Steve Preece
Encyclopedia
Steven "Steve" Packer Preece (born February 15, 1947 in Boise, Idaho
) is a former professional football
player, a defensive back
in the NFL
for 9 seasons, from 1969
to 1977
.
, Idaho
, and played high school football
at Borah High
for legendary coach Ed Troxel
, also his coach in track. At the talent-rich program, Preece had to wait his turn to play; he became the Lions' starting quarterback during his senior year in the fall of 1964.
to Oregon State
, recruited by linebackers coach Ed Knecht. Knecht had previously been the head coach at Boise High
, Borah's rival, and had connections in southwestern
Idaho
. Preece had great speed (10.0 in the 100 yard dash), and a good arm, a great fit for the option offense. Knecht had received a phone call warning him that a rival school was attempting to steal Preece away from the Beavers, so he promptly called new head coach Dee Andros
with the news, to which Andros responded, "Get the $@%! over there. And if you don't get him, don't bother to come back."
After the graduation of Paul Brothers following the 1966
season, Preece became the starting quarterback
for OSU. As a two-year starter from 1967–68, Preece compiled a 14-5-1 record (.725). Included in this success was a win and a tie against UCLA
, and a split with USC and O.J. Simpson. The Beavers won 3-0 in 1967
, the Trojans won 17-13 in 1968
in Los Angeles
.
The 1967
OSU football team finished with a record of 7-2-1 and a #7 ranking in the AP national poll
. OSU defeated previous #1 USC in Corvallis, and #2 Purdue
on the road, and tied #2 UCLA
in Los Angeles
, earning them the title of "The Giant Killers." OSU also beat the Iowa
Hawkeyes on the road, but a mid-season lapse of back-to-back losses to unranked teams severely damaged the Beavers' Rose Bowl
chances and national ranking. OSU lost to the Washington Huskies
in Seattle
and BYU Cougars in Corvallis
. Although OSU defeated USC, the Beavers wound up behind in the Pac-8 conference standings with a loss and a tie, USC defeated Indiana
14-3 in the Rose Bowl and was crowned national champion for the 1967 season. Oregon State did not play in a bowl game
, due to conference rules.
The 1968
Oregon State team would go 7-3, and finish #15 in the nation.
contract with the New Orleans Saints
in 1969
, not as a quarterback but as a defensive back. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles
for the 1970 season, staying through 1971, and playing one game for them in 1972 before being traded to the Denver Broncos
. In 1973
he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he would play for four seasons, the last two as a back-up, the only time in his career. He played his last season in 1977
as a starter for the Seattle Seahawks
, then retired at the age of thirty. Preece played a role similar to Nolan Cromwell
, as a defensive back who held for place kicks and was available to play quarterback in an emergency; both had been option quarterbacks in college.
business in Portland
and regularly provides color commentary for the Oregon State
football broadcasts.
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
) is a former professional football
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...
player, a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for 9 seasons, from 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
to 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
.
Early life
Preece grew up in BoiseBoise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Borah High
Borah High School
Borah High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. It is named after William E. Borah, a prominent U.S. Senator from 1907-40.-History:...
for legendary coach Ed Troxel
Ed Troxel
-External links:* - Ed Troxel - Idaho - 1974-77...
, also his coach in track. At the talent-rich program, Preece had to wait his turn to play; he became the Lions' starting quarterback during his senior year in the fall of 1964.
College career
After graduating in 1965, he accepted an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, recruited by linebackers coach Ed Knecht. Knecht had previously been the head coach at Boise High
Boise High School
Boise High School is the one of five public traditional high schools within the city of Boise, Idaho. It is one of four Boise School District three year comprehensive high schools and is located on the outerlying edge of the city's downtown business core...
, Borah's rival, and had connections in southwestern
Southwestern Idaho
Southwestern Idaho is a geographical term for the area along the state of Idaho's borders with Oregon and Nevada. It includes the populous areas of the Boise metropolitan area, Treasure Valley and Magic Valley.-Counties:Ada |Adams |Boise |Canyon |...
Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. Preece had great speed (10.0 in the 100 yard dash), and a good arm, a great fit for the option offense. Knecht had received a phone call warning him that a rival school was attempting to steal Preece away from the Beavers, so he promptly called new head coach Dee Andros
Dee Andros
Demosthenes Konstandies "Dee" Andrecopoulos was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University from 1965 to 1975, compiling career...
with the news, to which Andros responded, "Get the $@%! over there. And if you don't get him, don't bother to come back."
After the graduation of Paul Brothers following the 1966
1966 college football season
The 1966 college football season was marked by controversy as the year of "The Tie", a November 19 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Neither team participated in a post-season bowl game. At the same time, 1966 was the first year that the professional football...
season, Preece became the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for OSU. As a two-year starter from 1967–68, Preece compiled a 14-5-1 record (.725). Included in this success was a win and a tie against UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, and a split with USC and O.J. Simpson. The Beavers won 3-0 in 1967
1967 college football season
The 1967 college football season was the last one in which college football's champion was crowned before the bowl games. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as Division I-A and now as Division I FBS...
, the Trojans won 17-13 in 1968
1968 college football season
In the 1968 college football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
The 1967
1967 college football season
The 1967 college football season was the last one in which college football's champion was crowned before the bowl games. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as Division I-A and now as Division I FBS...
OSU football team finished with a record of 7-2-1 and a #7 ranking in the AP national poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. OSU defeated previous #1 USC in Corvallis, and #2 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
on the road, and tied #2 UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, earning them the title of "The Giant Killers." OSU also beat the Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
Hawkeyes on the road, but a mid-season lapse of back-to-back losses to unranked teams severely damaged the Beavers' Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
chances and national ranking. OSU lost to the Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and BYU Cougars in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
. Although OSU defeated USC, the Beavers wound up behind in the Pac-8 conference standings with a loss and a tie, USC defeated Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
14-3 in the Rose Bowl and was crowned national champion for the 1967 season. Oregon State did not play in a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
, due to conference rules.
The 1968
1968 college football season
In the 1968 college football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no...
Oregon State team would go 7-3, and finish #15 in the nation.
Professional career
Undrafted, Steve Preece signed a free agent NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
contract with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
, not as a quarterback but as a defensive back. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the 1970 season, staying through 1971, and playing one game for them in 1972 before being traded to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he would play for four seasons, the last two as a back-up, the only time in his career. He played his last season in 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
as a starter for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, then retired at the age of thirty. Preece played a role similar to Nolan Cromwell
Nolan Cromwell
Nolan Neil Cromwell is the wide receiver coach for the St. Louis Rams. He was an All-Pro safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL and was the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M University. Cromwell played for the Rams from 1977 through 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive...
, as a defensive back who held for place kicks and was available to play quarterback in an emergency; both had been option quarterbacks in college.
After football
Preece is in the real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
business in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and regularly provides color commentary for the Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
football broadcasts.
External links
- The Idaho Statesman, 16-Dec-1977
- Database Football: Steve Preece stats
- Season of the Giant Killers - Oregon State - 1967
- CFB Data Warehouse Oregon State results 1965-69
- Final AP Poll - 1967 season
- Final AP Poll - 1968 season