Steve DeBerg

By Brad Berreman
Love of Sports Correspondent

A quick bit of NFL trivia: Can you name the quarterback who backed up Joe Montana, John Elway AND Steve Young?

If you said Steve DeBerg without any research, you really must have a lot of time on your hands. I kid, but DeBerg also started for each team before being replaced by a future legend of the game.

DeBerg’s NFL career spanned 21 years over three decades. He even became the oldest player ever on a Super Bowl roster while playing for the 1998 Atlanta Falcons at age 45.

He was a 10th round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 1977 before ending up with the 49ers shortly thereafter. In 1979, with the 49ers under the guidance of head coach Bill Walsh, he led the league in both pass attempts (578) and completions (347), while ranking fifth in the league in passing yards with 3,652. However, he’d be replaced by Joe Montana and would leave the 49ers after the 1980 season.

He’d go to the Broncos from 1981-83 and would serve as backup to a rookie named John Elway in that ‘83 season.

He’d then serve his first of two tours of duty with the Buccaneers from 1984-87. Steve Young and Vinny Testaverde would both be brought in to replace DeBerg, who’d move on yet again after the strike shortened 1987 season.

DeBerg had his best stretch of years with the Chiefs from 1988-91. Then, in 1990, he’d set an NFL record for lowest interception percentage while throwing for 3,444 yards and 23 touchdowns to go along with just four picks. He threw for at least 2,500 yards in each of his four seasons in Kansas City and just missed a reunion with Montana, who joined the Chiefs in 1993 after being replaced by Young in San Francisco.

He’d go back to Tampa Bay from 1992-93, though he only started four games for the Bucs during those seasons and actually finished ‘93 with the Dolphins.

All total, DeBerg passed for 34,241 career yards and 196 touchdowns while throwing 204 interceptions. He ranks in the Top 20 in NFL history in yards, attempts and completions. Those numbers alone set DeBerg apart from most other guys considered to have been “career backups.”

After the NFL, DeBerg served as head coach of the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds in 2005, lasting only five games and not winning a single one of them. He now runs “Football University” clinics around the U.S.

So, in recognition of a true predecessor to legends, here’s some Old School Love to Steve DeBerg!