Steve Atwater
PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER
“Working hard is the best way to show players around you that you can lead them, and that’s what I plan to do.”
-Steve Atwater
Steve Atwater will go down in history as one of the most award-winning athletes of all time from Missouri. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, a member of the NFL’s 1990’s All-Decade Team, an eight-time Pro Bowler, and is forever enshrined in the Denver Broncos Ring of honor and the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Early Years
Stephen Dennis Atwater was born on October 28, 1966 and grew up in St. Louis. He was a standout prep athlete at sports powerhouse Lutheran North High School where he graduated in 1984. He set records as a quarterback before signing with the University of Arkansas as a safety.
Rise to Fame
Atwater’s move to the defensive side of the ball paid big dividends during his time in Fayetteville. He earned All-American honors twice, along with All-SEC honors three times.
Atwater’s meteoric rise through the college ranks quickly got the attention of pro scouts. He was drafted 20th overall in the 1989 draft by the Denver Broncos. That made him one of the few Missouri natives to ever be drafted in the first round.
Show Me Success
Atwater success in amateur sports quickly translated into even bigger success as a professional athlete. His rookie season was spectacular as the Broncos played in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers. He also finished second in voting for the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
His second NFL season saw more of the same upward trajectory as he became one of the most accomplished defensive players in the NFL. During that second season, he made the first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl teams.
In 1997 season, Atwater once again led his team to the Super Bowl, where they avenged the defeat from the title game during his first NFL season. The Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII 31-24, where his performance still ranks as one of the all-time best for a safety. In fact, many pundits thought he should have been the game’s MVP.
The Broncos followed up that success the following year as the team defeated the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII 34-19, capping off a superb 1998 season. That championship made Atwater a two-time Super Bowl champion.
He played one year with the New York Jets in 1998, before a ceremonial one-day contract with the Broncos which allowed him to retire from the team that was home for nearly a decade. Atwater joined the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 2017, and the NFL Hall of Fame in 2020.
Extra, Extra!
- Atwater joined the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor in 1998.
- He won the honor of Most Valuable Player in his high school conference as quarterback.
- He won the MVP trophy of the 1989 East-West Shrine Game.
