Jim Steffen
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Orange, California, U.S.
Arnold, Maryland, U.S.
| No. 20, 41 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Cornerback, safety | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | May 1, 1936 Orange, California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | April 23, 2015 (aged 78) Arnold, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Tustin (Tustin, California) | ||||||||||
| College | UCLA | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1959: 13th round, 149th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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James William Steffen (May 1, 1936 – April 23, 2015) was an American professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted in the thirteenth round of the 1959 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Steffen attended Tustin High School and graduated in 1954. He was an All-State selection in football, baseball and basketball.
He initially enrolled at Occidental College to play football. He transferred to Santa Ana College after his freshman season, where he played basketball and baseball. He then moved on to Orange Coast College, where he played baseball.
Steffen finally transferred to UCLA in 1956. After sitting out for a year, he walked on to the football team as a junior. Even though he was only 5' 10" and weighted less than 190 pounds, he was a tenacious tackler who played both defensive end and offensive end.
As a senior, he was named team captain, second-team All-West coast and honorable-mention All-American. He also was a key player on the UCLA baseball team.