Steve DeLong
DeLong c. 1971 | |||||||||
| No. 56, 82, 87 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Defensive end • Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | July 3, 1943 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | August 18, 2010 (aged 67) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 252 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Oscar F. Smith (South Norfolk, Virginia) | ||||||||
| College | Tennessee | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1965: 1st round, 6th overall pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft | 1965: 1st round, 6th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL/AFL statistics | |||||||||
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Steven Cyril DeLong (July 3, 1943 – August 18, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He was a first-round selection in both the AFL and NFL drafts in 1965.[1][2] He played collegiately for the Tennessee Volunteers, and professionally for the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears. In 1969 with San Diego, he set a team record with 17 sacks, a mark which stood until Gary Johnson had 17+1⁄2 in 1980.[3] He was traded from the Chargers to the Bears on July 26, 1972, for a fourth-round selection in the 1973 NFL draft (84th overall–Jim Thaxton).[4][5]
DeLong was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He was the father of professional football player Keith DeLong, who also played for the University of Tennessee.
See also
References
- ^ "1965 AFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "1965 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Rick (1981). 1981 San Diego Chargers Facts Book. San Diego Chargers. p. 41.
- ^ "Triple-holdout has Vikings talking trade," The Associated Press (AP), Thursday, July 27, 1972. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "1973 NFL Draft Pick Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.