Steve DeBerg

Steven Leroy DeBerg (born January 19, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 years.

DeBerg is an alumnus of Savanna High School in Anaheim, California.

He was the starting quarterback, and excelled in the pole vault.

He was the starting quarterback at Fullerton College during the 1972 and 1973 seasons.

As a sophomore in 1973, DeBerg led his team to a South Coast Conference title with a 5–0 record.

In the postseason, Fullerton defeated San Diego City College 24–0 but lost 29–20 to Los Angeles City College in the state semifinals.

DeBerg ended the season with an overall record of 10–1–0, and received Junior College All-American honors.

He transferred to San José State University in 1974, and became the Spartans' starting quarterback in 1976.

DeBerg led his team to a Pacific Coast Athletic Association (Big West Conference) title, and was named the PCAA offensive player of the year.

He set nine school records, completing 141 of 262 attempts for 2,084 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the tenth round (275th overall) of the 1977 NFL draft, but was waived before the start of the season when he could not displace fellow rookie quarterback Glenn Carano.

DeBerg has been called one of the best play-action pass quarterbacks of all time.

Peyton Manning has studied films of DeBerg's play-action technique.

He played through injuries; ill with laryngitis, he wore a portable amplifier during regular-season games with San Francisco.

On September 14, 1977, DeBerg was signed to the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad.

DeBerg played for the San Francisco 49ers (1978–1980), Denver Broncos (1981–1983), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1984–1987, 1992, 1993), Kansas City Chiefs (1988–1991), Miami Dolphins (1993), and Atlanta Falcons (1998).

The starter in 1978, he was the first quarterback to implement Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense the following year.

When Walsh drafted Joe Montana from Notre Dame in the third round of the 1979 NFL draft, DeBerg was relegated to a backup role midway through the 1980 season.

In 1979, his only full season as a starter in San Francisco, DeBerg led the NFL in completions (347) and pass attempts (578).

He ranked fifth in the league in passing yards (3,652), throwing 17 touchdowns against 21 interceptions.

DeBerg had his first 300-yard passing game in his sixth start against Seattle, completing a season-high 31 of 40 passes for 306 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Later that year, he posted his first 100.0 passer rating as a starter (one of two 49ers' wins all year) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

DeBerg finished the game with 22 completions in 30 pass attempts (a season-high 73.3-percent completion rate), with one touchdown and no interceptions.

After being with the 49ers when they drafted Joe Montana in the third round in 1979, DeBerg was with the Broncos when John Elway joined as the result of a trade.

The 49ers improved in 1980, winning six games (four started by DeBerg).

He completed 186 of 321 passes for 1,998 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

DeBerg started the season well, winning his first three starts and twice completing over 70 percent of his pass attempts.

Turnovers became an issue, however, as the team began struggling.

The low point was a five-interception game in a lopsided loss to Dallas on October 12.

DeBerg was traded to the Denver Broncos on August 31, 1981 for a 1983 fourth-round draft pick (#87, Chuck Nelson), rejoining Dan Reeves (who coached him during his short time with the Cowboys).

Similar events unfolded several times over the next decade.

Elway was drafted first overall in 1983, but refused to sign with the Baltimore Colts.

During his three seasons in Denver, DeBerg backed up Craig Morton and Elway and appeared in 33 games with 11 starts.

He was 4–1 as a starter for the 1983 Broncos, subbing for the rookie Elway and helping to lead the team to the postseason.

On April 24, 1984, DeBerg was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fourth-round pick (#89, Randy Robbins) and a 1985 conditional pick who ended up being a second-round selection (#36, Richard Byrd).

DeBerg was the central starter for the 1984 Buccaneers, who posted one of the league's more productive offensive attacks when he was the starting quarterback.

He arrived at the club when Steve Young and Vinny Testaverde (1987) were drafted.

Although large portions of his professional career were spent as a backup, DeBerg accumulated significant NFL statistics (particularly during the early 1990s, when he was the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs).

In 1993, DeBerg was inducted into the California Community College's Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Eight years later, he was inducted into the San Jose State University Ring of Honor and Sports Hall of Fame.