Steuber in The Savitar, 1943
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No. 88 | |||||||||
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Position: | Halfback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Date of birth: | October 25, 1921 | ||||||||
Place of birth: | Wenonah, New Jersey | ||||||||
Date of death: | November 29, 1996 | (aged 75)||||||||
Place of death: | St. Louis, Missouri | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
College: | Missouri, DePauw | ||||||||
NFL Draft: | 1943 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9 | ||||||||
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 | |||||||||
Rushing attempts-yards: | 79-461 |
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Receptions-yards: | 3-23 |
Touchdowns: | 3 |
Player stats at NFL.com |
Robert James "Bob" Steuber (October 25, 1921 – November 29, 1996) was an American football halfback who has the distinction of having played NCAA college football after playing professional football in the NFL. Steuber played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Steuber was a standout on his high school football team. He attended the University of Missouri, where he quickly became one of the country's most productive runners and scoring threats. He was second in the country in 1942 with more than 1,000 yards of rushing. Steuber was drafted by the NFL's Chicago Bears and played one game for the team, appearing as a substitute on September 26, 1943 in the Green Bay Packers' home opener, which ended in a 21-21 tie. The next day, Steuber entered the United States Navy and was transferred to DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana for pre-flight training. Despite having gone from amateur status to professional football, Steuber was allowed to return to college football six days later and led DePauw to a 50-0 win over Illinois Normal College, rushing for 225 yards and scoring 25 points in the first half. Playing for DePauw's football team in 1943, he led the nation in scoring.
After the war, Steuber signed with the Cleveland Browns of the AAFC, a new league set to start play in 1946. He was limited by a knee injury that year, however, and was traded to the Los Angeles Dons after the Browns won the first AAFC championship game. Steuber only played in three games for the Dons due to another knee injury, and he was again traded to the Buffalo Bills. A broken back toward the end of the 1948 season ended his playing career for good. Steuber then settled in St. Louis, where he worked as a sports announcer on the weekends. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and the University of Missouri's athletics hall of fame in 1990. His number 37 jersey is retired at Missouri.