Detroit Lions Steffen was selected by the
Detroit Lions in the thirteenth round (149th overall) of the
1959 NFL draft. He was converted into a
safety. As a rookie, he appeared in 8 games with 3 starts. In
1960, he appeared in 12 games as a backup. In
1961, he played in 8 games as a backup, before being traded to the
Washington Redskins in exchange for
offensive tackle Bob Whitlow on November 9.
Washington Redskins (first stint) In
1961, he played right cornerback in 6 games with 4 starts, while also returning kickoffs and punts. In
1962, he was moved to left cornerback, starting all 14 games, while making 4 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. In
1963, he was switched to
strong safety, starting 13 games and had 5 interceptions. On September 29, in a game against the
Dallas Cowboys, he made 3 interceptions, returning one for a franchise record 78-yard touchdown. He also was recognized as one of the best tacklers in the league. In
1964, he was switched to
strong safety, registering 144 tackles, 4 interceptions and one fumble recovery. In
1965, he started 14 games and had 4 interceptions. In
1966, he suffered a punctured lung, a separated clavicle and 3 broken ribs in the first half of the preseason game against the
Baltimore Colts. The injuries forced him to miss 6 weeks. On August 30, he was traded along with a fifth round pick (#119-
Willie Parker) to the Cowboys, in exchange for
Brig Owens,
Jake Kupp, and
Mitch Johnson.
Dallas Cowboys In
1966, he couldn't play because of his previous injuries and was placed on the
taxi squad. In
1967, he was re-signed by the Cowboys. He was converted into a
weakside linebacker until suffering a right knee injury during training camp. He was released on August 25.
Washington Redskins (second stint) On July 12,
1968, he was signed by the
Washington Redskins. He was a backup linebacker behind
Chris Hanburger, until suffering a broken arm in a preseason game. He was released on July 30. ==References==