 Tasker in 2023 | |||||||||
| No. 80, 89 | |||||||||
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| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1962-04-10)April 10, 1962 (age 63) Smith Center, Kansas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Wichita County (Leoti, Kansas) | ||||||||
| College | Northwestern | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1985: 9th round, 226th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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Steven Jay Tasker (born April 10, 1962) is an Americansports reporter and former professionalfootballwide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL). He spent the majority of his career with theBuffalo Bills but began his career with theHouston Oilers. He was a five-time first-teamAll-Pro and a seven-timePro Bowl selection, primarily as aspecial teams player.
Tasker playedcollege football atDodge City Community College in Kansas before playing for theNorthwestern Wildcats. He was selected in the ninth round of the1985 NFL draft by the Oilers. Tasker played most of his pro career with Buffalo, and was voted by Bills fans to the team's 50th season All-time Team.[1] After retiring from playing, he has worked as a reporter, currently serving locally in Western New York on theMSG Western New York cable TV station, and onWGR Radio and formerly forCBS Sports.
In 2008, theNFL Network showNFL Top 10 ranked Tasker the ninth-best former player not enshrined in thePro Football Hall of Fame. He has several times been a nominee for the Hall, making the semi-finalist list eight times, but has not been selected as a member as of 2025.[2]
Tasker first attendedDodge City Community College. After two years, he transferred toNorthwestern University where he played the final two years of his college career before joining theNational Football League. Tasker finished his college career with 1,055 combined return yards from punts and kickoffs, averaging 10.8 yards per punt return.[3] After finishing hiscollege football career, and before being drafted into the NFL, he joined the school's rugby team. Although he had never played rugby before, he was named most valuable player at the Big Ten Conference Tournament.[4] Tasker continues to hold theNorthwestern Wildcats football career record forkickoff return average (24.3).[5]
Tasker was selected in the ninth round (226th overall) of the1985 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers where he played for two seasons.[6] He was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills on November 8, 1986.[7]
Tasker was listed as a wide receiver, however, most of his playing time came as agunner, onpunts andkickoffs. After he joined the Buffalo Bills, he began to play at wide receiver more than with the Oilers. While he performed very well as a receiver when Buffalo needed his services there, the combination of excellent Bills depth at that position, his value as a special teams playmaker, and Tasker refusing to demand more playing time on offense kept his WR time very slight.
Still, Tasker did make contributions at the more traditional role on offense and special teams. In a 1994 playoff game against theLos Angeles Raiders, he set up the Bills first touchdown with a 67-yard kickoff return. He also caught 5 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown in Buffalo's 1995 playoff win against theMiami Dolphins.
Tasker stood 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg); when he joined the Bills,Jim Haslett did not think that he was a player. Tasker recalled, "I told him not to worry because I was mistaken for a ball boy all the time".[8] Despite his small size, he gained a reputation as one of the league's most feared hitters, forcing numerousfumbles. Contributing to his success in breaking up kick and punt returns was his speed; he was almost always the first player to reach the return man. He was the first player to establish himself as a star almost exclusively throughspecial teams play without being akicker or a frequent returner. Tasker played in sevenPro Bowls (1987 and1990–1995) and became the only special teamer ever to be named the game'sMVP in1993.[9]
He was ranked No. 9 on theNFL Network'sNFL Top 10 Players Not in the Hall of Fame.[10]
Many, including former teammate andHall of FamequarterbackJim Kelly, consider him to be the greatestspecial teams player of all-time and believe that he should be in the Hall of Fame.[11]
Tasker was acolor commentator andsideline reporter forCBS football telecasts from 1998 until 2018. He also does color commentary for the local broadcasts ofBills pre-season games, teaming with his formerNFL on CBS broadcast partnerAndrew Catalon. He is also the spokesperson for the West Herr Auto Group. Tasker was on the sidelines withJim Nantz andPhil Simms during the playoffs until 2013. He also worked withDon Criqui and was best known working withGus Johnson in 1998, week 13 in 1999, week 5 in 2004, and from 2005 to 2010. Johnson left forFOX Sports the following year. He and Johnson called theDavid Garrard game winning Hail Mary touchdown pass for theJacksonville Jaguars' win over theHouston Texans in 2010. CBS dismissed Tasker prior to the 2019 season as they chose not to renew his contract.[12]
On September 9, 2007, Tasker became the 24th person inducted to the Bills'Wall of Fame.[13]
On November 22, 2011, Tasker was named one of the semifinalists in balloting for thePro Football Hall of Fame inCanton, Ohio.[14][15]
On September 28, 2013, his son,Luke Tasker, made hisCanadian Football League debut with theHamilton Tiger-Cats, in a home game against theCalgary Stampeders.[16][17] Luke Tasker also became a broadcaster during and after his playing career, becoming the Tiger-Cats' color commentator.
In April 2018, Tasker became co-host ofOne Bills Live, a daily weekday radio show focusing on the Buffalo Bills alongsideChris Brown onWGR andMSG Western New York. He served as the color commentator and analyst for theBuffalo Bills Radio Network in 2020 alongsideJohn Murphy afterEric Wood opted out of the season due to traveling difficulties associated with the coronavirus pandemic.[18]
Steve is married with five children. His sonLuke, played wide receiver for theHamilton Tiger-Cats in theCanadian Football League. They reside inEast Aurora, New York.[19]
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