| No. 20, 15[1] | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1940-09-21)September 21, 1940 Uniontown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 2000(2000-06-06) (aged 59) Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Uniontown |
| College | Minnesota (1959–1961) |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Sanford Emory Stephens II (September 21, 1940 – June 6, 2000) was an Americanfootball player and civic leader. Stephens was born and raised in thePittsburgh area city ofUniontown, Pennsylvania and is best known for his career as a college footballquarterback for theMinnesota 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 ofAlpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Stephens was the first black man to playquarterback at the University of Minnesota and remains the onlyquarterback to take the Gophers to theRose Bowl (1961 and1962). He was one of the first "National Recruits" for the University of Minnesota, along withJudge Dickson andBill Munsey.[2] Minnesota was one of the few schools at the time willing to field a black quarterback.[3] The mayor ofMcKeesport, Pennsylvania, had served in the Navy withJohn Mariucci, the coach of the Gopher Hockey team.[4] Mariucci tipped off the University of Minnesota football coach,Murray Warmath, about the players.
In 1960, along with Uniontown (PA) High School teammate Munsey, Stephens led the University of Minnesota to an 8–1 regular season record and thenational championship. Minnesota defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 27–10, when both teams were undefeated, in one of biggest games in theIowa–Minnesota football rivalry. Stephens became the first African-American major-collegeAll-American quarterback and finished fourth in theHeisman Trophy balloting. In 1961, Stephens received theChicago Tribune Silver Football as theMost Valuable Player of theBig Ten Conference.
Sandy Stephens was a member ofThe Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.
Stephens was a second-roundNFL draft choice of theCleveland Browns and the fifth overall selection in theAFL draft by theNew York Titans. Both teams said that they wouldn't use him as a quarterback and he never played a down in either league. TheCanadian Football League (CFL) welcomed him as a quarterback, as theMontreal Alouettes offered a reported $25,000 signing bonus and a three-year contract at $30,000 per year.[5]
After playing for the Alouettes in 1962, he was cut by Montreal during the 1963 season and was claimed on waivers by theToronto Argonauts. Upon leaving the CFL, Stephens tried out as a walk-on with theMinnesota Vikings. In his CFL career, he threw 22 touchdowns with 38 interceptions on 2,823 yards, while rushing for 487 yards on 88 carries and 8 touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. He was also used as an occasional kicker, making 12 out of 19 extra points and 4 out of 8 field goals, with three punts for a 20-yard average.[6] On September 20, 1964, he was involved in a near fatal accident.[7] The car is which he was riding withTed Dean, a Minnesota Vikings player, struck a tree in South Minneapolis. Two years after the accident Stephens signed with theKansas City Chiefs as afullback. He was willing to play any of the back positions and continued to dream of playing as a quarterback in the NFL, but to no avail. He ended his active football career in 1968.
Stephens was found dead at hisBloomington, Minnesota apartment by a relative.[8] His death at age 59 was attributed to a heart attack.[9]
Thirty years after he left football, Stephens was named to the University of Minnesota All Century Team, theStar Tribune 100 All-Century Top Sports Figures (No. 30), and awarded NCAA Legends status. He was inducted into the University of Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania All Sports Hall of Fame and he was nominated for induction into the National and College Football Foundation Hall of Fame. One of his most coveted recognitions was his induction into theRose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1997. On May 17, 2011, Stephens was voted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame as part of the 16-member Class of 2011. He is the 22nd Gopher to be elected into the College Football Hall of Fame and the fourth from the 1960 National Championship team.[10]