Steve Furness
No. 64 | |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Career information | |
---|---|
Position(s) | Defensive tackle/Defensive end |
Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
US college | Rhode Island |
High school | Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, Rhode Island) |
NFL draft | 1972 / Round: 5 / Pick: 113 |
Drafted by | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Career history | |
As coach | |
1982–1990 | Michigan State Defensive line coach |
1991 | Indianapolis Colts Defensive line coach |
1992–1993 | Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive line coach |
As player | |
1972–1980 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
1981 | Detroit Lions |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Honors | Univ. of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame (1987)[2] |
Career stats | |
Games played | 106 |
Opponent's fumbles recovered | 8 |
|
Stephen Robert Furness (December 5, 1950 – February 9, 2000) was an American
Armenian
descent.
Furness grew up in
quarterback sacks during several seasons with the Steelers. He collected 32 sacks over the course of his Steelers career.[4] He was also an avid weight lifter and placed fourth in the 1980 'Strongest Man in Football' competition, which aired on CBS.[5]
Furness was released by Pittsburgh after playing all 16 games in the 1980 season and he ended his playing career in 1981 with the
Steelers for his final two years as a defensive line coach (1992–1993). In 1999, he was named as one of the "50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures" of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated magazine, earning the 14th spot on the list.[3]
Furness died unexpectedly of a heart attack on February 9, 2000. His son Zack Furness is a professor at Penn State University.
References
- ^ Big Night, Shaun Assael, ESPN, The Magazine, January 21, 2003, accessed 2009-02-11
- ^ Stephen Furness profile, GoRhody.com (accessed online 2009-02-11)
- ^ a b "SI.com - SI 50th - Rhode Island - The 50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures - Wednesday July 09, 2003 04:11 PM". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ^ "Souls who enriched our lives, our region". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. December 1, 2002. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ "ESPNMAG.com - Big Night". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ^ "Rhode Island". Gorhody.cstv.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
External links
- "50 Greatest Rhode Island Sports Figures," Sports Illustrated, December 7, 1999, accessed 3/31/08
- University of Rhode Island Official Athletic Site
- Statistics at databasefootball.com
- Death notice, infoplease.com
- Souls who enriched our lives, our region, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Dec. 1, 2002, accessed 12/07/2006
- Zack Furness, "My Dad Kicked Ass For a Living," Bad Subjects, Issue #57, October, 2001, accessed 3/31/08