Alex Stepanovich
Encyclopedia
Aleksandar Stepanovich is an American football
center
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Ohio State
.
Stepanovich has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals
, Atlanta Falcons
, and Pittsburgh Steelers
.
in Berea, Ohio
. He was also an accomplished wrestler in high school, winning the heavyweight state championship in 2000.
during 2001 and 2002 at Ohio State
, he shifted to guard
in his senior campaign and started 26 games during his college football career.
and Stepanovich moved into the starting lineup
. He started every game for the Cardinals in 2004
without missing a single offensive snap. He continued as a starter for much of 2005 and 2006 before going on injured reserve
.
The Cardinals elected not to tender him an offer for 2007, making him an unrestricted free agent.
signed Stepanovich to a one-year deal for 2007.
. He was released on June 17, 2009.
on August 10, 2009. He was waived
on August 31.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
Stepanovich has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Early years
In 2000, Stepanovich graduated from Berea High SchoolBerea High School
Berea High School is a high school located in Berea, Ohio. It was founded in 1882, and the current structure was built in 1929. It was the first of two public high schools in the Berea City School District, the other being Midpark High School. Berea High School serves grades nine through...
in Berea, Ohio
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
. He was also an accomplished wrestler in high school, winning the heavyweight state championship in 2000.
College career
Regarded as one of the top centers in college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
during 2001 and 2002 at Ohio State
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was the national champion of the 2002 college football season. The team was the first in Division I-A history to finish its season at 14–0, and the second to win 14 games, following BYU's 14–1 season in 1996...
, he shifted to guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
in his senior campaign and started 26 games during his college football career.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals selected him in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
and Stepanovich moved into the starting lineup
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
. He started every game for the Cardinals in 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
without missing a single offensive snap. He continued as a starter for much of 2005 and 2006 before going on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
.
The Cardinals elected not to tender him an offer for 2007, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Cincinnati Bengals
In March, the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
signed Stepanovich to a one-year deal for 2007.
Atlanta Falcons
On March 10, 2008, Stepanovich was signed by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was released on June 17, 2009.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Stepanovich signed with the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on August 10, 2009. He was waived
Waivers (American football)
Waivers is a National Football League labor management procedure by which a team makes an American football player contract or NFL rights available to all other teams...
on August 31.