Steve Bartkowski was born in Des Moines Iowa in 1952. His family moved to Santa Clara, California in 1962. After graduation from high school, he chose from over 100 scholarship offers to attend the University of California at Berkley. He made All-American in both Baseball and Football. In 1975 he was the #1 Draft Pick in the NFL and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. He was their starting Quarterback for the following 11 Seasons.
During his first year with the Falcons he was selected as "Rookie of the Year". He was the NFL's highest rated Quarterback for three years and he earned All-Pro honors for his efforts in the l980 and l981 campaigns. He was the "Most Valuable Player in the NFC" in 1980. Steve led the Falcons to their first ever Playoff Game on 1978, and again in 1980 and 1982. Steve still holds many of the passing records for the Atlanta Falcons.
He played his last season in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams before 6 operations on his right knee forced him to retire in 1987. Since retiring from Pro Football, Steve has used his knowledge of the game in the broadcast booth analyst. He is a member of the "Quarterback Legends".
Following his football career, Steve began a television career hosting top rated Outdoor Television Shows, such as the long running "Great Outdoors with Steve Bartkowski" on ESPN and "Back Road Adventures with Steve Bartkowski" on TNN. The shows provided a powerful theme of respect and concern for wildlife resources and a strong commitment to conservation.
An accomplished golfer, Steve is a founding member of the Celebrity Players Tour - a nationally televised professional golf tour featuring celebrities such as Dan Marino, John Elway, Chris Chandler, Rick Rhoden, Mario Lemieux, Johnny Bench and many other top professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA. The tour also features television and film stars as participants.
1975 #1 NFL Draft Pick
