Joe Stepanek
No. 73
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1963-11-06) November 6, 1963
Tama, Iowa, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:268 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school:Regis
College:Minnesota
Undrafted:1986
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Joseph Paul Stepanek (born November 6, 1963) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football for the Waldorf Warriors in Iowa before transferring to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 1984.[1] He played for the Warriors from 1982 to 1983 and for the Golden Gophers from 1984 to 1985, lettering both years with the latter.[2]

Stepanek began his professional career in 1986 by joining the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) but did not make the team.[3] In the 1987 off-season, he had stints in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons.[3][4] When the NFL Players Association went on strike, Stepanek was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as a replacement player.[5] He played only one game for the Vikings, starting against the Green Bay Packers at defensive tackle, and recorded a safety; he finished tied for the league lead in that category even though he played only one of 15 possible games.[5][6] He was released by the team after the strike and later had a short stay with the New York Jets, but never played professionally again.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ "Joe Stepanek picks Gophers". The Gazette. Associated Press. January 13, 1984. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. 1 2 "Joe Stepanek Stats". Pro Football Archives.
  3. 1 2 3 "Joe Stepanek Transactions". Pro Football Archives.
  4. ↑ Miliokas, Nick (June 3, 1987). "Gregory reduces roster". The Leader-Post. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. 1 2 Witosky, Tom (October 6, 1987). "Ex-Hawk sees 'heckuva' job by NFL replacement players". The Des Moines Register. p. 7, 10 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ↑ "Joe Stepanek stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
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