Minnesota football coach, Murray Warmath about the players.
In 1960, along with Uniontown (PA) High School teammate Bill Munsey, Stephens led the University of Minnesota to an 8–1 regular season record and the
Sandy Stephens was a member of
Professional career
Stephens was a second-round
After playing for the Alouettes in 1962, he was cut by Montreal during the 1963 season and was claimed on waivers by the
Death
Stephens was found dead at his Bloomington, Minnesota apartment by a relative.[7] His death at age 59 was attributed to a heart attack.[8]
Legacy
Thirty years after he left football, Stephens was named to the University of Minnesota All Century Team, the
References
- ^ "Patrick Reusse – Reusse: U's Sandy Stephens was ahead of his time". Star Tribune. December 6, 2011
- ^ Madsen, Rob (Spring 2023). "The Cost of Conservatism: The University of Minnesota's Lofted Ideals and Fallen Football Teams". Journal of Sport History. 50 (1): 85–100.
- ^ David Butwin "First Person: Human Tackling Dummy" Minnesota Magazine, University of Minnesota Alumni Association, Fall 2011
- ^ Canadian Football League Illustrated, V.1 No.8, p. 31.
- ^ "Sandy Stephens".
- ^ "SANDY STEPHENS CRITICAL AFTER AUTO ACCIDENT". Associated Press, The Miami News September 21, 1964
- ^ [Sandy Stephens, 59, Gophers quarterback]. Associated Press, June 7, 2000
- ^ ALL-AMERICAN SANDY STEPHENS DIES AT AGE 59 University of Minnesota Sports Information Office, June 2000. Sanford "Sandy" Stephens, a former All-American quarterback for the University of Minnesota, died Wednesday morning of a heart attack.
- ^ Miller, Phil – Gophers great Stephens makes college football's Hall of Fame Star Tribune, May 18, 2011